Blickle ErgoMove® drive system optimizes work processes

BSH Hausgeräte GmbH was founded in 1967 as a joint venture between Bosch and Siemens. BSH has been a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group since 2015. The plant in Nauen, Brandenburg, specializes mainly in the production and assembly of washing machines and delivers around 600,000 appliances a year.

BSH obtains the heavy lye containers, the heart of every washing drum, prefabricated from a supplier. In the past, trucks and forklift trucks were used to transport the components to the production line. However, the very limited space due to the narrow aisles in the production hall posed a problem. Manual handling was out of the question due to the high weight. BSH therefore decided to set up a tugger train system between its own production facility and the supplier's nearby plant. The tugger train is equipped with individual trolleys, each of which holds a pallet of lye containers. The trolleys themselves are also equipped with rollers so that they can cover the last few meters to the production line independently. One trolley weighs around 450 kilograms.

Due to the high trolley weight, the decision was made 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 that reduces the physical strain on employees to a minimum. A handle with integrated sensors intuitively recognizes the operator's direction of movement and thus controls the electric drive casters. The integrated counter-current brake also eliminates the effort required to brake the trolleys. The ErgoMove® 1000 is suitable for loads of up to 1,000 kilograms and speeds of up to four kilometers per hour. For this application, the customer also fitted a suspension system to the fixed caster. This ensures that contact with the ground is always guaranteed in the event of unevenness. The running surface of the ErgoMove® 1000 series is Besthane® Soft as standard, which achieves excellent rolling resistance values.

The two electrically driven fixed casters are complemented by four LH-ALTH 160K-AS swivel casters with Extrathane® tread. The static dissipation capability protects the operator and the transported goods from static discharge.

The result is a much more ergonomic workflow - and also greater efficiency: the domestic appliance manufacturer can load the trolleys of the tugger train with more parts and still have less work to do, as they can be moved by one employee alone. Safety is also guaranteed by the system without the need for further precautions on the trolley. For example, the integrated electromechanical dead man's brakes prevent the trolley from rolling away without authorization and allow it to stop immediately in dangerous situations. The antistatic tread of the casters prevents unwanted electrical discharges.

• More ergonomics: physical strain is reduced
• More efficiency: higher trolley loads possible
• More safety: thanks to integrated dead man's brake and antistatic running surface
• More operator comfort: thanks to intuitive controls