Controls for lifting columns and electric cylinders

Modern production processes require flexible and ergonomically adjustable workstations and transport solutions. RK Rose+Krieger has developed a new synchronized control system for the implementation of such systems.

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Battery operation means that cables are no longer required for the power supply, allowing stationary and mobile workstations and transport trolleys to be adjusted in height and inclination.

Modern production places high demands on the flexibility, safety and ergonomics of stationary and mobile workstations, as well as on transportation solutions. These must ensure that they relieve employees of physically strenuous or non-ergonomic activities and that work processes can be implemented safely and without errors.

Assembly workstations must be flexibly adaptable to the employee and the working environment. This applies in particular to mobile workstations that are used at several locations for changing activities, as well as for material or workshop trolleys. Today, lifting columns and electric cylinders make it easy to adjust the working height, angle and reach. The cost-effectiveness of these workstations is also an important aspect. With modern control systems, the work tables can be quickly readjusted after a change of worker.

Battery-operated synchronized control

When implementing mobile adjustable work tables and transport solutions, the often very long power supply cables have been a hindrance up to now. These are a considerable tripping hazard and pose a significant risk to people and machines if damaged. In systems with cables, the power supply must therefore be disconnected for safety reasons when moving from point A to point B. They cannot be adjusted in height or inclination. The MultiControl II duo accu provides a remedy here. This synchronous control was specially developed for the wireless movement of lifting columns and electric cylinders. It has a battery adapter to accommodate standardized lithium-ion batteries. Users can therefore use existing rechargeable batteries to power the control unit and the drives connected to it. The system therefore functions independently of the wired power supply. The control system is extremely easy to use, as the following example of an assembly workstation shows: In production, the worker often changes position together with his work table. The height and inclination of the work table must also be adjusted to the new working conditions. The power supply can simply be provided by an existing rechargeable battery. Once this has been plugged into the battery adapter of the control unit, the work table can be conveniently moved to the desired height using a hand switch. The battery is then removed from the adapter. Work can then continue in the optimum ergonomic position. Of course, it is also possible to leave batteries permanently in the adapters.

Some application examples

One target application for the control system is assembly at several production stations, such as in control cabinet assembly. A wide variety of transport and lifting solutions, including overhead cranes, are typically required to transport the sometimes very heavy cabinets to the individual stations. With the mobile assembly tables that can be realized with the synchronous controls, these devices are no longer required. The height and inclination of the assembly tables can be ergonomically adapted to the work at hand and then moved to the next station together with the control cabinet.

Another target application is ergonomic working in manual material warehouses with different levels. Whereas in the past, heavy material boxes had to be removed by employees in a cumbersome and unergonomic manner, mobile height-adjustable material lift trucks can now be used. With the MultiControl II duo accu, such systems can be conveniently implemented. Thanks to the battery operation, the material lift trucks can flexibly move to different working heights. Heavy boxes can then simply be pulled ergonomically from the corresponding storage compartment onto the pallet truck via roller conveyors. This low-stress work protects the health of employees and increases productivity. The MultiControl II duo accu complements the MultiControl II control system product range from RK Rose+Krieger with a compact cordless version. It has the same range of functions as the wired models. It is also available in a basic and a premium version with additional software functions. Larger systems can also be realized with the synchronous control. Up to eight control units with a maximum of 16 drives can be networked. If an error does occur, it can be analyzed using the history stored in the control unit.

Among other things, the premium version offers Smart Product Protection (SPP) technology. This reduces the risk of product damage. For example, SPP uses the motor current to detect a collision when raising or lowering a load during the height adjustment of work tables. The control system then stops the process immediately, protecting the drives from overloading, among other things. Another advantage of SPP technology is that the sensitivity - i.e. the force at which the control unit is triggered - can be adapted to the respective application. With the premium control system, both relative and absolute positioning of the drives can be achieved. Relative positioning moves the drive by a value specified via the control panel. Absolute positioning, on the other hand, refers to the entire scale of the adjustment range. Operation is via a manual switch or the I/O interface for connection to higher-level control systems. The standby consumption of the entire system consisting of control unit and handset is <0.5 W. Under full load, it provides energy for 70 double strokes with two Multilift lifting columns.

Bernd Klöpper, Head of Marketing, RK Rose+Krieger

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