Performance of power-assist transport cart drive
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1
Institute of Mechanical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
2
Institute of Logistics, Poznan University of Technology, J. Rychlewskiego 2, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
3
Atres Intralogistics Sp. z o.o., Ludmiły 60, 61-054 Poznań, Poland
Corresponding author
Stanisław Pabiszczak
Institute of Mechanical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Piotrowo 3, 60-965 Poznań, Poland
Adv. Sci. Technol. Res. J. 2025; 19(2):383-392
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ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance parameters of a novel power-assist drive unit dedicated to intralogistics equipment. The drive unit under investigation comprises an industrial wheel driven by a BLDC motor, mounted on a fork with a plate, enabling connection to devices such as a pallet cart. The unit is equipped with an additional drive responsible for lifting the wheel when the cart is moved manually. During preliminary tests, the forces required to move the pallet trolley were determined based on the type of floor, the type and orientation of the caster wheels, and the load. For each of the tested loads, the smallest forces were recorded for a trolley with wheels aligned with the direction of travel on a smooth floor, while the largest were observed for wheels positioned perpendicular to the intended direction of travel on a coarse-aggregate floor. To evaluate the performance of the power-assist drive unit, a test stand was built, and a detailed testing program was developed, taking into consideration the pulling (pushing) force and power consumption of one unit and a set of two electric drive units mounted on a pallet trolley. Analysis of the obtained results leads to the conclusion that the proposed drive can significantly reduce physical effort in manual transport, especially in intralogistics operations. The presented device allows for moving a trolley weighing more than 600 kg, regardless of the type and initial setting of the wheels or the smoothness of the floor.