Case Study Workplace design for a production helper in a drop forge

The company is a drop forge.

The severely disabled man has a spinal condition. He should not be used for heavy and frequent lifting or carrying. This is especially true in conjunction with the use of forced postures, such as bending or stooping.

The man works as a production helper for the employer.

Previously, the dies (upper and lower dies), which had been preheated in the furnace to approx. 300 degrees Celsius, were moved by the production helper into the drop forging machine by means of a forklift truck and positioned or fastened with steel wedges and screws. The 79-90 kg steel wedges were driven in by the production assistant with the help of his two colleagues and the use of a sledgehammer or jackhammer. The production assistant could not continue to be used for driving in the steel wedges due to his disability. For this reason, a hydraulically clampable holding system for dies was purchased and made available at the drop forging machine. The preheated dies are now moved by forklift truck into the die holding system, precisely positioned there and finally clamped hydraulically by actuating a switch.