Improving an Assembly Process with a Purpose Built Workstation.

The Customer Needed a Purpose Built Workstation Solution.

A jet engine manufacturer had an existing workbench used by technicians assembling interior sections of an engine turbine. Modified extensively in-house, the bench included features not found in commercially available equipment. Needing additional workstations, the customer came to Workplace seeking a purpose-built solution that would meet their requirements.

The existing custom bench had two working levels: a top surface and an extendable lower tray. The engine unit being assembled sat on the lower tray. As the technician added additional parts and material, the load on the lower tray grew to almost two hundred fifty pounds.

The existing assembly bench had four areas of concern:

1. The extendable lower tray could tip the entire bench under heavy loads.
2. To pull out the lower tray, the worker had to kneel on the floor and awkwardly grab the tray’s edges to move it.
3. The handles for moving the bench to another location interfered with being able to extend the lower tray.
4. Moving the bench with the heavy unit on the lower tray was difficult.

The Customer and Workplace Collaborate on an Improved Workstation Design.

Workplace engineers visited the factory to fully understand the bench requirements. Working together, the customer and Workplace defined five requirements for the purpose-built bench:

1. The top worksurface and the lower tray each have a 250-pound capacity.
2. The reinforced lower tray with ball-bearing slides mounted to the bench frame is fully extendable with a 250-pound load.
3. The lower tray features an anti-tip floor brake to prevent tipping when extended.
4. Ergonomic grab bars attached to the lower tray eliminated the need to kneel on the floor.