Mitras supplies the automotive industry with moulded body parts for motor vehicles, and came to SCX when it required a system to handle delicate, newly pressed trailer hoods.
Once the 35kg hoods have been pressed it is important that the shape is not then distorted, so the final solution required a system that would not deform the hoods upon removal or during transportation.
After trials undertaken with the client to fully understand the nature of the application, SCX offered a pneumatic manipulator.
The manipulator consisted of a 75kg SWL 3 pad vacuum lifting system working in combination with a new electric powered travelling hoist.
The vacuum pads are able to safely lift the hoods without exerting a detrimental amount of pressure onto them. The operator is then able to smoothly raise the freshly moulded hoods out of the press, and suspend them for inspection purposes, before traversing over to the storage area. This whole process is controlled from ground level thanks to SCX’s bespoke designed pendant control.
SCX also re-sited an existing runway beam in order to mount the electric travelling hoist directly over the centre of lifting of the two moulding machines.
To ensure operator safety and protection of the loads at all times, the manipulator has a number of safety features built in.
The unit is supplied with pneumatic brakes which can be operated manually by the user, or in the event of an air leak, will automatically employ causing the system to come to a complete halt.
The unit is then fitted with an air reservoir, which in the event of a power failure enables the load to be lowered to safety in a controlled manner.
