The Client
Our client, Stannah, is a diverse British family run business supplying both commercial and domestic lifting products. The firm, which is currently led by the fifth generation of the family, celebrates its 150th anniversary this year (2017).
For the last 40 years, the stairlifts division has been focusing on designing and manufacturing stairlifts for straight and curved staircases, helping their customers to make the most of their day. Since then, they helped over 600,000 people rediscover their independence at home, saving energy for more enjoyable things, like socialising with their children and grandchildren.
Understanding the importance of staying mobile, Stannah spends a good deal of their time on fostering innovation and continuous improvement to deliver the best quality products, flexible solutions and superior service.
The Challenge
To achieve the best possible product quality, the company is committed to performing rigorous testing to meet the most stringent requirements in the industry and exceed them. Currently, Stannah is testing third-party motor/gearbox units to be able to understand their performance, like torque, speed, thermal characteristics, current and voltage, etc.
Previously, they were using a torque arm, suspending various weights to apply the required torque to the motor being tested. However, this method proved to be imprecise and they needed a more accurate solution. Better accuracy would not only provide them with a big advantage when discussing test results with third parties but significant improvement of the stairlift efficiency.
“The M425 Torque Transducer has lived up to our expectations, being a high quality, robust and reliable bit of equipment, that provides the accuracy we so desperately needed”.
Solution
As an alternative, the team decided to build a dynamometer, to enable testing of every parameter of motor performance. One of the team members suggested using a digital torque sensor, to give the critical accuracy they needed, and suggested using a Datum Electronics product due to favourable previous experiences.
After researching various purchasing routes, Stannah’s team felt that personal recommendation was the most compelling reason to buy one of our units. They also wanted to have support from a local company, in the event they required assistance in setting up and using the digital torque sensor. Therefore, they made a final choice in favour of our Datum M425 rotary torque sensor and began much-anticipated testing.
Impact
To help elderly people stay physically active and make the most of their everyday life, Stannah is continuously applying expertise to producing stairlifts that combine strict principles of design with the exact manufacturer. Using the right motor/ gearbox for the stairlifts is crucially important to improve their efficiency, enhance their performance and make them the best value for money. The motor testing has lead to increased productivity, which has a positive impact on employees, customers, suppliers, the environment and the local communities in which the business lives. It’s truly difficult to put a price on it.
