Improving Operator Stability in a Highly Adjustable Air Ride Seat

Opportunity:

To meet the visibility needs of their operators, an OEM in the rail transportation industry utilized a seat that had a 180-degree electric rotation function and lifted the operator 12 inches. However, due to the application, as they’re working on a rail tamper machine, the operator is subject to a great deal of vibration and jostling while trying to work, which is made even more prominent if they are using the turn or lift functions. The OEM needed a new version of this seat that would increase operator stability and ultimately support a much smoother experience.

Solution:

There were three primary methods we targeted to give the operator a more stable working environment. First, the seat needed to be sturdier and absorb more of the machine movement and vibration. This seat is positioned on a pedestal that supports its turn and lift functions. In the first iteration, there was a single isolator bracket at the bottom of the suspension to dampen the shock to the operator. However, there was still a lot of rocking whenever the machine moved. In the new seat design, we put an additional 4F isolator bracket across, doubling that stabilization effort.

We also wanted to decrease the rocking and unnecessary motion of the swivel itself. The original design utilized a 2-plate system with rollers that would absorb some of the movement, but they were not very smooth and created a lot of excess noise. Our engineering team upgraded the motors and replaced the roller balls to wear pads, like those used to smooth the movement of a boom, to keep the chair rotation smoother and eliminate the noise. Additionally, we wanted to stabilize the seat’s lift function, which originally only had two guide rails on the inside of the pedestal. We added another two guide rails, keeping everything better aligned and more evenly distributing the load of the lift and lower functions.

Finally, because the seat uses an air ride suspension, it’s impossible to eliminate all movement caused by the machine. Still, we wanted to create the steadiest possible working environment for the operator by improving the stability of the arm pods. Typically, arm pods will be attached to a sandwich bracket that is located between the suspension and the seat. To specifically make the arm pods more stable, we designed and implemented a U-bracket underneath the suspension that would hold the pods. Furthermore, instead of fixing the armrests to the chair, we used brackets that allowed them to be attached to the pods. Now the only thing above the suspension feeling some of that machine movement is the seat itself and the operator can steady himself on the armrests while running the machine.

Result:

• The pedestal on which the seat is positioned is sturdier, with a dual isolation bracket in the pedestal which better dampens the shock to the operator.
• Stability of both the turn and lift functions has been increased, with the turn function utilizing very smooth wear pads and high-quality motors, and the lift function being better guided with additional interior guide rails.
• Operators now have a way to steady themselves while they work, with arm pods being fixed to a bracket below the suspension.

Contact us today to find out how GS Global Resources can help you build a better machine for your operators.