Lift Table Motor Burnout Remedied by Signal Delay Timer
Our partner, Wynright, kept experiencing motor failures on hydraulic lift tables in their distribution centers. They asked that we get involved to help pinpoint the exact issue causing $160K a month in failed motors and hours of downtime. E Tech Group harness our expertise in material handling automation to diagnose and remedy this expensive issue. Industry Challenge: High-Speed, High-Volume Logistics In the parcel industry, throughput is everything — especially during peak seasons when daily package volume can double or triple. The client’s existing system faced mounting challenges, including: Any unplanned downtime during a peak shipping window could lead to major customer service disruptions and financial penalties. Dysfunction: Overloaded Lift Table Motors During the process review with the customer and distribution center associates, it was determined that the failures were likely due to excessive cycling of the on/off state of the motor. The cycling was a direct result of the hard contact of a foot switch provided to the line associates to raise the lift table. Diagnosis: A Miscommunication Between Human & Machine In a normal working position, the associate would stand with one foot on the switch and the normal shift of weight as packages are moved across the worker’s position would cause incidental switching of the motor. Some instances indicated that in an effort to perfectly position the lift table, the worker would feather start/stop operation, exacerbating the situation. Treatment: Implement a Better Translational Tool To remedy this initially, a VFD-based solution was recommended. But we felt a solution with a delay timer that negates the signal from the foot pedal for a short time, stopping the on/off signals would provide a better, more long-term resolution to their issue. Stewart Brinkoeter, our fabrication manager, partnered with our Ohio team to finalize and implement this solution in one facility for … Continued
