Hyster-Yale

Adjustable Height Test Load Tower

This student team worked to design an adjustable height load tower capable of holding 5500kg test loads at up to 5 meters high to be used in the testing/validation of lift trucks. Motivation: During the development of Hyster-Yale Group's lift trucks, there is often the need to exercise a truck on a test course that involves moving a load onto and off of a platform at a specific height. The test height is often based on some percentage of the maximum lift height of the truck or some other height that represents a specific customer use case. Currently Hyster-Yale Group's test load towers are all fixed heights, and because they offer such a large range of lift height options it means there isn't always a perfect height tower for the test they want to run. By moving to an adjustable height tower design, they aim to improve the effectiveness of their testing that requires specific lift heights. Desired outcomes for this project included: -Robust and reliable load tower design that can be used for many years of testing to come -Design optimized for manufacturability and efficient use of materials -Engaging and educational experience for the student team Desired deliverables for this project included: -3D model of design -Scale model / prototype -Full manufacturing drawings and BOM -FEA analysis report verifying strength of structure and adjustment / latch mechanism(s)