Blickle ErgoMove® drive system optimises processes

BSH Hausgeräte GmbH was established in 1967 as a joint venture between Bosch and Siemens. BSH has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group since 2015. The facility in Nauen, Brandenburg, specialises in manufacturing and assembling washing machines, and ships out around 600,000 units every year.

A supplier provides detergent containers to BSH pre-assembled. These heavy components are a vital part of any washing machine drum. The company previously used HGV’s and forklift trucks to transport the components to the production line. However, the limited space available in the production hall was a problem; manual handling was out of the question due to the weight of the drums. That’s why BSH decided to set up a tugger train system between its production facility and the supplier’s nearby factory. Each trolley of the train can accommodate a palette load of detergent containers. Two fixed casters and four swivel casters on each trolley make it possible to move them from the tugger train to the production line. Each trolley weighs about 450 kg.

Due to the weight of the trolley, Blickle decided to use a combination of four swivel casters and two fixed casters from the ErgoMove® 1000 series. The fixed casters have an integrated electric drive system which reduces the physical stress on employees to a minimum. A handle with integrated sensors intuitively senses the direction the operator is moving in and activates the electrically driven casters. Thanks to the integrated inversion brake, operators are not required to exert any force in order to slow the trolley. The ErgoMove® 1000 is suitable for transporting loads of up to 1,000 kg at speeds up to 4 km/h. The customer added suspension to the fixed caster. to guarantee contact with uneven surfaces. Besthane® Soft was used as the tread, as is standard for the ErgoMove® 1000 series. This material provides outstanding rolling resistance.

The two electrically driven fixed casters were combined with four LH-ALTH 160K-AS swivel casters with an Extrathane® tread. The antistatic tread prevents static discharge from affecting the operator and the transport units.

The end result: a process that is far more ergonomic and efficient than it was before. The appliance manufacturer can load the trolleys of the tugger train with more parts while also reducing the workload on its employees because the trolleys can be moved by a single person. The system also provides a high level of safety without any additional changes being required to the trolleys. Integrated electromechanical dead man’s brake systems prevent the trolleys from rolling away and make them easy to stop in dangerous situations. The antistatic tread of the swivel casters prevents unwanted electrical discharges.

• Improved ergonomics: reduced physical stress
• Improved efficiency: more units per trolley
• Improved safety: integrated dead man’s brake and antistatic tread
• Intuitive controls for improved operator convenience