Whilst visiting an existing aerospace customer, I was asked if I could look at another situation that was causing them concern.
I was taken to a large machine in it’s own enclosure and asked if we could come up with a solution. The task involved clamping a drilling jig to the workpiece 1.5m from ground level, raising the platform with a person on board to attach the jig 3.0m from the ground, returning to the lowest level to start drilling, then working back up to the top, drilling as they went. This meant a working at height range of 1.5m with infinite adjustability, with a work person on board.
I asked a number of questions as ideas occurred to me, each time being shot down with reasons not to do it that way. It had to be powered but could not be hydraulic, it could not be powered by mains electricity, it could not use a car/leisure 12v battery, it had to go right down to ground level, couldn’t be driven by a cordless drill because of the torque reaction and strain on the wrist……….. the list went on. Eventually, I said I would need time to think about this one and left site with a whole lot of requirements and not a lot of positive feedback.
On my return to the office, I passed on all the information I had been given and waited for the suggestions to start. As ideas were put forward, I knocked them back, just as I had experienced the previous day, watching the disappointment on everybody’s faces. I decided to leave it and let the requirements sink in to see if anybody could find a solution.
Almost four months later an idea was put forward that looked like it would meet 95% of the requirements. As it was a new concept with nothing to compare to, and no way to be sure it would work as we hoped, we were reluctant to put forward a specification and a quotation without proving the concept. So, the decision was made to build a prototype.
12 weeks later we had a working prototype that offered a working at height range from 210mm to 1500mm, only one step up from ground level. It is powered by an 18volt cordless tool battery that can be charged at any one of their standard charging stations and can raise or lower the platform with a 150kg person on board.
It rides on four braked, swivel castors, is light weight, has fixed guardrails and toe boards to three sides, and a self-closing gate at the entry point. The cycle time from lowest to highest is approximately 30 seconds and is almost silent. With gravity to assist, descent takes just 20 seconds from maximum to minimum. These timings are dependent on the state of charge but were taken with the battery at 50%.
It is now undergoing trials to prove the method and the design before being presented to any clients, as it looks like we may have more than one potential customer for it.
If you have an access issue and the beginnings of an idea, give us a call on
01832 770759 or fill out our contact form.