MegaLift Vertical Lift Module
The MegaLift Vertical Lift Module (VLM) has
been manufactured by MegaStar for over 15 years. It's simplicity has kept it's reliability
very high and far less
difficult to install correctly than competing systems. The extreme flexibility of most Vertical
Lift Modules comes with the price that the closer the tray positions are, the
greater the criticality of absolutely perfect installation. The MegaLift foregoes the extremely close
tray position feature and uses single unit construction to ensure simplicity,
correct machine operation, lower part wear problems, and much higher
reliability.
As seen in the picture, the vertical lift module concept is a tray stacking system. Trays of parts are stored in the front of the machine and in the back of the machine, and an extractor moves like an elevator in the middle. It retrieves a single tray and brings it to the workstation opening. This is a simple concept, but as shown in the picture, the flexibility of the vertical lift module to store different size parts is unique in the industry. The tray positions are defined by rails (shown in green in the picture). The rails can be set in 25 mm (approximately 1 inch) intervals down to a minimum of 75 mm (2.95 inch) spacing. (Normally, rails are spaced at the minimum spacing throughout the machine.)
When a tray is introduced into the system, it goes through a
height sensor, which determines the height of the space that is needed to store
the tray. The system then locates the
lowest possible space that allows that height and stores the tray. If the tallest parts on the tray are 8
inches high, the system will find a 9 inch space, store the tray on the low
rail (3 inch space), and inactivate the two rail spaces above it (making a 9
inch high space). This concept is shown
in the diagram below.
When the
tray is called for, the position where it was stored and the
positions inactivated due to that storage are reactivated, and when the tray is
reintroduced back into the system, its height will be resensed to determine
where it will be stored by the machine.
Therefore, if parts are added to or picked from a tray, the tray will
still be stored in the most efficient space.
Optionally, the trays can be dedicated to a particular tray position in
the machine, if the customer desires.
Due to this flexibility, the MegaLift has the ability to store large parts today, small parts tomorrow, or a combination of both at any time. This is particularly important to customers with changing inventories.
A major advantage to the MegaLift is that since the system only handles a single tray at a time, the weight capacity of the machine is far higher than other types of machines. The lightest duty system can handle up to 550 lb per tray. The heaviest duty machine can handle up to 2200 lb per tray, and any of these machines can be configured to handle up to 88,000 lb in a single machine.
The size range of the MegaLift is highly variable so as to be adaptable to many customers' requirements. Of course, it can be 6 to 30+ ft high, but the available tray sizes and weight capacities is, also, highly variable Tray sizes can be as small as 2 ft X 2 ft or as large as 10 ft X 3 ft. Machine footprint size varies with the tray size.
The number of trays that are required for a system varies
with the height of the parts to be stored, so trays can be removed from or
introduced into the system at will.
To more easily remove heavy parts from the MegaLift, MegaStar has devised two systems to make the parts on the trays more accessible. First is a tray table extension (shown at right). This extension allows the operator to pull the tray completely out of the machine and allows better access to parts in the rear of the tray. This system, also, allows a customer to position a lift system over the tray to lift items that are too heavy for the operator. The tray table extension can be either permanently positioned as shown at right or it can be folding so that the area in front of the machine can be better utilized when the extension is not in use.
The second item that has been developed to allow customers better access to the tray is the tray cart (shown at left). This cart can be locked to the workstation opening so that the tray can be completely removed from the machine and carted to another area.
Although the MegaLift can be very tall, the speed of the extractor, 2.6 ft per second, allows access to even the parts located highest in the machine in very short time - on the order of 15 seconds from the time that the part is requested.
The major advantages of MegaLift Vertical Lift modules are:
Uses a fraction of floor space used by static shelving,
usually around 80 sq ft or around 25% of
Flexibility on the fly (machine adapts to tray height as
parts are stored)
High speed in picking single parts (extractor moves
directly to the tray required) When
Highly variable tray sizes and weight capacities
High weight capacity - up to around 2200 lb per tray,
88,000 lb per machine
Security (when the door at the workstation is locked, the
machine is a sealed box)
Imbalance is not an issue.
As machines get taller, price per foot of height drops
significantly.
Better ergonomics (all parts are presented at waist
level, minimizing back problems)
MegaLifts can be set up to operate with multiple workstations, and therefore multiple controllers so that workstations can be on upper and lower floors or in rooms on opposite sides for the machine.
Power requirements for this system can be opted for without additional cost. The MegaLift can run on 208-3-60AC to 480-3-60AC.
Customers can select the color of the machine from several selections, including two tone.
With the basic VLM electronics (ie, without any optional software), the operator can punch in a tray number, and the VLM will bring that tray to the workstation opening.
The MegaLift can be outfitted with an internal parts locator software package (ie, not requiring a separate computer) which can maintain the location of a particular part within the machine and can bring that particular part to the workstation opening when it is requested. The part number, name, and location of the part can be displayed on the controller screen for verification by the picker. The internal software package can be linked across several machines so that each machine does not have to be searched for a particular part.
To further enhance the picking operation, a row of pick lights can be opted for so that when a part is requested, the light which is directly in front of that part location will light when that tray is presented at the workstation opening. In addition, since totes can be divided front to rear, allowing locations from front to back as well as from side to side on a tray, a depth light display can be opted for to show the particular location of the part requested.
Using one of the separate software packages (those that require a separate computer), as shown in the Software section of this website, requests for parts can be downloaded automatically from other computer systems. Besides parts requests, the software can download entire orders or kits or multiple orders and/or kits consisting of many part numbers and multiple quantities of each part and can then pick all orders and/or kits at the same time. The software packages can handle multiple computers or can be set up as servers to handle multiple groups of machines, each with its own computer.
In addition, an order table can be positioned across from the machines with its own set of lights so that the picker can pick using the lights on the machines and distribute the picked parts to the correct orders using the "put" lights in front of the order containers. This system is called "pick-to-light/put-to-light", and it allows the picker to pick parts without having to know what is contained in the orders or to know what the parts look like, although the picker can be part of the picking accuracy control by comparing the picked part with either the part number and nomenclature shown on the controller screen or a picture which can be stored in the software package.
By using a separate computer, a bar code system can be incorporated, allowing the customer to input part numbers by bar code gun and/or printing bar code labels.
The separate software can be used with multiple machines as previously mentioned, and as shown in other sections of this website, and it can be used in systems with different kinds of machines in the same system. In addition, inventory in other locations than the automated system can be controlled, for example, inventory on shelving, flow rack, test stations, or even the trunk of a salesman's car. In addition, machine inventory records and reports can be accessed from remote locations like the inventory control manager's desktop computer.
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