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Currently we need to fit heavy/bulky equipment to a helicopter. The helicopter design prevents us moving these items directly underneath the helicopter where they need to be fitted. They have to be man-handled by three people to be fitted in position. We normally move these items using a manual pallet truck as close to the helicopter as possible. However if we could source a pallet truck with a sliding base this would go some way to alleviating the heath risks posed by man-handling these items when fitting them to the helicopter. Height is not an issue as we know we can source a pallet truck to give us the correct height. Any ideas/info would be gratefully appreciated
VMT
Derek
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Derek
I don't know whether this will be helpful, but I once was able to solve a similar system, moving a very heavy part for a machine tool into place. This involved a platform which 'floated' on compressed air. It was thin and could easily be moved by one person, despite the weight of the load. You just had to keep the kinetic energy/momentum factor in mind!
I cannot remember at this distance in time who manufactured these but a trawl of the Internet might reveal something.
Chris
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chris.packham wrote:Derek
I don't know whether this will be helpful, but I once was able to solve a similar system, moving a very heavy part for a machine tool into place. This involved a platform which 'floated' on compressed air. It was thin and could easily be moved by one person, despite the weight of the load. You just had to keep the kinetic energy/momentum factor in mind!
I cannot remember at this distance in time who manufactured these but a trawl of the Internet might reveal something.
Chris
Hi Chris
Thanks for the reply Chris it is something I will look at it
VMT
Derek
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Can you not use the standard pallet truck and then skates time help you move the load a little closer to the fitting point?
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Juan Carlos Arias wrote:Can you not use the standard pallet truck and then skates time help you move the load a little closer to the fitting point?
Juan I do not know what skates time is fella
VMT
Derek
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Sorry, it should have read "skates to" and I'm talking about load shifting skates.
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Matelot1965,
Juan Carlos Aria is referring to a simple air cushion device, usually fed from an air line that can be used to just lift a load and reduce friction. Very useful in some situations, I've seen two men moving over 15 tonnes with one. In your situation it might not be quite so useful, as from your name I reckon your fleet air arm so fitting things to helo's on an airfield will require long long air hoses or a compressor, or on deck you really don't want a frictionless load to controll as the deck heaves and rolls,
Jim
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Hi Juan/Exdeeps
Guys thanks for clearing the skates thing up. Deeps I am ex fleet air arm but it is fitting parts to helos inside an airfield hangar (no oggen to worry about lol). I have seen the skates thing online. I do not think it will be suitable for fitting parts to aircraft under tight tolerances and space constraints. The idea of fitting a friction-less load to an aircraft is kinda scary. I think we would do more damage to the aircraft lol
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Hi Matelot - (should that not be wafoo?)
Try Portsmouth Aviation, they will probably be pleased to design something specific.
You may have come across their kit in your previous life :)
Regards,
S
ex RAF & Boscpmbe Down
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Some years ago I had occasion to use an airlift type pallet to position some heavy machine tool equipment. I found that with two people we could locate it very precisely, then by shutting off the air supply the system became a firm, unmoving platform from which to work.
Chris
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Hard to imagine what exactly you are doing, but it sounds as if you will transport the item on a hand pallet truck under the craft then raise it up with the pallet truck. You then want to jiggle it a bit to get alignment to attach.
Could you use two steel plates with PTFE on them, so the two PTFE plates are against one another. The bottom one could be made to clamp to the pallet truck and the top plus load held in place by strap until final jiggling is required. Thickness of plate determined by weight of load. I have seen some very heavy things moved on PTFE sheets. If you wanted to limit the x/y movement then make the bottom plate a tray, with the upper plate slightly smaller (or even round).
I’m probably on the wrong track, but just a thought.
Chris
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SNS wrote:Hi Matelot - (should that not be wafoo?)
Try Portsmouth Aviation, they will probably be pleased to design something specific.
You may have come across their kit in your previous life :)
Regards,
S
ex RAF & Boscpmbe Down
Hi SNS thanks for the info mate eer it should be WAFU not wafoo lol
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Chris42 wrote:Hard to imagine what exactly you are doing, but it sounds as if you will transport the item on a hand pallet truck under the craft then raise it up with the pallet truck. You then want to jiggle it a bit to get alignment to attach.
Could you use two steel plates with PTFE on them, so the two PTFE plates are against one another. The bottom one could be made to clamp to the pallet truck and the top plus load held in place by strap until final jiggling is required. Thickness of plate determined by weight of load. I have seen some very heavy things moved on PTFE sheets. If you wanted to limit the x/y movement then make the bottom plate a tray, with the upper plate slightly smaller (or even round).
I’m probably on the wrong track, but just a thought.
Hey Chris sounds like an idea worth investigating i think cheers mate
Chris
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Yes possibly fairlieg we already have a couple of scissor tables that we tried out but it was unsuccesful in the first instance the pallet truck was the better option for us and so we decided to investigate that further
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