Subsequent height adjustment
One way to design workstations ergonomically is to integrate height adjustment systems. Many companies use profiles to construct their own work tables. With the Movotec SMS Bolt-On, these can also be retrofitted with flexible height adjustment. With the Movotec SMS assembly profile, Suspa also supplies complete profiles with integrated actuators, i.e. the entire lifting system.

The fully electronic lifting system, which can move up to eight lifting columns in parallel and thus lift a potential total load of up to 1,200 kilograms at eight millimetres per second or 600 kilograms at 16 millimetres per second, is available in standard dimensions of 40 by 80 millimetres and 45 by 90 millimetres.

With a stroke length of 150 to 400 millimetres, the system moves at a speed of eight millimetres per second and is easy for the user to operate thanks to the infinitely variable control. Three positions of the work table can be saved using a manual switch. This memory function makes it possible to set heights for specific activities or people.

The actuators built into the profiles make the Movotec SMS space-saving. The SMS lifting columns can also be installed quickly and easily, which is an advantage for plant engineers and manufacturers of workstation systems as they can install ready-made profiles with integrated height adjustment.

Another special feature of the Movotec SMS is a lateral cable outlet in the profile, which is designed so that the customer can choose whether the cable should be led out to the left or right. This keeps the cable "tidy": If the mounting profile is used in work tables, the table top can be connected directly to the profile without pinching the cable.

Depending on the application requirements, the Movotec SMS can be retrofitted as a bolt-on version or integrated into new workstations. "Our systems are very individual. Customers can choose the right system for them from the catalog and then adapt it to their own needs," says Thorsten Trenz, Key Account Manager at Suspa. These individual design options were also decisive for Michael Vetter, Workshop Supervisor at Voith Turbo, in opting for the Movotec SMS as a height adjustment system.

Movotec at Voith Turbo
Voith Turbo manufactures train and axle transmissions as well as numerous other components for rail vehicles at its Heidenheim site. As the individual components vary in size, the company decided to set up height-adjustable workstations. A height-adjustable workstation was installed in the assembly workshop as a test. The six-legged table was manufactured in Voith Turbo's equipment workshop. The Movotec SMS from Suspa was chosen as the height adjustment system.

The fully integrated Movotec mounting profile with SMS lifting system is compact, as the actuators are built into the profile. © Suspa

This is also because the profiles can be easily integrated into Voith Turbo's standardized aluminium tables: The standard design of the profiles with dimensions of 40 by 80 millimeters is compatible with many commercially available grids. In addition to the six mounting profiles, Suspa also supplied the control system for synchronized movement of the six actuators, power cables, hand switches and the adjustable feet.

After completion, the worktable was tested in the assembly workshop for a year. The six-legged design enables a total load capacity of around 900 kilograms. Among other things, electromechanical and axle drives for rail vehicles are assembled at the new height-adjustable workstation. As the size of the individual components varies, the electronic height adjustment supports the employees in that they can assemble different components at the same workstation and prevent health problems caused by poor posture by simply moving the table according to height requirements.

Voith also uses a memory function to operate the height adjustment by hand switch. The new work table with the Suspa height adjustment system was also tested in the reconditioning department. In the service, repair and overhaul area, different components for gearboxes are also processed, and here too the height adjustment means less work for the employees.

After a year of use, Michael Vetter from Voith Turbo draws a positive balance: "The employees use the height adjustment a lot, including the memory function. It's a huge relief and our colleagues are very satisfied with the application." Following the positive test phase, further height-adjustable workstations will therefore be equipped with Movotec SMS assembly profiles in the near future. as

Hall 4, Stand 4512