OT: Lift assist devices

Off topic, but since the expertise here is formidable I figured it was a good place to ask.

We often require our operators at certain pieces of equipment to move heavy components weighing around 200 lbs per piece. We don't usually use our overhead cranes for this kind of work and the operator needs to be able to gently adjust the position so we have light duty chain hoists over the work stations. However this is not always optimal. I've suggested using lift assist devices which allow the operator to position a load by hand just by grabbing and tugging it to where he wants it, yet the lift assist carries the load. I've seen similar devices in other facilities but never paid any attention to who made them. I've found some through Google but I don't know anything about them.

Do any of you have lift assist devices in your plants?
Who makes them?
How do they work out for you?

Thanks.

If you did a web search I'm assuming you came across these guys. We don't use them here but we have sourced them with some of our rewinds. They are fully pneumatic, which is kind of nice. The ones we used worked pretty well as long as the weight was consistent. If not you ended up doing alot of adjustment. they will work with you to match their end effectors to your application, though.

Keith

At my last employer we had a couple of those,
http://www.kahlman.se/uk/default.asp?lang=eng

Air balancers allow the operator to manually adjust the lift assist according to the load being lifted zimmerman is one of the more relyable units. Air balancers do require operator adjustment but allow for widely varied loads.
Spring balancers are preset to a given load and are best for countering a fixed load such as a tool on a production line. They do not work as a pick and place assist device.
Kito has an air hoist with a cylinder grip control that allows the operator to move the load with an intuitive control function.
Your best bet is to have your application reviewed by a hoisting specialist with ergonomics expertise.