Redi-Rail® Linear Guides in an Aircraft Maintenance Gantry
University students design a gantry using Linear Guides
An aircraft maintenance facility in Michigan needed linear rails for a gantry that removes auxiliary power units (APUs) and transports them to a maintenance cart for repair. The problem was that the existing gantry did not provide easy traverse from the aircraft to the maintenance cart.
As part of their senior design project, facility managers asked local university engineering students to come up with a realistic and cost-effective solution. The students would need to create a more fluid linear motion system in the gantry without any quantifiable data provided.
Problem:
Engineering students needed a smooth and dependable linear motion design for an aircraft maintenance gantry.
Solution:
Redi-Rail® linear guides feature cam roller sliders and steel raceways integrated into aluminum linear rails. In this application they enabled smooth and effortless manual operation under heavy aircraft battery loads.
The PBC Linear solution
Redi-Rail® linear guides were proposed as the solution, utilizing parallel rails. Their lightweight design, availability in extended lengths, and roller-based technology made Redi-Rail an ideal choice for the application. The rails were fastened in parallel to support framework, and the sliders were attached to a holding fixture. The APU could then be removed from the aft section of the aircraft, moved via the rails to the maintenance cart for work, and then back to the aircraft when completed. Redi-Rail rollers provided smooth, easy, linear motion under load and the ability to drive manually. Key advantages were the adjustable preload and the rolling element technology that facilitates manual movement of heavy loads.
