Material Handling / Lifting System: Small and Mighty Actuators for the Automatic Guided Vehicle Chassis

An electric vehicle OEM required a low-profile pair of scissor lift actuators that could be synchronized for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) used for material delivery. The lift system requires a capacity of 4,600 lbs. The OEM had unique requirements for the AGV lift actuation system, including:

• Must be highly energy efficient to maximize operational time between battery charges.
• Must operate on 48 VDC supplied by AGV battery power.
• Must lift up to 4,600 lbs. yet must be very small to fit the limited space envelope in the AGV.
• The AGV platform required precise and programmable position control.
• A complete solution was required, including actuators, cables, drives, and control.

Hydraulic cylinder actuators were not an option, and electro-mechanical actuators were ruled out due to the highly concentrated loading that would cause reliability issues.