Erkodent manufactures high-quality products for dental technology, dentistry and foot orthopaedics. It all began with a dental practice in Pfalzgrafenweiler near Freudenstadt, for which Erich Kopp was licensed by the health insurance fund in 1954. Based on his practical experience, he soon began to develop his own instruments to make treatment easier for him and his patients. Erkodent Erich Kopp GmbH grew out of this. In 1980, the company founder established a second mainstay with foot orthopaedics. Today, this accounts for around ten percent of turnover.

Around 80 employees in Pfalzgrafenweiler develop, manufacture and package pressure and vacuum devices for thermoforming on a production area of around 8,000 square meters. Dental technicians use them to shape individual impression trays, molded parts for temporary restorations and bleaching trays. Corresponding accessories and materials such as foils, silicones and waxes are also part of the range, as are protectors for athletes and protrusion splints for sleep-related breathing disorders. All products share the same high quality standard, which the family-run company maintains with the help of audits and multi-stage quality controls in incoming goods, production and the finished solutions.

After testing, the load follows
"When a vacuum thermoforming unit reaches the end of the assembly line, it is first tested and then securely packed for shipping," explains Andreas Weiß, responsible for process optimization at Erkodent. Together with the operating instructions and padding material, a finished package weighs between 15 and 25 kilograms - and the trend is rising. "The package was then positioned by hand on a pallet so that the serial number is always visible," says Weiß, describing the part of the packaging process that he wanted to improve. "We pack twelve to fifteen thermoforming appliances per day. Stacking them on the pallet by hand without a lifting aid was a real strain on our backs and arms," recalls Helmut Seeger. He has been working at Erkodent for five years and works together with six other colleagues at the various assembly and packaging stations.

No room for crane and co?
In search of an ergonomic solution, Weiß turned to Schmalz. "We already have vacuum lifters from Glatten in use at several workstations, and they have impressed us," he emphasizes. The long-standing contact, the positive experiences and the close proximity - there are only 15 kilometers between the two company headquarters - were decisive factors for the project managers to turn to Schmalz again.