BIOTECH COMPANY CHR. HANSEN
Chr. Hansen A/S is a global biotech company which develops natural solutions for the food, nutrition, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Chr. Hansen A/S uses an SL 208 Indoor to handle heavy and difficult lifting tasks, improving efficiency in production.
GREATER EFFICIENCY IN PRODUCTION
Chr. Hansen A/S have been around for more than 145 years, and the biotech company's natural solutions make it possible for food producers to produce more using less, as well as to reduce the use of chemicals and other synthetic additives in food. Chr. Hansen A/S mainly produces food ingredients for dairy, but also ingredients for the probiotics and meat industry. Worldwide, more than 1 billion people eat products which contain natural ingredients made by Chr. Hansen A/S every day.
Chr. Hansen A/S has a production unit in Roskilde, where their production is challenged by its compact size and by the different levels at which production takes place. Chr. Hansen A/S has a ceiling-mounted crane track, but this has its limitations when heavy pumps, valves, motors and pipes need to be transported from one section to another or from one level to another at the factory. This means that employees at Chr. Hansen A/S have to set up various auxiliary equipment when they need to lift heavy objects and materials, which means more interruptions and breaks in production.
Reduction in working hours and shorter stay in production
Chr. Hansen A/S is very focused on its working environment and safety, which is why the heavy and difficult lifting tasks are an issue they want to resolve, as their employees would otherwise be exposed to a lot of heavy lifting during the working day:
“Our problem is that when we need to maintain the factory, we have many heavy and difficult lifts. We need to lift, handle or transport pumps, valves, motors and pipes that weigh more than 15 lbs, so a lot of heavy lifting is done during the working day,” explains Claus Harkönen, Electrician and Safety Representative.
Chr. Hansen A/S has chosen to use the Smartlift SL 208 Indoor, and with the Smartlift, employees experience greater efficiency in production:
“After we started using the Smartlift in production, we experienced a reduction in working hours and much greater efficiency. We no longer have to spend time setting up various auxiliary equipment when we need to lift heavy materials or objects. The vacuum lifter handles the heavy and difficult lifting, and that means shorter interruptions to production, which gives us greater efficiency,” says Jesper Lauridsen, Project Coordinator.
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FLEXIBLE AND MOBILE SOLUTION FOR HEAVY LIFTING TASKS
Chr. Hansen A/S chose the SL 208 Indoor i.a. due to the compact size and narrow chassis of the lift, which make it easy to manoeuvre and drive around the entire production unit. For example, it can easily drive through the factory's various door openings. The Smartlift has a turning radius of just 39 in and can rotate around its own axis, which makes it highly manoeuvrable and suitable for driving in places with limited space. The Smartlift has a total length of 65 in, and the lift’s compact size means that it can easily fit inside lifts and hoists when Chr. Hansen A/S's employees need to transport objects from one level of the factory to another:
"The Smartlift is a flexible and mobile solution for us because it is a small machine with a large lifting capacity, and at the same time, is easy and convenient to handle", says Jesper Lauridsen, Project Coordinator.
Chr. Hansen A/S also have another challenge regarding high lifting in the production unit, which is why the company has received four boom extensions for their SL 208 Indoor, giving the lift arm greater range. With the boom extensions, the Smartlift can raise its load half a metre higher, so Chr. Hansen A/S'employees can do heavy and sensible lifts up to a height of 118 in:
“Smartlift A/S are very flexible because they offer extra accessories for their machines. The special solution with the extensions for our SL 208 Indoor is really important to us, as it means that we can lift as high up as we need to. The extensions ensure that we can use the Smartlift everywhere in the factory,” says Jesper Lauridsen, Project Coordinator.
To handle the lifting tasks in the production unit, Chr. Hansen A/S' employees use a lifting hook on the SL 208 Indoor when they need to lift, handle or transport pumps, valves, motors and pipes that weigh more than 15 lbs. The employees use a lifting strap, which they tie around the objects. The lifting strap can easily and quickly be mounted on the lifting hook, after which they can lift and transport objects around the production:
“We are very conscious of not doing lifting which is too heavy or difficult. There is a risk of work injuries and wear and tear when we lift many kilos every day or work in poor working positions. The Smartlift ensures that we avoid the many heavy lifts and working postures, which is very good,” says Claus Harkönen, Electrician and Safety Representative.
The Smartlift solves many of the lifting tasks that previously required special set-ups of auxiliary equipment. With the Smartlift, we have reduced working hours and increased efficiency and productivity
Claus Harkönen
Electrician and Safety Representative, Chr. Hansen A/S
USER-FRIENDLY AND INTUITIVE
The Smartlift's high level of user-friendliness is very important to Chr. Hansen A/S, because different employees use it in production every day:
“The Smartlift SL 208 Indoor is very intuitive and easy to use, and that was very important to us when we chose a Smartlift. We have five smiths who use it, which means that the Smartlift must be a shared and natural tool to use during the working day. And because of its great user-friendliness, it is. It creates a good workflow in production," says Jesper Lauridsen, Project Coordinator.
The Smartlift's ease of use is also visible in the remote control, which is an important detail for employees when they need to handle objects at a high level of precision due to the limited space in production:
“The Smartlift's functionality is great. The remote control is a clever and nice detail, and with it, it is very easy to handle the heavy objects and materials with high precision when we are in places where space is tight,” says Claus Harkönen, Electrician and Safety Representative.
Through the built-in joystick, the SL 208 Indoor is also very manoeuvrable, and the sensitivity of the joystick can be adjusted to maximise the precision of the machine, which is also a great advantage when employees are transporting items in confined spaces.
"We would definitely recommend the Smartlift to others", conclude both Jesper Lauridsen, Project Coordinator, and Claus Harkönen, Electrician and Safety Representative.
We have many different lifting tasks at the factory, and for these, the Smartlift is a flexible and mobile solution. SL 208 handles the heavy lifting, while its compact size allows us to drive it around the entire factory
Jesper Lauridsen
Project Coordinator, Chr. Hansen A/S
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