Recently, Thomas Conveyor & Equipment Company was approached by a senior mechanical engineer working for an aerospace manufacturer located in Washington State. They needed assistance with an ergonomic handling problem. They required a building platform to assemble space launched satellites from within an ultra cleanroom environment. There were many special requirements that had to be met to satisfy their needs. More challenges arose since this product is highly proprietary and certain security clearances had to be obtained before proceeding forward.
Our customer needed a device which would allow the satellite to be built in stages, requiring our ergonomic device to lift and rotate in three different axes. Furthermore, we needed to exceed ISO 8 clean room capabilities and eliminate use of all magnetic materials.
Our lifter platform was required to rotate a full 360 degrees and the unit needed to turn within a 4’ x 6’ footprint. Lifting capacity was set at 100kg. Special care was taken when calculating the center of gravity since it was offset from the satellite’s main structure. Grounding was another important concern; we made our cables compatible with the anti-static wrist straps worn by technicians.
Other ergonomic lifting attachments were incorporated allowing a support shelf for a nitrogen purge K-tank cylinder and unique floor leveling pads. Mechanical locks were also included to positively lock out the lift and rotate functions while sensitive components where added. The rotation speed had to be precisely controlled, as it was to mimic the forces found in space during a final testing procedure. We provided custom engineered solutions to meet these requirements.
Contact Thomas Conveyor & Equipment at 844-220-0086 for custom ergonomic lifting systems solutions to fit your application. Call today!