Project Overview

SM Controls delivered the electrical system for a lifting unit installed at the end of an existing production line. Finished products arrived on dedicated trolleys and had to be removed, lowered to floor level and presented for collection by an automated guided vehicle (AGV).

Engineering Approach

The lifter used separate variable-speed movements for vertical travel and horizontal alignment. Product position was detected before lifting, allowing the unit to compensate for normal variation in trolley alignment. A separate check verified the lifter’s position relative to the top of the product before the sequence continued.

A local PLC managed the lifting sequence and the safety functions within the area while exchanging the necessary operating signals with the main production-line controller. Local control kept the lifting and area-safety functions within the unit without isolating it from the wider production process.

Safety scanners confirmed that the area was clear after the operator removed the empty trolley and before the product was lowered. Emergency stops and safety edges were also integrated with the local and production-line safety systems.

The project also included monitoring of the goods-outwards holding area. Available positions were reported to the AGV system so that a product was only transferred when a suitable destination was free.

Services Delivered

– Electrical design
– Control panel manufacture
– Electrical installation
– Electrical testing and commissioning
– Programming and functional testing support
– CE-marking support