Arneg designs, manufactures, and services premium refrigerated display cases and cabinets for the retail food industry and has recently worked with MasterMover to unlock safer operations and make material handling processes 6 times more efficient by implementing four LM100 SmartMover tugs to move material trolleys.
Arneg USA, a distinguished manufacturer of retail refrigeration, faced a significant challenge in their day-to-day operations – the manual movement of heavy material trolleys across their flagship US manufacturing facility in Lexington, North Carolina.
Prior to the introduction of LM100 electric tugs, Arneg relied heavily on manual handling to move trolleys laden with refrigerator components across their expansive 130000 ft² factory floor. With loads often exceeding 300kg, manual handling methods posed not only logistical hurdles but also ergonomic safety risks.
Teams of 5-6 operatives would manually push trolleys from one end of the facility to the other, repeating the process throughout the day. However, as the frequency and intensity of these movements increased, so did concerns over the well-being of their workforce, particularly among female operators who reported shoulder and arm strain.
Arneg initiated discussions with MasterMover with the goal of finding a safer and more efficient alternative to the labor intensive manual handling methods. With 25+ years of experience in designing innovative load-moving solutions and a US office located in Charlotte, just an hour away from Arneg’s Lexington facility, MasterMover was the ideal partner.
Assessing the application, MasterMover recommended the LM100, a compact electric tug, part of the leading SmartMover range. A physical demonstration of the LM100 at the Lexington facility showed its suitability for the operation's unique requirements and quickly proved the concept to operators.
Arneg purchased four LM100 from MasterMover for use across their Lexington manufacturing facility. With a durable construction, the LM100 is the perfect ‘tool for the job’ in manufacturing, delivering safer and more efficient load moving from day one. With a load capacity of 1,000kg the LM100’s robust capacity is capable of handling Arneg’s diverse range of cart payloads, while a simple and ergonomic design made it an attractive proposition for operators.
Since the implementation of LM100 pedestrian tugs, Arneg has experienced a notable transformation in their operations. The elimination of manual handling risks has not only alleviated concerns of worker safety but has also yielded productivity gains.
From a 6 person challenge to an one person job...
Movements have become faster and more efficient, no longer requiring five to six people, allowing for a significant increase in the number of movements per day and delivering an efficiency improvement of over 6x.
One operator, moves twice as much...
With a load capacity of 1,000kg the LM100 machines also enable a single operator to move two trolleys at once, delivering a significant efficiency improvement – without compromising on safety. Enabling staff to focus on more productive tasks and reducing the labour required to move trolleys to one, frees up staff productivity and reduces labour requirements by 83%.
Taking proactive measures to improve workplace safety and eliminate manual handling, Arneg has seen a reduction in the risk of injuries such as strains, aches, and musculoskeletal disorders amongst workers, with the LM100 machines now taking the strain.
Each LM100 is in use all day by operators to pull mixed weight trolleys containing component parts to the assembly line for a variety of refrigeration products, boosting morale and workplace ergonomics day-in, day-out.
Arneg's adoption of MasterMover's LM100 pedestrian electric tugs has not only addressed longstanding challenges in their material handling processes but has also ushered in a new era of safety and productivity. The successful rollout of the powered tugs has exceeded expectations, and there are plans to investigate other applications for the manual handling aids across the USA plant.