Exoskeletons for maintenance & repair work
The maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector face the same challenges as manufacturing industries: an aging workforce and a lack of skilled workers. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are a major cause of lost workdays and one of the greatest burdens on the global economy when measured by compensation costs, lost wages, and lost productivity. Maintenance workers are exposed to the highest risk rates of WMSDs.
Our portfolio of exoskeletons offers various innovative devices to face this challenge in the shipbuilding, rail & rolling stock, and aviation industry. Ottobock develops state-of-the-art wearable technology that helps people protect their health over the long term as they carry out their demanding everyday working routines.
Shoulder exoskeletons for overhead and above-shoulder work
The focus in this sector is on the Shoulder exoskeletons, an exoskeleton for overhead work and work on or above-shoulder height. The personal assistive system, which is worn on the body, supports employees globally during maintenance, repair and even overhaul work and when carrying out demanding activities such as overhead and welding work. In addition, the Paexo Neck can provide relief to the cervical spine during overhead work, e.g. installations or inspections. It can be worn in combination with the both Shoulder systems. Using exoskeletons reduces physical strain and protects the musculoskeletal system. This is also confirmed in several studies and analyses.
Have a look at the different applications below and ask us about your specific use case!
Exoskeletons for shipyards and shipbuilding
Royal Huisman, a Dutch shipyard, began using our Paexo Shoulder exoskeletons at the end of 2019. Now a global leader in its field, the manufacturer of luxury yachts was founded in 1884. Royal Huisman grew from humble beginnings as a shipyard for wooden work boats. Today, the Dutch company has more than 280 employees and produces award-winning superyachts. Pre-Tec, our sales partner in the Netherlands, visited the shipyard and took fascinating pictures to document our exoskeletons in daily use.
The focus in this sector is on our Shoulder exoskeletons for overhead work and work on or above-shoulder height. The orthotic assistance system, which is worn on the body, supports employees at shipyards during manufacturing and when carrying out demanding activities such as overhead assembly and welding work. In addition, the Paexo Neck can provide relief to the cervical spine during overhead work, e.g. installations or inspections. It can be worn in combination with the Paexo Shoulder. Using exoskeletons reduces physical strain and protects the musculoskeletal system. This is also confirmed in several studies and analyses.
Have a look at the different applications below and ask us about your specific use case!
- Welding of metal frame/ ship compartments
- Interior work: Mechanical and electrical on ceilings
- Lamination works on a carbon hull
- Setting up the oven to harden the carbon fibres
Exoskeletons for the transport industry:
rail, rolling stock, trams & busses
Our Shoulder exoskeletons support employees globally in all kinds of transport-related industries, such as rail, rolling stock, buses, metros, and trams. Employees use it during maintenance intervals and repair work, such as:
- Underbody work, e.g., bogie overhaul, engine repairs , or paintwork
- Breaks exchange
- Mechanical installations & Mounting: e.g., underbody/ underframe, pipes, traction looming, structural assembly
- Electrical installations: either within the cars, at doors or ceiling level, and underneath the covers
Exoskeletons for MRO in aviation (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul)
Our exoskeleton can support in every stage of light and heavy maintenance and has been used during various A, B, C and D-Checks. Some example for use cases in the aviation MRO industry within the different stages are:
- Structural assembly of mechanical parts to fuselage and interior
- Riveting activities
- on fuselage (body of airplane)
- inside and outside wings
- Electronic installations overhead inside fuselage and cockpit (ceiling and walls)
- Maintenance of airplane engines
- Pretreating, sanding and paint coating of wings or full airplane
- Cleaning of airplane body
- Fuel tank refill
Our innovative solutions, based on orthopedic expertise, are suitable for almost any industry.
Selected use cases from 1000+ successful customer projects:
