Move heavy loads easily at the touch of a finger

With the balancer, employees in assembly and logistics can easily lift and move heavy loads at the touch of a finger. Its features include automatic weight detection and safety up to Performance Level d, making it suitable for the automotive and packaging industries or for handling white goods. The further development of the balancer kit YHBP from Festo makes it possible to handle both lighter (25 kg) and heavier loads (up to 999 kg). Extended stroke lengths up to 1,990 mm ensure longer lifting columns.

Ready-to-install solution from a single source

Using the configurator, the control components of the balancer kit can be ordered pre-assembled and function-tested from a single source, completely ready for installation in the control cabinet or on a mounting plate. This significantly reduces the installation and wiring effort. A Modbus interface is also available for communication with the higher-level control system. Actual values and service messages can thus be visualized on a higher-level control system, for example.

When configuring the system, users simply choose the required safety Performance Level (b or d) and define the stroke and diameter of the working cylinder. The configurator makes this really easy https://www.festo.com/YHBP-configuration.

The system automatically detects the weight of the load and adjusts the balancing force itself, even when suspended loads are added or removed. This makes production processes with a large number of variants much more flexible. And operation is child's play thanks to intuitive control using a pneumatically activated, ergonomic handle.

The pre-assembled servo-pneumatic drive solution consists of a pneumatic ISO cylinder, a displacement encoder, a balancer valve unit, a pneumatically operated handle and a balancer controller. The controller comes with pre-installed balancer software with browser-based web visualisation for commissioning and diagnostics. A sensor interface and a safety relay acting as a speed monitor are optionally included in the package for safety applications.

Playing it safe

Ergonomics must always go hand in hand with machine safety. The safety variant of the drive solution achieves Performance Level d thanks to dual-channel speed monitoring and power shutdown. This ensures it is always brought to a safe state in the event of a faulty component. Dangerous movements are also prevented if there is a voltage failure or sudden drop in pressure.

Kinematics and applications

The drive system has proven to be versatile and flexible, making it suitable for installation and retrofitting in all conventional balancer kinematics like lifting columns or parallel kinematics, regardless of whether they are standing or hanging.

In the automotive industry, balancer systems can be used to move and precisely adjust heavy components, for example when fitting shock absorbers, motors, dashboards, tyres, windscreens, doors and seats. In the food and electronics industries, they handle the loading and onward transportation of heavy containers, packages and goods. In the packaging industry, the focus is on conveying rolls of paper and film, and automated loading and repositioning of pallets. Similar applications can also be found in general machine and system building, in toolmaking, and in domestic appliances, heating and air conditioning engineering.