Exoskeletons at work
Hermes Fulfilment is strengthening the backs of its employees at the logistics centre in Ansbach, Germany. After a test phase, electrically operated exoskeletons are being used there for the first time. They stabilise the lumbar spine and relieve the back muscles, especially when lifting heavy goods.
The location in Ansbach specialises in the handling and logistics of large-volume assortments weighing more than 31.5 kg. This includes mainly furniture, large electrical appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators, but also upholstered furniture and carpets.
The large items are mainly stored in shelves up to 12.40 m high. They are mostly picked by hand near the floor onto pallets. The Cray X exoskeleton produced by German Bionic provides physical relief. It weighs about 7 kg, is attached to the body with adjustable straps and is worn like a hiking backpack.
"Electric motors are located at the level of the iliac crest and support lifting movements with a tractive force of up to 27 kg," Volker Weidemann, head of the logistics centre, explains. (sh)