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Product category: Ballscrews, Linear Guides, Jacks, Dampers
News Release from: Unimatic Engineers | Subject: SBC linear guides
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 18 May 2000

Linear guides get bus wheelchair ramp
application

Unimatic Linear's newly launched SBC linear guides have already been designed into Passenger Lift Services' powered wheel chair ramps for urban public transport buses

Unimatic Linear's newly launched SBC linear guides have already been designed into Passenger Lift Services' powered wheel chair ramps for urban public transport buses After exhaustive tests, the previously designed-in linear guide was discarded and replaced by Unimatic's guide

PLS offer a quality product, and demand reliable quality components.

"Not only did it work better and was more reliable, it also cost us a lot less," commented PLS's development engineer Adam Beck.

Late in 1999, Unimatic Linear introduced a new range of linear guides, with a promise to shake up the market for linear bearings.

Although the products were similar to others already available, the market offering was truly innovative.

* Quality components offering interchangeability with existing products.

* Low pricing undercutting the competition, providing a real cost-effective solution.

* No risk trial - if the customer doesn't like it for any reason, Unimatic Linear offers a no quibble 100% refund.

Within a few months, interest in Unimatic Linear's SBC range has proven to be very high, with the number of enquiries and orders rising every day.

An early customer to apply this product is Passenger Lift Services, a West Midland company breaking into the growth market for motorised ramps for buses, ramps which enable wheelchair users (and others with disabilities) to use buses.

Although some buses already have wheelchair ramps fitted, the majority of these are for manual operation and require the driver to leave his seat to lower them.

As of 1st January 2001, all new public transport buses in the UK will be legally obliged to fit manual or powered ramps.

Dave Philips, one of the directors of PLS, comments: "we expect that rural buses will often be fitted with manual systems, but urban buses will invariably require powered ramps operated remotely by the driver from his seat.

London Transport has specified the use of powered ramps for their buses." Not only will all new buses need ramps from next year, by the year 2015, the existing base of 33,000 urban buses will be required to be retrofitted with wheelchair ramps.

PLS's competition for this rapidly growing market comes from companies which have traditionally supplied the bus market with other systems.

PLS themselves come from the disabled market field where they are the UK market leader in welfare lifts - bespoke items fitted to items from a Transit up to a large coach - typically supplied to local authorities for community transport and "dial-a-ride" type services.

Unlike the majority of their competitors, PLS use an electric pump and hydraulics to power their ramps, which they find to be inherently more reliable than electric motors and pneumatic solutions.

By combining two small cylinders (which move the ramp from its storage position) and a hydraulic cylinder pushing the ramp forward along Unimatic's linear guide, the wheelchair ramp allows a 7ø slope from the 250mm high bus floor down to the road, or a 4.5ø slope down to a 100mm high curb.

The innovative use of Unimatic's linear guide is the subject of a patent application.

The ramp is supported by the linear guide on one side and by roller followers on the other.

Because of the corrosive effect of dirt, mud, water and salt thrown up from the road, PLS specified that the 640mm long guide and its two carriages be armoloy coated.

A special chamfer is required to enable easy mounting of the carriages, along with stainless steel balls, seals and scrappers.

Although most of these features are non standard, it was no problem for Unimatic to adapt the standard product to meet PLS's specific needs.

Because the mounting hole configuration for Unimatic's product was the same as the competitors, PLS had no trouble retrofitting Unimatic's guides.

Although they are new to the commercial bus market, PLS are confident that their ramp will win a significant market share.

They offer the quality, reliability and robustness demanded by this application.

They also offer safety features to ensure that no harm will come to either a passenger on the bus or to one waiting by the curb.

Unimatic also are confident that their linear guide will win significant market share.

It is a quality product, offered from stock with a zero risk trial offer, and is cheaper than the competition. Request a free brochure from Unimatic Engineers ...

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