Efficient material handling under clean room conditions

Semiconductors, insulators, mechatronic and precision mechanical components, sensitive optics and many metrological components cannot be manufactured with quality assurance without strict cleanliness guidelines. Manufacturers in these industries therefore often set up closed areas with equipment corresponding to various cleanroom classes in accordance with ISO 14644.

The problem: the higher a cleanroom is classified, the fewer suitable lifting equipment, means of transportation and conveyor systems are available on the market. Expresso addresses this issue with the mobile feed unit with electrically powered lift mast, which meets the requirements of cleanroom class 5 in accordance with ISO 14644-1. As proof of this, the lift recently received the corresponding certification from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA).

High stability and precise material guidance in clean rooms

The "lift2move cleanroom" is designed as a system solution with an electrically driven lift mast and an extension arm for workpiece carriers, components or containers. The device can handle payloads of up to 180 kg and can move them freely in the room as well as lift and lower them over a lifting distance of 1,600 mm.

The basic equipment is based on the premium version of the lift2move, which is offered under the name Solution. This includes, among other things:

• Tilt-proof, low-lying stability chassis for easy maneuvering
• Quiet, non-marking polyurethane castors to ESD standard
• Three-stage service brake for locking, braking or freewheeling the rear castors

The lift is also equipped with the intelligent VPC position control. It enables up to eight freely selectable heights to be approached precisely and automatically at different lifting speeds, while manual approach remains possible at all times. In this way, the lift2move cleanroom supports handling processes that require precise and repeatable feeding, removal and positioning of workpieces.

"And as the chassis allows an underrun length of 492 mm and an underrun height of 88 mm, the boom or load support of the lift2move cleanroom can also enter the installation spaces of systems and machines. This enables uninterrupted material handling," emphasizes Oliver Stauch-Vaupel.

Sophisticated and ergonomic design

The lift is made almost entirely of stainless steel and aluminum. All surfaces are glass-bead blasted, electropolished or anodized - including the control cabinet, which is mounted on the back of the lift mast at waist height. In addition to the lead-fleece batteries (18 Ah BV at 24 V), there is also an integrated unit for wireless operation. The emergency stop switch and a charge level indicator are located on the outside of the housing. The ergonomically shaped two-hand maneuvering handle is located above the compact control cabinet, allowing the 550 mm wide and 2,335 mm high lift to be moved safely, easily and precisely.

Customized solutions for the highest requirements in cleanrooms

The development of ISO 14644-certified lifting and conveying equipment places the highest demands on the manufacturer. Expresso benefits here from its consistent Made-in-Germany production, decades of practical experience from numerous industry projects and the consistent implementation of ergonomic findings in its system solutions.

"This comes into play not least when we implement individual load supports for special handling technology tasks. In the future, our engineering department will also pay more attention to the special requirements of cleanroom and cleanroom technology," says Oliver Stauch-Vaupel.