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A lift axis of nested profiles achieving a long stroke with low headroom. It is the answer to low ceilings: where a chain hoist and hook need too much space above the load, a telescopic axis extends. Stiffness and guidance clearance change with every stage, so the number of stages is limited and the guidance is decisive.
A telescopic axis is a lifting axis made of several profiles running inside one another. Retracted it is short; extended it reaches down by a multiple of its own length. Like any lifting axis it guides the load rigidly and vertically – it can hold off-centre loads and join from above.
A one-piece lifting axis needs about as much space above the guide as its stroke is long: the profile travels upwards when lifting. In a low building, under a mezzanine or under a rail system with little suspension height, that space is not available.
The telescopic axis solves this by distributing the stroke over several stages. Each stage has to cover only part of the travel, and when retracted all stages lie inside one another.
Depending on the design, the stages move simultaneously or one after another. If they move simultaneously they are coupled to each other and the movement is even over the whole stroke. If they move in sequence, the moving mass changes at the transition from one stage to the next – on hand-guided equipment this can be felt in the hand.
Each stage has its own guide, and every guide has clearance and compliance. With the number of stages and with extension, the stiffness of the axis therefore decreases; at the lower end the clearances add up. The permissible moment from an off-centre load is smaller when extended than when retracted.
Then there is weight: more profiles and guides mean more mass to be carried and moved. The number of stages is therefore kept as small as the room height allows.
Telescopic axes are found where loading takes place from above into a machine, a deep container or a pit and little height remains above the workstation. On the trolley of a rail system they serve an entire area. If the room height is sufficient for a one-piece axis, that is the stiffer and simpler solution.
What Entracon offers here is on the matching page.
See what we offer| Criterion | One-piece lifting axis | Telescopic axis | Rope unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space above the load | About the stroke | A fraction of the stroke | Low |
| Stiffness | High | Decreases with stages and extension | No lateral guidance |
| Off-centre load | Yes | Yes, restricted when extended | No |
| Complexity | Low | Higher | Low |
As few as possible. Each stage shortens the retracted height but reduces stiffness and adds weight and complexity. The number of stages follows from the required stroke and the available room height.
Not quite. The guide clearances of the stages add up, so the lower end yields a little more when extended. For most joining tasks that is sufficient; with tight tolerances, centring features on the fixture help.
When the load may hang freely – that is, when it is only lifted and transferred, not joined or held off-centre. A rope unit needs little headroom and permits long strokes but does not guide the load.
One short conversation usually settles more than three quotations. Call or write — you will reach an engineer directly.
Start typing – for example “balancer”, “SAP” or “pipe stress”.
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