ace11019The number of online shops and thus the volume of parcels and parcels is increasing. In 2018 there were 330 million deliveries in Germany at Christmas, according to the Federal Association of Parcel and Express Logistics. Sorting systems have to cope with such quantities and above all with peak times. The sorters run at high speeds and must not lose any packages. The new high-end system from Equinox does this with miniature shock absorbers from ACE shock absorbers.

ace21019Not far from the North Sea lies the Dutch municipality Hillegom. At first glance, it is hard to imagine that one of Europe's most powerful manufacturers of sorting systems is based in the picturesque polder environment. The turnkey products of Equinox MHE offer, among other things, a high degree of integration capability. The company offers a wide range of high-quality systems for logistics automation, including manual sorting systems, picking systems and warehouse management systems.

Sorting parameters have to be individually selected for the Dutch products. In addition to classic indicators such as postal code or shipping route, this includes, for example, the option of sorting by order. A factor that is important for e-commerce companies.

ace31019Equinox sorters often use trays to transport products in the system. When a product is entered in a tray, it is identified by scanning the barcode. Once the tray has reached the right destination, it will be opened and the product sorted at the right station. From this station products can be directly packed or shipped. The portfolio also includes so-called split-tray sorters, which have stations on the inside and outside of the oval thanks to their oval shape, which doubles their number.

Test phase: Looking for the best automation solution

For a particularly space-saving design, the Dutch have additionally reduced the curve radii for these models. As a result, the transport containers move so close together in the curves that they can vibrate. In the worst case, this could result in valuable cargo falling from the sorting plant.


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To avoid this, Equinox contacted ACE Stoßdämpfer GmbH, a partner in its in-house design department for high quality damping solutions. Tjalling Dolman, Equinox project manager, said: "It is always a positive experience to work with ACE employees on a project. They are always motivated and dedicated partners and, if necessary, also like to go a detour if we get better with it. "

ace41019As the speed on the conveyor belt was significantly slower inside than outside in the sorting system in the narrow curve radii, Han Titulaer, who works as a technical consultant for ACE in the Netherlands and Belgium, initially had the idea of ​​installing different dampers for the inside and outside . Because Equinox preferred to use only one type of damper for maintenance reasons, among other things, these were first installed and tested on site. This resulted in vibrations, for whose permanent elimination the damping technology of the built-in models from the SC190 product family was not one hundred percent suitable. For this reason, Han Titulaer's ACE team readjusted.

Continuous operation: centrifugal forces successfully stopped

The MC150EUM-PP150 miniature shock absorbers turned out to be the right solution. The secret is its rolling membrane, whereby the manufacturer's unique damping technology ensures the phase-pure separation of the damping fluid from the ambient air. This also allows direct installation in the pressure chamber z. B. possible as end position cushioning in pneumatic cylinders up to approx. 7 bar.

ace51019In addition, the rolling diaphragm favors the very low restoring forces of the ready-to-install dampers. Perfectly graded hardness ranges, highest energy absorption and the integrated fixed stop are further features. Moreover, the use of a bolt pre-bearing allows impact angles of up to 25 degrees.

Decisive for Equinox was the fact that these small shock absorbers, in addition to reliably calming the fast movements of the containers in the curves thanks to the hermetically sealed rolling diaphragm technology, also offer maximum service lives of up to 25 million load changes. Under simple conditions, this already equals four times the life of conventional shock absorbers.

Under vibrating conditions, the gap between standard dampers and the MC types is even wider when it comes to service life. Miniature shock absorbers from this product family can be used universally because they are also available as stainless steel versions. In addition to the logistics industry, they are also used for automation and handling in mechanical and plant engineering. Thanks to a large number of accessories and connection parts, they can also be installed quickly and easily.

The self-adjusting and maintenance-free machine components installed in the Netherlands have an energy consumption of 150 Nm / stroke or 20 Nm / h with a stroke of only 34.000 mm. Thus, the continuous operation of the sorting system hardly limits. Tjalling Dolman's conclusion is also quite positive: "The partnership work was very pleasant, the final solution fits perfectly with our requirements. And as we expect it from a manufacturer known for its quality products, it works smoothly. "

The author Robert Timmerberg, MA is a specialist journalist at the DFJV, Plus2 GmbH, Dusseldorf.

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