Lyfta Lätt Tekniskt hjälpmedel för pakethantering
People working with handling parcels in terminals are often victims of musculoskeletal injuries. This is largely due to the hazardous lifting of too many parcels which are too heavy and unsuitable work postures. The human body?s ability to lift and grasp objects is so outstanding that developing a device with the same capability is very difficult.The goal of the project has been to develop a technical device that will improve the handling of parcels with regard to ergonomics. The area of concern was the lifting of parcels between the conveyor belt and the cargo space of the freight car. However, after user studies the area of concern was limited to the handling of the parcels between the cage and the cargo space.The project was conducted in four successive phases. The first phase defined the problem and an extensive collection of information took place. A set of requirements was also defined in this first stage. The second phase started with generation of concepts and a large number of designs were produced. Through extensive screening of the designs, three concepts were considered to have adequate potential to be developed further. In the third phase these three concepts were evaluated and a final concept was determined; Lyfta Lätt. The fourth and final phase consisted of further development of the selected concept and an evaluation of its ergonomic improvement took place. A cost analysis regarding the product was also carried out in this final stage.Lyfta Lätt consists of a vacuum lifting device located on an arm that is jointed in two places. The arm is attached to a cart that is equipped with a retractable table. The concept results in an easier sorting process and fewer lifts below knee level compared with the handling of parcels today. Performed ergonomic studies suggest that the strain on the body is much lesser when using Lyfta Lätt. The cost analysis shows an estimated cost of 195 000 SEK à product or 147 000 SEK à product when mass producing 50 items.