FreiLacke Lifts 250-Kilo Barrels With Vacuum Power

FreiLacke, a specialist in colored coatings, moves heavy 200-liter barrels and numerous shipping packages every day. To reduce the physical strain on its employees, the company relies on custom-made vacuum lifting aids from Schmalz. The ergonomic solutions enable effortless and safe handling of even 250-kilo barrels – and increase efficiency, work safety and team satisfaction.

Products used in the application

Characteristics of the success story

Industry	Chem-Pharma
Workpiece	Barrels
Product group	Vacuum Lifting Device VacuMaster Basic
Type of handling	Manual Handling

With Schmalz

250

kilogram

effortless handling

The Customer: Emil Frei GmbH & Co. KG

FreiLacke, a family business from the southern Black Forest, has been producing high-quality colors and paints for various industries – from automotive to wind power construction - since 1926. With round 650 employees and an annual turnover of 180 million euros, FreiLacke focuses on innovation and quality. Ergonomic solutions such as the vacuum lifters from Schmalz help to make work safer and more efficient – an important building block for the company's sustainable success.

The Challenge

FreiLacke employees had to move heavy 200-liter barrels with a weight of up to 250 kilograms as well as several hundred shipping cartons and paint buckets safely and ergonomically every day. The physical strain on the employees was high, which increased the risk of musculoskeletal disorders. At the same time, the sensitive paint products required particularly careful handling to avoid damage to the packaging. The challenge was to find a flexible and customizable solution that would make lifting and transporting the loads of varying weights easier, improve employee safety and increase efficiency in shipping and production. FreiLacke was looking for an ergonomic lifting system that would make it easy to handle both heavy barrels and smaller shrink-wrapped goods – and do so with maximum ease of use and reduced strain.

It is only thanks to the lifting aid that we are able to handle the heavy barrels without straining our employees. That's great!

∼ Frank Januschowski, Head of Logistics at FreiLacke

Schmalz's Solution

FreiLacke uses ergonomic vacuum lifters from Schmalz to move heavy 200-liter barrels and smaller shrink wrapped goods in a safe and back-friendly manner. The focus is on the VacuMaster (VM-Basic-270-1) – an individually configured lifting device with a strong suction force and a modular design, precisely tailored to the requirements at FreiLacke. Mounted on an overhead crane, it enables the effortless lifting and precise placement of barrels weighing 250 kilograms. For lighter loads such as shipping cartons and paint buckets, the company relies on the JumboErgo-65 and JumboFlex-35 vacuum tube lifters. Both are ergonomically optimized, intuitive to operate and allow fatigue-free handling of 12 to 35 kilograms. Thanks to quick-change adapters, the suction cups can be exchanged flexibly and adapted safely to different workpieces. The jib cranes on which the devices are mounted offer a large reach. This means that even working areas that are difficult to access can be reached with ease. The lightweight aluminum construction ensures effortless movement, while the large swivel angle increases operational flexibility. This significantly reduces the physical strain on employees and minimizes the risk of injury. With this custom-made solution, FreiLacke increases the efficiency of the material flow, protects the health of employees and ensures product quality through gentle handling. The partnership-based cooperation with Schmalz ensures that the lifting systems can be adapted to new requirements at any time. Changes to the production process or container types are implemented quickly and easily – an important success factor for sustainable work, long-term ergonomics and a high level of employee satisfaction.