vonrickenbach.swiss ag is more than satisfied with the vacuum lifter from Schmalz.

Vacuum Lifter From Schmalz Optimizes Work Flow in Carpentry Workshop

The Swiss wood specialist vonrickenbach.swiss processes over 1,000 cubic meters of hardwood into high-quality solid wood parts and furniture every year. Now the JumboErgo 120 Schmalz vacuum tube lifter with pneumatic swiveling unit (PSE) optimizes the feeding of the 5-axis CNC processing machine. The result: no more sick leave due to back problems and a smoother work process.

Products used in the application

Features of the success story

Industry	Wood
Workpiece	Solid wood panels
Product group	Vacuum Tube Lifter
Type of handling	Manual Handling

With Schmalz

300

kilogram

effortless handling

The customer: vonrickenbach.swiss ag

Vonrickenbach.swiss ag is a fourth-generation family business that has been manufacturing solid wood components since 1910. Originally founded as a carpentry workshop, the company developed into a supplier to the furniture industry. Under Paul von Rickenbach, the focus was expanded to include high-quality wooden components through investments in modern CNC technology. Today, the company also serves customers in other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, design and packaging technology. Vonrickenbach.swiss supports its customers from the concept phase to series production and manufactures only products made of solid wood.

The challenge

The solid wood panels that are loaded onto the 5-axis CNC machine at von rickenbach swiss every day weigh between ten and 150 kilograms. For the operator of the CNC machine, this meant a high level of physical strain. The employee who achieves this work on a daily basis suffered from severe back pain. The consequences: Absences from work and necessary physiotherapy. In addition, a second helper was needed to lift the heavy sheets, which interrupted the flow of work elsewhere ‒ in hindsight, a completely uneconomical process.

It became apparent that we would be milling even larger sheets. These would not have been feasible without a lifting device.

∼ Thomas von Rickenbach, Managing Director of vonrickenbach.swiss ag

The solution from Schmalz

Schmalz's solution is the JumboErgo 120 tube lifter with a pneumatic swiveling unit (PSE). This allows employees to pick up the large wooden boards safely and ergonomically from the transport trolley, swivel them and place them horizontally on the processing table. The sheets can be transported vertically at the touch of a button. The sophisticated handle concept of the JumboErgo, which is modeled on a motorcycle throttle grip, enables sensitive and precise positioning of the loads. The installation of the vacuum lifter took just two days and went smoothly. The fact that the employees were involved in the selection process of the lifting device and that it was a solution they wanted, allowed for seamless integration without any familiarization time. Both the employees and the managing director are completely satisfied with the solution. In addition to the ease of use, they praise the quality and reliability of the system. The investment in Schmalz technology has paid off in several respects: the process is now much more ergonomic and only one person is needed to move the heavy loads. This makes the work easier and increases productivity, which has a positive effect on employee satisfaction and motivation.