Motor Solutions for Aerial Work Platforms – Technical Insights

Over the years, Aerial Work Platforms (AWPs) have become the equipment of choice for many applications including construction, facility maintenance, and warehousing. These platforms are perceived as efficient, safe, and flexible pieces of equipment that greatly depends on the motor systems performance. Motors are the heart of the drive system for working at heights in aerial work platforms and define how safe, stable and energy efficient the entire platform is. The paper discusses motors in relation to AWPs, the roles, general types of motors, and technical considerations & upcoming trends. .

1. Motors roles within aerial work platforms.

AWPs can perform a significant operational ability, i.e. travelling from point A to point B, lifting, steering, and rotating in the horizontal plane. Each of these actions is the result of different motors as described below:

Travelling motors: Responsible to produce forward, reverse and steering actions, needs a large starting torque and rapid response.

Lifting motors: Responsible to drive either hydraulic pumps or screw drives to lift the platform, needs high torque and durability.

Swing motors: Responsible to allow boom type AWPs to rotate in the horizontal plane.

Steering or Servo motors: Responsible to give great directional control and safety for complex, flat, sloped and tight areas.

2. Common types of motors used in AWP applications:

1. Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM): PMSMs are compact, high efficiency, and great dynamic response; these motors work well in applications that need great precision, such as scissor lifts and articulated booms

2. AC Induction Motors: AC induction motors have a simple design, their built-in overload protection and lower costs than PMSM motors (the attractive qualities for heavy-duty platforms for drive wheels or hydraulic pumps).

3. Important technical considerations in the selection of motors:

For aerial work platform applications, when deciding what motor type is best for a hazards involved working environment, you should consider a few technical aspects of motors:

High reliability: the nature of work will vary on the repeated use and type of use in harsh work and environmental conditions. Equipment custodians should look for motors with a protection rating up to IP54 minimum

Energy efficiency: to provide greater distance between charges on battery packs and lower consumption to improve efficiency for AWP lithium platforms.

Precision: AWP systems (lifting and steering) must perform and respond to operator actions very smoothly and accurately. It makes sense to include high performance controllers and ideally encoders to enhance performance.

Noise and vibration: Operators have to feel comfortable and be safe to operate equipment. Ideally, any motor must perform quietly, smoothly and within tolerable noise levels.

Maintenance: Vehicles with modular connectors and sealed bearings will generate longer running times, enabling lower service approach time and ultimately safer for the operator over time.

4. Future Trends

The Martin systems for aerial work platforms are progressing toward electrification and the digitalization of the machine and motor systems:

Integration - When motor and controller are integrated installation time and wires leading from controller to motor is reduced.

Intelligent - Cables can come with embedded sensors so you can remotely monitor product utilization, and the conditions the motors operate within temperature, vibrations, current to help realize predictive maintenance.

High voltage - A type of mobility platforms are succeeding with higher voltage operating systems (48V and higher) which provide opportunities for further reductions in packaging sizes and power limitations.

Multi-Mode control - New control algorithms can enable the motor to change operating set points in work modes, loading feedback and monitoring.

Conclusion

Motors are an essential part of the performance and safety of aerial work platforms. If you require a motor for your scissor lift, boom lift or specialized aerial work platform application, please feel to reach out to Depuda Motor Co., Ltd. for more in depth technical specifications or especially if you are seeking a customized product.