Today I have a bit of a treat for you as I elaborate further on this multi lift project we carried out in Fitzrovia, London for our client ISG.
We were involved with this project from the very beginning, working alongside the architects and the end user. Manufactured in Germany, the lifts went through many revisions before the final design was decided.
The project required us to supply and install a bank of four 20 kg capacity dumbwaiter lifts with automatic loading and unloading, providing a clinical core for vertical connectivity of blood and tissue samples between the floors of this high-rise laboratory. The four lifts service 7 of the 11 floors in the building, with the possibility of expansion to serve the floors that are currently missed, ensuring the building is future proof. It has been great to see the project develop from initial sketch, through construction work on site, to commissioning and entering full operation by the end user.
The lifts themselves run at 1 meter per second with a Variable Voltage Variable Frequency drive, which provides smooth acceleration and deceleration, the system also uses an open loop tachograph to ensure the delicate cargo is delivered precisely to floor level ‘to the millimetre’ in perfect condition.
The vertical bi-parting shutters open and close automatically, and the trays are fed into the lifts by a powered roller conveyor in front of each lift. Inside the lift is a powered belt conveyor that then unloads the trays onto the lower gravity fed roller table. This ensures that the laboratory technicians do not have to wait with a sample, they simply place it onto the tray and walk away knowing it will be delivered to the required destination.
The vertical bi-parting shutters open and close automatically, and the trays are fed into the lifts by a powered roller conveyor in front of each lift. Inside the 316 grade stainless steel lift is a powered belt conveyor which then unloads the trays onto the lower roller table.
This ensures that the laboratory technicians do not have to wait with a sample, they simply place it onto the tray and walk away knowing it will be delivered to the required destination.
On the top floor there is a maintenance area where the controllers and drives are housed.
Controlled by Siemens processors, the controllers have a touch screen interface, with access to all the parameters and error logs to assist Engineers in fault diagnosis. The lifts even have internet connection, so that software updates can be completed by the technical team from anywhere in the world.
Each lift is self-contained within its own shaft, which is installed with LED lighting to ensure the safety of maintenance personnel.
Following the installation, we provided an operation guide, and full training to the end users.
Our engineers customise and adjust each automatic unit according to the requirements of the individual project. Based on a long-term experience in this field we designed an implemented a large number of automatic lifts, from a simple 2-stop semi-automatic lift to a complete conveying system with 12 combined fully automatic lifts.
We would gladly support any other businesses in designing and implementing an automatic system for your project.
