Industry: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Solution Provided By: RonI | Lift-O-Flex
Customer Challenge
A leading pharmaceutical manufacturer needed a safer, more ergonomic way to lift, rotate, and dump fiber and plastic drums in a clean production environment. The drums measured approximately 17”–20” in diameter by 32” high and weighed between 187–220 lbs.
The application required operators to move drums to a machine and dump the contents at a drop-off height of approximately 45” from the floor. Because the plastic drum was tapered, the handling solution also needed to securely support the drum during lifting, rotation, and dumping.
The facility included smooth floors for lifter movement, an 11’ ceiling height, and 96” high door clearances. The customer needed a solution that could safely maneuver through the production area while improving operator control and reducing the physical strain associated with manual drum handling.
The customer’s goals were to:
- Reduce manual handling of heavy drums
- Improve operator safety and ergonomics
- Support both fiber and plastic drums
- Safely dump drum contents into the machine
- Accommodate tapered plastic drums
- Provide controlled drum rotation and dumping
- Support clean pharmaceutical production requirements
- Evaluate washdown-compatible drum handling options
Our Solution
RonI provided the LIFT-O-FLEX® 19000 Series Wash Down Lifter with electric rotation mounted to the lift mast and custom tooling designed to hold and support the drum.
The tooling included a custom load platform that allowed the drum to be loaded onto the platform from the floor. One side of the platform included an extended support running parallel with the side of the drum to help stabilize and support the drum during the dumping process.
This washdown configuration was designed for applications where cleanability, corrosion resistance, and controlled material handling are important considerations in the production environment.
Key Features of the Solution
- Washdown-compatible drum handling option for pharmaceutical production environments
- Drum handling capacity for loads weighing 187–220 lbs
- Drum size range of approximately 17”–20” diameter by 32” high
- Supports fiber and plastic drums
- Custom tooling option for tapered plastic drums
- Lift-O-Turn tooling
- Custom drum holding platform for side drum dumping
- Electric rotate option mounted to the lift mast
- Custom load platform for loading drums from floor level
- Drum support structure to help stabilize the drum during dumping
- Effective lift height: 49.75”
- Total height: 76.75”
- Lift speed: 2” per second
- Low profile outrigger wheelbase
- Directional locking rear casters for improved control
- Adjustable handle: approximately 38.5” from the floor
- Foot-activated, 3-position manual brake
- Battery powered: 24V DC battery system
- Low noise level: less than 70 dB(A)
Results & Benefits
The proposed LIFT-O-FLEX® ergonomic lifter options gave our customer multiple ways to improve drum handling, lifting, and dumping within its pharmaceutical production environment.
By using powered lift assistance and purpose-built drum tooling, operators could reduce the physical strain of handling 187–220 lb drums while gaining better control during positioning and dumping. The tooling options also allowed them to evaluate the best dumping orientation based on the machine layout and operator workflow.
Key benefits included:
- Improved operator safety by reducing manual drum lifting and dumping
- Better ergonomics during drum transport, lifting, rotation, and unloading
- Controlled drum dumping into the machine at the required 45” drop-off height
- Flexible tooling options based on machine orientation and workflow
- Forward dump capability for applications requiring direct front-facing dumping
- Custom drum support for tapered plastic drums
- Washdown-compatible option for clean pharmaceutical production environments
- Improved process consistency when handling repeated drum dumping tasks
- Reduced physical strain for operators handling drums up to 220 lbs
Why It Worked
This solution worked because RonI evaluated the full drum handling process, including drum size, weight, material type, machine layout, dumping direction, facility clearances, and washdown requirements.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all lifter, RonI proposed multiple LIFT-O-FLEX® configurations so the customer could choose the tooling style that best matched the production process.
For the customer, the LIFT-O-FLEX® ergonomic lifter provided a safer, more controlled way to handle heavy drums while supporting the cleanliness and workflow needs of a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.