Automated Lifting Storage Solution

Lift-and-Store is a manufacturer of custom storage solutions specializing in overhead systems to maximize floor space. Their products can be found in many places, including but not limited to; office spaces, retail locations, museums, schools, and locker rooms.

The original application that American Control Electronics (ACE) became involved with was under the “Tilt-and-Store” system. A wall-mounted rack is used to raise or lower items such as bikes or wheel chairs in a tilting motion, allowing them to be stored out of the way when not needed but quickly accessible. Since the up and down positions were definitive, two limit switches could be utilized with an ACE regenerative control as a cycling application with two end-of-travel limits.

Tilt-and-Store System

Lift-and-Store System

However, not all applications can have two physical limit switches. Under the “Lift-and-Store” type, storage solutions were done by raising the system straight up and down. Since the available vertical space for each customer was different, American Control Electronics needed to develop a system that allowed the lower limit to be “virtually set” at each site. This was accomplished with a custom control that provided a unique program and incorporated an encoder from the DC motor. The drive was able to be set into a “Program Mode”. Using a home limit for the upper position, a user could tell the drive when it was in the desired lower position. The drive then knew how many pulses from the encoder it was allowed to go from the home limit position, allowing the system to cycle up and down as it did in the "Tilt-and-Store" system.

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