Bespoke Rotation Rig & Air Skate

Innovative manufacturing processes require brand new handling systems. And very often, those systems need to be built from scratch, bespoke and tailored to the precise requirements of the client’s new process. SCX blends mechanical handling, electrical engineering, safety, power and control to deliver fit-for-purpose handling solutions.

The Challenge

Our client was exploring a new process to manufacture the engine cowl moulds of its executive jets. The process involved a clamping tool, designed to compress the cowls before they are set in the oven, and which needed to be manoeuvred safely around the facility.

The operators required a method of securely rotating the top section of the clamping tool while returning the fully assembled cowl to the correct position and orientation for heating.

The Solution

SCX created a bespoke rotation rig and integral air-skate trolley to satisfy both the handling and safety requirements of this new manufacturing process.

The air-skate trolley allows the upper tooling to be positioned easily and accurately into the rotation rig. The rig then inverts to receive the lower tooling and the resin-coated engine cowl. The rig inverts again, and the full cowl and tooling are taken to the oven on the air-skate trolley.

Technical Details

Pneumatic and electric

A pair of clamps secure the tooling, each being pneumatically driven, opening out to accept the tool and then closing with sufficient pressure to hold the tool in place for rotation
Horizontal pneumatic shot bolts lock the lower section of the clamp in place, whilst two static bolts at the top and one at the bottom position the tool
The clamps then raise the tool using electric screw jacks, providing the required ground clearance for rotation

Power, safety and control

Electric motors rotate the rig from the centre, whilst encoder control ensures that the pair of clamps stay aligned at all times
Rotation is controlled from outside of the rig area to ensure operator safety, whilst the ground clearance screw jacks are pendant controlled to provide an optimum view of movements
Safety light curtains shut down the rotation rig if a person is detected in the area, with a controlled reset required to re-establish operation

Floating on air

The air-skate trolley operates on the same principle as a hovercraft, allowing a single operator to easily position the tool sections
A guide set into the floor, complete with failsafe limit switches, prevents the rig from operating until the tool is correctly positioned on the skate
A rope winch located at the rear of the rig provides additional assistance in the fine-controlled removal and insertion of the air-skate

Explore more specialist handling solutions from SCX

Bespoke Rotation Rig & Air Skate

The Challenge

The Solution

Technical Details

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