Base Handling Ltd - Pharmaceutical Platform Lift

PLM/2P/2000/4000/B/G Pharmaceutical Platform Lift.

This Pharmaceutical Platform Lift had a Safe Working Load of 2000 Kgs and a lift height of 4000mm.

The lifting platform was big enough to allow a standard pallet (1200 x 1000mm) to be loaded using a forklift truck.

The lift carriage at the lower position was 75mm off the ground floor.

At the upper level, there was a landing plate to allow easy unloading via a hand pallet truck or similar.

The Pharmaceutical Platform Lift was manufactured from Grade 304 stainless steel, is a welded construction throughout and was designed to be bolted to the floor without the need for a pit.

The lifting is accomplished via chains driven by a motor gearbox mounted at the top of the one column with a crossover shaft to the other column.

Safety Guard to BS EN 14120:2015 Safety of Machinery Guards.

This Pharmaceutical Platform Lift safety guard is constructed from 40 x 40 x 3mm stainless steel box section and 2.0mm stainless steel sheet to meet the guidelines of BS EN 14120:2015 Safety of Machinery Guards.

The safety guard reached to a height of 2200mm above the upper floor level, having a powered roller door at the ground floor and a pair of hinged doors at the upper level through which the machine can be loaded and unloaded.

Each door is electrically interlocked to prevent the machine being operated with a door open and in addition, the doors are mechanically locked closed whilst the Pharmaceutical Platform Lift is running.

Each door may only be opened when the lifting carriage is at the appropriate level.

The powered ground floor door can be opened via a pull cord from a forklift truck to prevent the driver from having to leave the fork truck.

Pharmaceutical Platform Lift Electrical Control.

The Pharmaceutical Platform Lift was fitted with an IP65 Stainless Steel Control Panel which is mounted on the safety guard at a convenient position to give good maintenance access under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation 1998 (PUWER).

The control panel incorporates the following controls;

• Up.
• Down.
• Guard Release.
• Emergency Stop.
• Cleaning Key Switch and a Reset Facility.

There was a remote Stainless Steel push button station at the upper level incorporating the following controls;

• Up.
• Down.
• Guard Release and Emergency Stop.

Dual Upper and Lower end of travel limit switches are positioned to prevent inadvertent adjustment or damage but are easily adjustable by trained personnel for fine adjustment on site.

The Pharmaceutical Platform Lift operation is latched so that pressing the respective ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ push buttons once will raise or lower the lift to the other floor level.

Each time the Lift Carriage activates the upper limit switch, an electrical actuator will be driven out underneath the lift carriage to support it while it is loaded.

Before the lift can move again, the actuator will retract automatically once the down button is pressed.

Pharmaceutical Platform Lift Safe Access System.

This Safe Access System was fitted to the Pharmaceutical Platform Lift during manufacture to allow access to the inside of the safety guard at the lower level for maintenance and housekeeping.

The Safe Access System operated as follows:

• The lift frame must be empty, at the full up position and the safety guard gate must be closed.
• At the full up position, the lift carriage is prevented from moving by a 50mm support bar driven out beneath the lift carriage using an electrical actuator.
• As the bar is engaged, it will alter the state of 2 off separate safety limit switches.
• The one switch will disable the Pharmaceutical Platform Lift safety circuit and relay.
• The second limit switch will allow the lower safety guard door to be opened providing that the Safe Access Key Switch has been operated.
• It is now safe to enter the lift enclosure with the Pharmaceutical Platform Lift disabled and the lift carriage supported.
• To re-instate the Pharmaceutical Platform Lift operation, the above sequence is reversed.