Drum Handling with Lifting and Rotation

Comparison of Manipulators and Manual Lifters in Drum Handling

The handling of drums in various industrial sectors requires solutions that balance safety, efficiency, and cost. While forklifts and manual carts or manual drum lifters offer alternatives for transporting loads, ATIS industrial manipulators emerge as the most advanced solution for precise and safe operations.

ATIS Industrial Manipulators:

Advantages:

• Fast and precise movements, optimizing handling times even with drums weighing over 600 kg.
• Precise control of movements, ensuring safety and gentle handling.
• Customization of gripping tools to adapt to different types of drums and handling needs.
• Reduction of long-term operational costs, thanks to the reduction of damage, injuries, downtime, and the great reliability of ATIS manipulators.
• Versatility and flexibility, with the ability to operate in confined spaces and perform complex operations.

Efficiency:

• ATIS manipulators are designed to operate even in tight spaces and to perform complex operations, such as rotating and tilting drums to empty their contents, including liquids. They can even indicate the amount of product poured.
• They are suitable for operations where a high degree of precision is required and guarantee an unmatched level of ergonomics compared to any other drum handling system.

Manual Drum Lifters: An Alternative with Limitations

Manual drum lifters represent an intermediate solution between manual carts and industrial manipulators. They offer mechanical assistance for lifting but have significant limitations in terms of ergonomics, precision, and versatility.

Features and Functioning:

• Mechanical Assistance:
  • Manual lifters use hydraulic or screw mechanisms to facilitate drum lifting.
  • They reduce physical effort compared to completely manual lifting.
• Limited Mobility:
  • They are designed for short movements and on flat surfaces.
  • Handling in confined spaces can be difficult.
• Manual Control:
  • Gripping, lifting, and positioning operations are manually controlled by the operator.
  • Precision depends on the operator's skill and strength.

In summary, manual drum lifters represent an intermediate solution that offers an improvement over manual carts but does not reach the level of efficiency, safety, and ergonomics of industrial manipulators. While they can reduce physical effort compared to completely manual lifting, the risk of fatigue and injury remains, especially in repetitive operations.

Precision, which is crucial for the delicate handling of drums, is lower with manual lifters because it depends on the operator's skill, increasing the risk of damage to the drums and the surrounding environment. Versatility is limited by the lifter's structure and the need for manual control, making complex rotation and tilting operations difficult or impossible.

From a cost perspective, while the initial investment in manual lifters is lower than for manipulators, long-term operational costs can be high due to injuries and damage. Productivity is also limited compared to manipulators, which offer fast, precise, and customizable movements.

Therefore, the choice of a drum handling solution depends on the specific needs of the application. For simple and occasional operations, manual lifters may be sufficient. However, ATIS industrial manipulators are the most efficient, safe, and ergonomic choice for drum handling, ensuring a reduction in long-term operational costs and a significant increase in productivity with a rapid return on the initial investment.

The choice of a drum handling solution depends on the specific needs of the application, and factors such as frequency, weight, precision, and ergonomics should always be taken into account.