Ergonomic baggage lifter uses wireless control

Swedish company EBL Systems AB is a well-known supplier of ergonomic baggage- and industrial material handling systems. In the development of the company’s new baggage lifter, EBL Systems has chosen to use wireless control of the hoist via the lifter’s gripper handle. EBL Systems thus minimise staff costs for absence caused by injuries and heavy wear on employees. In addition, downtime caused by frequent maintenance of the cable drum is minimised. EBL’s new wireless system also provides much greater freedom of movement for the operator.

To raise and lower the lifter used by an operator to move baggage, a JVL MAC800 integrated servo motor is used. The MAC motor is equipped with JVL’s Bluetooth module MAC00-FB4. The baggage lifter’s hand-held gripper is equipped with a battery-operated Bluetooth module that sends data to the MAC800. Using two buttons on the gripper, the hoist can be moved up or down. Velocity, acceleration and end-of-travel stops are all controlled by the MAC800. The Bluetooth module is a further development of JVL’s nano-PLC module. By combining these features, EBL has maintained flexibility while at the same time eliminating a significant cause of errors in the baggage handling system.