A Cabinet Refrigerator Handling Manipulator is an industrial lifting system designed to handle the main “carcass” or body of a refrigerator. Unlike door manipulators, these systems must manage significantly higher weights (50kg to 200kg+) and much larger, more awkward dimensions.
Key Functionalities
Handling a refrigerator cabinet requires a combination of strength and delicacy:
90° to 180° Tilting: Cabinets are often foamed (insulated) in a horizontal position but must be flipped vertically for the assembly of shelves, compressors, and doors.
360° Rotation: Allows workers to spin the unit effortlessly to install rear components (condenser coils) and then front components without walking around the unit.
“Weightless” Floating: Pneumatic balancing technology makes a 150kg refrigerator feel like it weighs less than 1kg, allowing for precise placement on conveyors or in boxes.
Why Use a Manipulator for Cabinets?
Safety (Injury Prevention): Moving large cabinets is a “two-person job” that frequently leads to back and shoulder strain. A manipulator makes it a safe “one-person job.”
Product Quality: Manual handling often leads to “oil canning” (denting the thin sheet metal) or paint scratches. Manipulators distribute the lifting force evenly.
Efficiency: Automated rotation and tilting significantly reduce the “cycle time” of an assembly station, as the machine does the heavy lifting while the worker focuses on assembly.
Damage Reduction in Packaging: Precisely lowering a heavy refrigerator into a cardboard box is difficult by hand. A manipulator ensures a perfectly vertical “soft drop,” reducing damage to the base or internal components.
