You wouldn’t constantly run a piece of machinery if it’s smoking and squealing, so don’t overexert your body on the job because you're afraid to ask for help. And just as no one wants a critical piece of machinery to go down and halt production while it’s being fixed, your bosses sure as heck don’t want to deal with finding a replacement and training them while you’re laid up from a rotator cuff injury. And you certainly don’t want to miss the whole summer with your arm in a sling.
Don’t worry. There’s a way to prevent these scenarios from ever happening, and it doesn’t involve asking anyone for assistance. All you need is an industrial exoskeleton to augment your abilities. They won't help you punch through walls, but they will prevent fatigue while boosting your accuracy and productivity. Here's a roundup of all the ways exoskeletons can help you, and all the options currently—or soon to be—on the market.
John Hitch, based out of Cleveland, Ohio, is the editor of Fleet Maintenance, a B2B magazine that addresses the service needs for all commercial vehicle makes and models (Classes 1-8), ranging from shop management strategies to the latest tools to enhance uptime.
He previously wrote about equipment and fleet operations and management for FleetOwner, and prior to that, manufacturing and advanced technology for IndustryWeek and New Equipment Digest. He is an award-winning journalist and former sonar technician aboard a nuclear-powered submarine where he served honorably aboard the fast-attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN-723).
