Werner Glidesafe™ extension ladders
Werner, the world leader in ladders, recently collaborated with Design Integrity to develop a new line of extension ladders with a breakthrough lift-assist technology that helps end users to raise and lower a ladder’s upper “fly” section with less effort.
Werner’s new GLIDESAFE™ extension ladders the only ladders in the marketplace with Werner’s new lift-assist feature, which reduces the force needed to raise and lower an extension ladder’s fly section by up to 50%. The collaborative engineering product development effort between Werner and Design Integrity led to rapid results and market success for Werner.
Challenge
During field visits with customers, Werner marketing team members discovered that working with extension ladders all day took a physical toll on end users. One of the more challenging interactions between the user and an extension ladder is the lifting and locking of the fly section at the desired height.
Typically, when an extension ladder is deployed, the ladder is stood straight in the air and the user keeps the ladder vertical with one arm while lifting the fly section with the ladder’s rope with the other arm. Werner saw an opportunity and went on a mission to solve the pain point.
Breakthrough Innovation
The Design Integrity and Werner team members developed several preliminary design ideas before selecting a concept that utilized a constant-force spring. To demonstrate the idea, the Design Integrity team found an off-the-shelf spring assembly, ordered it for priority overnight delivery, assembled a proof-of-concept prototype the next morning, and successfully demonstrated the prototype at Werner that same day.
When a GLIDESAFE™ ladder is in the vertical position, the spring counterbalances a portion of the weight of the ladder’s fly section, essentially requiring less force applied by the user through the rope to lift or lower the fly section. After extensive testing and development work at Werner, including the design and manufacturing of a cost-effective spring assembly, the design was approved for market launch.
The Werner GLIDESAFE™ ladder is the only extension ladder of its kind. The innovative lift-assist technology (patent pending) results in a pro-grade fiberglass extension ladder that slides up and down smoothly with less effort from the end user.
CUSTOMER BENEFIT
By collaborating with our team at Design Integrity, Werner was able to augment their internal team with our fresh eyes and innovative approach to ideation. The result was a successful new line of extension ladders that are easy to use and require less effort from end users to deploy and take back down during jobs.
Per Werner’s website, “Designed for all professionals who use fiberglass extension ladders, from commercial construction to facilities maintenance, GLIDESAFE™ takes ease-of-use to the next level.”
Market Success
Werner’s new line of GLIDESAFE™ extension ladders are available online and in stores nationwide. For more information, visit the Werner GLIDESAFE™ webpage.
GLIDESAFE™ ladders are available in six sizes ranging from 20 to 40 feet long, and each GLIDESAFE extension ladder is rated for a 300-pound load capacity.
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