Identifying the Features You Want in a Tool Balancer

Tool balancers and tool positioners aid the assembly process by reducing fatigue and increasing productivity by way of making the entire assembly process more efficient at each workstation.

Balancers are frequently used not only in the automotive and electrical industries with screwdrivers and a host of other fastening applications, but they’re also used in other vocations such as welding. Furthermore, they go by other names such as retractors or compensators.

The features and benefits of tool balancers also include everything from the load they’ll carry (zero-gravity & weightless are amongst the options) and you’ll also see heavy-duty balancers out there on the market. How about explosion proof? There is an ATEX version of balancers for that. Spring loaded, stainless, you name it there is probably a balancer to meet your needs.

We have five main different factors to take into account when deciding upon which balancer will best fit your needs. We won’t dive into the deep end here, but these are the top five factors which should be on your radar as you begin your search for the perfect balancer to fit your application needs:

• Weight
• Cost
• Dimensions
• Specialized application needs
• Ergonomics

Addressing Health Concerns

To that last bullet point on ergonomics, this is a tool balancer’s largest benefit.

The frequent and repetitive movements of the assembly process have long been proven to have certain physical ramifications for the workers completing the assembly process.

If you would like to learn more about the direct impact of ergonomics in relation to assembly line workers specifically, please see the research below provided by the National Center for Biotechnology Information:

• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) continue to be a tremendous burden in industry with low back and shoulder disorders being among the most common and costly disorders (NRC, 2001; Dunning et al., 2010). Automotive manufacturing is one of several industries that has a high incidence of MSDs*.
• Electronics assembly workers are also reported to have a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)**.

Ready to Purchase a Tool Balancer?

Here at ASG we carry several different types of tool balancers and tool positioners.

View ASG Tool Balancer & Tool Positioner Options Here: https://asg-express.com/balancers-positioners/

If you have any questions about a balancer or positioner purchase, or need further assistance, please contact ASG Customer Service at 888-486-6163 or asginfo@asg-jergens.com.

Stay tuned to the ASG Express Blog for future news on our balancer options!

SOURCES:

*The Ohio State University, Integrated Systems Engineering, Biodynamics Laboratory, Center for Occupational Health in Automotive Manufacturing, 210 Baker Systems, 1971 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA

**Maimaiti N, Wang J, Jin X, Wang S, Qin D, He L, Wang F, Zhang Z, Forsman M, Yang L, Yang Q, Wang H. Cervical musculoskeletal disorders and their relationships with personal and work-related factors among electronic assembly workers. J Safety Res. 2019 Dec;71:79-85. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2019.09.018. Epub 2019 Nov 13. PMID: 31862047