Ty Hill is a project leader at the Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State University, and he has a message about exoskeletons for Iowa companies:
“They exist and that they’re not something that’s out of your reach,” Hill said.
CIRAS is running a pilot program to introduce companies to exoskeletons, which are mechanical frames worn to reduce pressure on the back or reduce the weight of items when lifting, among other applications.
“When we talk about exoskeletons, we talk about an aging workforce,” said Chris Hill, director of engineering services at CIRAS. “We talk about younger people coming into the workforce that have different expectations of physicality on the job.”
CIRAS officials said exoskeletons are becoming a valuable tool to address challenges of organizations struggling with workforce availability, including repetitive injuries, lower productivity and labor shortages.
Ty Hill said he has two exoskeletons he shows companies interested in trying them.
One is the Apex 2 by HeroWear. It’s a mid-body apparatus that helps the lower back, keeping the spine in a neutral position. It’s modular and can be morphed into multiple configurations, Ty Hill said.
“And you can think about it as a warehouse worker or somebody working in a factory, if I’m sitting here at a job and I have a slight bend … if I’m sitting here working and I’ve bent over a little bit, that puts fresh pressure on my lower back,” Ty Hill said. “So this is helping hold my shoulders up and take that stretch off my lower back as I’m sitting here at work.”
Ty Hill said that exoskeletons can be used in an office setting, as well as on the shop floor in a warehouse.
His other exoskeleton is called the Ottobock Paexo Shoulder. It’s an upper body exoskeleton that focuses on the neck and shoulders.
“So the benefit of this one here is it’s going to give me two to eight pounds of assistance per arm,” Ty Hill said.
Through CIRAS’ pilot program, an automation team member provides an assessment in person or on video to determine the most suitable exoskeleton for a specific application. Then CIRAS lends the company a recommended exoskeleton for up to two weeks for a small fee. Based on the pilot results, CIRAS will help the company with guidance on implementing exoskeletons long-term.
The pilot program has been going on for a little over three years, organizers said.
It started when Chris Hill was looking into the ergonomics of factories in Iowa.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement,” he said. “A lot of companies do not have industrial engineers on staff who are trained to identify ergonomic issues and correct them.”
He said exoskeletons and other tools to reduce the load on workers are available through the Digital Manufacturing Lab powered by Alliant Energy.
“It’s one of the tools in the toolbox,” Chris Hill said.
Organizers said they didn’t have a definitive number of how many companies are using exoskeletons in Iowa, but one is foundry manufacturer Seneca Foundry in Webster City.
The company has 50 employees and manufactures gray and ductile iron castings, ranging in size from ounces to 250 pounds.
Lori Mason, the manufacturer’s president, said the company recently purchased three exoskeletons after trying them out through the CIRAS program.
“We had multiple different employees wear them and we got a lot of positive feedback. It’s definitely worth the investment.”
Mason said the people who are in a position that requires bending and lifting anywhere from 10 to 40 pounds wear the exoskeletons.
“They’re still working hard, and they can still feel everything, but at least they’re less tired,” she said.
Ty Hill will present about exoskeletons on June 26 at Western Iowa Tech Community College’s Industrial Solutions Training Center, 4647 Stone Ave., Sioux City. The course costs $25 to attend. To register, click here.
