Lift Truck Mast Segment Chain Attachment Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing mast segment designs for lift-trucks suffer from material fatigue in welds due to repeated lifting and lowering operations, leading to potential cracks and increased downtime for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The mast segment design integrates the chain attachments directly with the bottom beam, eliminating welds in the force path and reducing the risk of material fatigue by ensuring the force from the load travels directly through the beam material to the lifting chains.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If chain attachments are welded to vertical beams of the mast segment, then the mast segment can be assembled with separate components, but the welds are subject to material fatigue from repeated lifting operations leading to cracks and maintenance downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The chain attachment is merged with the bottom beam to form a single integral component. This eliminates the weld between the chain attachment and vertical beam that was previously subject to fatigue from lifting operations. The force path now travels directly through the integral structure without passing through a welded joint, resolving the contradiction by combining components to eliminate the weak welded connection while maintaining ease of manufacture through the integral design.
2Device complexity
If chain attachments are welded to vertical beams, then separate components can be manufactured and assembled, but the force path passes through welds causing fatigue and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The chain attachment and bottom beam are merged into one integral component, eliminating the welded joint in the force path. This resolves the contradiction by removing the weak welded connection while the overall structural complexity remains manageable through the streamlined integral design.
3Reliability
If the bottom beam is designed as an integral structure with chain attachments, then material fatigue in welds is eliminated, but manufacturing the integral structure may be more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom beam and chain attachments are merged into an integral structure where the chain attachment is formed as part of the bottom beam itself. This eliminates welds in the critical force path, significantly improving reliability. The manufacturing complexity is managed through the integral design that eliminates the need for separate welding operations in the high-stress areas.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A mast segment (130) for an extendable mast (110) of a lift-truck (1), said mast segment (130) comprising: - a first vertical beam (131) having an upper end (132) and a lower end (133) and a second vertical beam (134) having an upper end (135) and a lower end (136); - a first lifting chain attachment (220) and a second lifting chain attachment (230) for holding a respective end (51, 52) of a first and second lifting chain (50, 52) for raising or lowering the mast segment (130); - a bottom beam (200) interconnecting the lower end (133) of the first vertical beam (131) and the lower end (136) of the second vertical beam (134); wherein the first lifting chain attachment (220) and the second lifting chain attachment (230) are integral with the bottom beam (200).