FEATURE LINEAR MOTION RAMPING UP PRODUCTION


Clubhouse Trailer Company of Edmond, Oklahoma, specialises in building custom trailers that marching bands use to haul equipment from performance to


performance. Needing an alternative to the hydraulic


cylinders used to deploy and stow loading ramps, the


company switched to electric actuators from Thomson


A


merican marching bands can have a hundred or more members, which


translates to roughly a million dollars worth of equipment. In season, they may have up to 20 performances and sometimes need to pack up and move to different locations on the same day, with the loading teams comprised of volunteer band parents like Jeff Hadley and Drew Taylor, co-founders of Clubhouse Trailer Company (The Clubhouse). In 2010, their children’s high school needed


a trailer, so they decided to build one for them using a refurbished semi-trailer (the capacity of a 53-foot semi-trailer is roughly 3500 cubic feet). The result was that neighbouring school districts wanted one too. In seven years, what was once a two-man weekend and evening hobby became a full-time business and the fastest-growing, privately-owned, company in Central Oklahoma. The first Clubhouse trailers used two manual


ramps that slid out from storage channels beneath the trailer floor and sat side by side for operation. As the business expanded, folding ramps powered by hydraulic cylinders were added. The ramps were in two segments. Hydraulic cylinders anchored to the trailer floor raised and lowered the ramp, while two cylinders located on the underside of the ramp controlled the ramp extension section. When loading was complete, the cylinders pulled the ramp back up and stowed it standing up in the back of the trailer, ready for travel to the next deployment. The founders then felt that hydraulic


technology was limiting them so began looking for an alternative solution. Hadley said: “We realised that most of the functionality that we were looking for was not something you get from an actuator itself but in the functionality that you can build into your application with a smart actuator.” For his next project, Hadley replaced the


32 FEBRUARY 2021 | DESIGN SOLUTIONS


The synchronisation feature of the Thomson Electrak HD helps coordinate smooth, safe and quick ramp operation


you run the risk of the ramp buckling or twisting. The Thomson synchronisation software harmonises actuator operation, telling each actuator when to move to maintain balance. The same thing happens when it comes back up and, overall, the synchronisation feature speeds up the whole ramp operation.” Eliminating the hydraulic fluid also


had many benefits. “With the Thomson actuators we have reduced installation time by about 75%, and we don’t need


hydraulic cylinders that controlled the ramp with four Thomson Electrak HD electric linear actuators. These controlled the overall ramp movement, extending up to 72cm, while the two that extend the ramp fold section reached 46cm. Switching to electric actuators immediately


eliminated the extreme temperature response issues that they were running into with hydraulic cylinders. “One week a band might be using the trailer


in a cold northern climate, but the next week headed south for the Rose Bowl Parade,” said Hadley. “Such temperature extremes affect the fluid and can impact ramp folding, sequencing and deployment time, which requires frequent adjustment. Electric actuators are not subject to such variation and provide consistent operation regardless of the environment and ambient temperatures.” The electronic controls also made it


band parents searching for hydraulic leaks from fittings during startup,” commented Taylor. As they became familiar with the capabilities


of the Electrak HD actuators, Taylor and Hadley began adding functionality to their trailers, with electric actuators making it easy for them to offer customers new, unique, options for any trailer project, including: • Moving Floor – The Electrak HD’s synchronisation capability enables a section of the second floor to be raised smoothly to any desired height within a 40cm range, allowing packers to optimise overhead and underfloor space.


Electric-driven stairs have opened up a new, safer, accessibility option


easier to secure the ramp during travel or active loading. Each section of the ramp weighs 115kg and must be secured during both transport and operation. The Electrak HD actuators have electronic hard-locking functionality that eliminates undesirable motion.


SYNCHRONISED MOVEMENT The Electrak HD’s onboard electronics, combined with CAN bus networking, ensure consistent and synchronised movement of the ramp actuators. “As the ramp deployment starts, the segments


have to kick out to get things started and then flatten out over the move,” said Hadley. “With the hydraulic cylinders, each operates independently, so if there is any shifting of variation in the cylinder performance itself,


• Power-retractable rear stairs – While previous rear stairs were spring-retracted, new electric- driven stairs are easier and safer.


• Power-retractable front stairs – Once they had solved the retractable design for the rear stairs, replicating it for the front of the trailer made for a convenient new accessibility option.


• Tubavator – This electric lift extends out from an open street-side door of the trailer to simplify the loading of the band’s heaviest equipment, such as tubas, which can each weigh up to 25kg.


CONFIGURATIONS So far, The Clubhouse has deployed five different configurations of the Thomson Electrak HD actuator on various projects. One trailer, for example, is using 11 actuators, powering the ramps, front stairs, rear stairs, moving floor and Tubavator. The Clubhouse continues to build around 50 trailers per year.


There are four Thomson Electrak HD electric actuators (two on the floor and two below the ramp)


Thomson www.thomsonlinear.com


/ DESIGNSOLUTIONS


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