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Pneumatic / Servo "Balancers"

Ox

Diamond
Joined
Aug 27, 2002
Location
Northwest Ohio
Considering puting a lift of sorts over Big Bertha. (big lathe)

I have a 2 ton bridge that I'm not using currently that could be re-configured, and that would be the cat's assmmmmeow for a good share of the work that goes through her fer sure, but for the 100#+ parts, I'm wondering if a "Zero G" lift would be much better? Or at least a lot faster?


I've never used the old skewl pneu units, but I have played with the "G-Force" servo units at the trade shows before, and those are soitenly the bees knees!

It was just now that I got sticker shock on those units tho.
Apparently the "IQ" unit has a sticker on it that reads "If'n y'all gots'ta ask ......"

(I heard $15K [choke])


I see that the ARO (IR) units (pneu) will go to 750# (or more?)

I see that there is some brand that I am not familiar with on The Bay that is called "Knight".
Why doo I git the feeling that _ that must be some cheaper import?


Anything y'all wunna spill yuhr guts on regarding any of this shtuff?


----------------------

Up, Up, And Away!
Ox
 
I had jib cranes next to my lathes and mills in another shop. Some of the hoists were electric and one or two (I can't remember) were pneumatic.

What I liked about the air was I could creep with it. Made it a lot easier to line up the tailstock center. Fairly heavy parts- 6 to 7" dia. 4340/EN30B up to 72" long, sometimes even longer.

With the electric hoist, I'd get one end in the chuck and click the button up or down to line up the center, things could get bouncy pretty quick. The pneumatic hoists could feather, so it was easy to go fast when lifting the material off the floor, and slow way down inside the machine.
 
Shop I was in have tried just about everything out there, articulated arms, pneumatic load balancer (note these are not "air hoists", they are a different
animal)

Best one that acts most "fluid" and operator comments "i don't even know it's there"
is the "G force" one.

I used to use this:
<https://www.grainger.com/product/5EFJ7?cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!50916706437!!!g!82128758397!&ef_id=WjetoAAABG99Fah5:20171218123540:s&kwid=productads-adid^50916706437-device^c-plaid^82128758397-sku^5EFJ7-adType^PLA>

But I was plopping heavy parts into foam filled boxes, not very fine control,
very "bouncy". Sort of like taxing a taildragger.

I have a couple of air hoists in the shop, and yes, even with the pushbuttons,
you can fly a part in pretty good, the older "rope controls" are better yet.
In fact, I looked at the air pushbutton ones I have, and they just wiggle
that handlebar (that used to have the ropes on it) up top,
so I'll bet you could remove it and put on the ropes.

Heres a rope version, put Momma on the train with some cash, send her down to Cincinnati:
YALE AIR HOIST 1/2 TON 1 FOOT LIFT - tools - by owner - sale

Or this one:
Air powered chain hoist crane lift - tools - by owner - sale
You can see how the air cylinders actuate the arm (where a rope was) mine are like
this.
 
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