"For many of our customers, energy efficiency and overall cost-effectiveness are becoming an increasingly important issue and they want to avoid compressed air as an energy source wherever possible," says Thilo Hottmann, Managing Director at Schnaithmann. "The development of electrical components is the logical consequence of this." It also simplifies applications in clean room environments.

A lift transverse unit is effectively the switch in a transfer system. It can be used to transfer workpiece carriers to a parallel conveyor or to divert the material flow by 90 degrees. To do this, the transported goods must first be lifted slightly and then transported crosswise, whereby the lifting movement was previously realized with one or two pneumatic cylinders.

In the new electric version, two EC geared motors are used for the chain drive and stroke. The electronically commutated, brushless and therefore wear-free 24 V DC motors are extremely efficient and allow infinitely variable speed control. On the one hand, this allows ramp-shaped movement profiles to be generated, which is very beneficial for the conveyed goods. On the other hand, the conveying speed can be easily varied between 5 and 15 m/min. An integrated Hall sensor enables precise positioning tasks, which means that the lift/transverse unit can be used both as a two-position and three-position unit. Additional position sensors are not necessary; an electronic holding brake ensures the corresponding positional safety. The motors are controlled via a control module integrated into the linear-transverse unit and communication takes place via Profinet. This allows comprehensive drive diagnostics to be carried out if required.

By eliminating the standard geared motor previously responsible for the chain drive, the new unit requires considerably less installation space at the bottom. This is particularly advantageous in industrial applications where the transfer system requires a return track installed below the conveyor belt, for example for empty workpiece carriers. Otherwise, care was taken to ensure that the new assembly fits seamlessly into the existing modular system. A one-to-one replacement is therefore possible at any time.

Schnaithmann offers the lifting transverse unit for its BS11 and BS100 accumulation roller systems as well as for the BS20 and BS21 belt conveyor systems. The new unit is designed for all standard workpiece carrier sizes from 240 x 240 mm to 560 x 560 mm and up to a maximum total workpiece carrier weight of 50 kg. The new lift transverse unit is also ESD-capable. The assembly is currently undergoing intensive endurance testing and should be available on the market from the fourth quarter of 2019.

Motek: Hall 3, Stand 3420