Vermeer Corporation partners with ALM Positioners to increase safety
As one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of industrial and agricultural equipment, Vermeer Corporation has a long history of leading with innovation. Headquartered in Pella, Iowa, with over 3,500 employees, they’ve led by putting people first, which means putting safety first. Through close collaboration with the ALM Positioners team, the ideal solution was identified: a custom 3,500-pound skyhook.
“Safety is critical for us at Vermeer,” said Louis Norton, site manager for Vermeer’s Griswold, Iowa location. “Obviously, our team needs to go home in the same condition that they came to work in. The ALM positioner addresses our safety needs while providing better ergonomics for us to ultimately provide the best product possible.”
Norton has been with Vermeer for 35 years, overseeing the management of the Griswold facility, including engineering and operations. The value of creating a custom positioning solution in our skyhook was apparent.
“Being able to have people in a normal stance and position to be able to perform their job is big, and it’s just less wear and tear on them,” Norton said. “For us, ALM Positioners came alongside our team with the right machine, providing the key functions that we needed.”
A partner in productivity and customization
Optimizing Vermeer’s welding floor started with big-picture thinking and a team geared toward strategically engineering the best positioning solution possible. The Vermeer team found success with our customized approach.
“Improving safety and efficiency is always our goal,” said Beige Turner, weld engineer at Vermeer. “Our original process included operators having to hoist and flip a very heavy part multiple times; it consumed a lot of time. Our welders were hunching, climbing and doing all sorts of awkward movements around the screw they were working on. Now, the positioner moves the piece to us, putting it at working height. That’s huge.”
The Vermeer tooling team found the process to design their positioner to be highly collaborative, devising a solution that met their needs.
“ALM took into account all of our variables,” Turner said. “We were able to bring in our tooling team, and from there, they brought us a precise system that manipulated the pieces we needed, all while accounting for our preferences and cost. Although you can’t put a dollar amount on the safety we’re gaining for our team. It’s invaluable.”
While safety was the key metric in deciding to pursue a positioner, productivity has been a bonus.
“We’re saving time not having to clamp, hoist and adjust the screw we need to work on,” Turner said. “Not only are we not risking an operator manipulating large parts with a hoist, but now we’re just being more efficient overall.”
Support from installation to operation
Once our team at ALM Positioners determined the right solution for Vermeer, we supported them every step of the way, from installation to training and support.
“With our installation and start-up services, we’re able to provide an added layer of support to ensure success with the positioner in our customers’ environment,” said Tom West, Midwest regional sales manager at ALM Positioners. “Once it’s installed, we go through the maintenance and operation of the positioner. The collaboration with Vermeer has been great; they understand the importance of safety for their team.”
On the Vermeer production floor, the ALM positioner has delivered rock-solid performance, with very little maintenance. They anticipate deploying more ALM positioners in the future. It’s seen as an investment in their people, and in turn, an investment in creating quality products by leading with innovation. Gains in efficiency and ergonomics are bonuses that come with their smarter, safer approach, and with our support, the Vermeer team was able to hit the ground running.
“The ALM team was great with the installation support,” Turner said. “I’ve got at least three technicians I know by name, and they’re responsive. The machine itself has brushless motors, and pretty much you grease it and it’s been hands-off from there. It’s a really nice product and the perfect fit for our needs.”
Ready to explore a positioning solution on your manufacturing floor? Contact us today.
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