Shanghai Plutools Supports the Upgrade of China’s Military Equipment!

Shanghai Plutools Automation Corporation Limited is a company specialized in the automatic navigation equipment industry. Recently, the company received an invitation from a military enterprise to undertake the automation upgrade of their jack system. In response, Plutools has initiated a project to develop a self-propelled jack system specifically for this military enterprise.

Necessity of the Jack Upgrade

The existing jacks required manual pushing by multiple personnel, which was labor-intensive and resulted in low work efficiency. To enhance the automation of military equipment, reduce the workload of maintenance personnel, and improve the efficiency of logistics units, the development of a self-propelled jack has become an urgent necessity.

Solution Determination

By analyzing the mechanical structure of the original jack, the existing three-legged universal wheels were replaced with electrically driven horizontal steering wheels. A stepper motor-driven lifting mechanism was designed on the steering wheel mounting plate to level the jack. The control part utilizes a wireless remote control handle to send commands to the jack body, allowing it to move according to the operator’s instructions, thereby reducing the manpower needed for jack movement. Now, a single person can operate and move the jack.

Technical Challenges:Control of the Jack’s Movement Trajectory

The self-propelled jack’s movement is modeled as an equilateral triangle with three drive wheels. The physical and geometric analysis of the jack body provides the necessary calculation formulas, and it is essential to ensure mechanical precision and accuracy in the installation of the steering wheels. Without precise data, the wheels could pull against each other, leading to overcurrent alarms. The jack is capable of flexible movement, including forward, backward, turning, diagonal movement, and in-place rotation. The movement model is depicted below:

Jack Leveling Control

The jack is designed to lift aircraft, so it must be leveled before lifting. A two-axis level sensor detects the current tilt angle, and the PLC controller performs PID calculations to issue commands to the stepper motors. The three stepper motors then drive the steering wheels to raise or lower, leveling the jack through this process. ,completing the leveling process.

Safety Measures

The self-propelled jack is equipped with non-contact laser collision avoidance radar. If an obstacle is detected in the outer perimeter of the radar’s detection area, the jack operates at low speed. If an obstacle enters the inner area, the jack stops and triggers an alarm. Laser radars are mounted horizontally on the three steering wheels for two-dimensional plane protection, and additional radars are mounted at an angle on three inclined rods, providing pseudo-3D spatial protection.

On-Site Operation Video of the Self-Propelled Jack

Conclusion

Shanghai Plutools Automation Corporation Limited is a leading technology company dedicated to designing, manufacturing, marketing, and supporting reliable and affordable motion control products and driving systems based on the latest control technologies. Plutools offers a full complement of products including horizontal/vertical motors in wheel units, differential drive steering system, motor drive system, AC/DC motors, AC/DC Drive wheel, Motor, Gear motor, Differential drive wheel, Motor pump, AC/DC motor control, Navigation control and etc.Today, Plutools is one of the largest and earliest integrated solution in China to provide solutions and quality products to tens of industries, and hundreds of clients in China.

Plutools continues to enhance its technological capabilities, leveraging its expertise to contribute to military enterprises and national defense. The company remains committed to supporting the defense industry of the nation in the future.