Save Time and Manpower!
Raise, Lower or Rotate a Mold to any Position…
Single-Handedly!
The Hudson Eagle is an integrated air-over-hydraulic system that provides a safe, fast, and efficient method of precise mold positioning. Strength and simplicity were paramount in the design process. Heavy duty casters mounted onto the rigid frame provide mobility. Single operator controlled and designed to position virtually any type of mold seen in the composites industry. This system enables its operator to Raise, Lower, and/or Rotate a mold to any desired height or position through 360 degrees. The system also incorporates an automatic safety stop feature that prevents the mold from being lowered or dropping without first being manually released by the operator. Separate controls at one location provide safe operation of the elevation and rotation functions. The system is self contained, other than the requirement of only a single air line for power.
The elevation control system utilizes an air-over-hydraulic pump coupled to a single hydraulic cylinder that raises a carrier assembly at each end of the mold simultaneously via four sheaves and three polyester straps.
The rotation system also utilizes an air over hydraulic pump coupled to a hydraulic motor, and then connected to the mold turning pin via a chain reduction drive.
The automatic safety stop system utilizes spring loaded catches and latches that must first be manually released in order to lower the mold. These catches are designed to prevent and safely withstand a maximum “drop load” based on the calculated mold and part weight.
The system is designed to accommodate a wide variety of mold sizes, types and is available in four basic stock weight configurations. In addition to the standard sizes, custom and larger configurations are also available utilizing the same design parameters.
Other devices have been used in the past for the positioning of molds. These earlier devices required manual rotation, and of the few that did have any elevation adjustment, this was usually done manually as well. The operation of these devices necessitated using either manpower or an external lifting apparatus such as an overhead crane or fork lift truck. These methods are both time and labor intensive. More important, they expose your workers to potential injury through the manual handling of heavy equipment. They offer very few positioning choices, and inverted storage is usually not feasible.
The Hudson Eagle hydraulic mold positioning system provides a great many benefits: A lone operator can orient the mold to any position or height and this can be done at any location that your compressed air lines will reach to. Worker injury risk is reduced dramatically along with the manpower required. Productivity is increased by being able to position the mold to best suit the work at hand. In the full down, upright stringer position, access to the work becomes far safer and more productive by being so much closer to the ground. Supervision has quicker access as well. Tooling, maintenance and even gel-coating can be facilitated in the inverted position for better access and cleanliness. Storage in the inverted - full down position assures mold protection from the elements. Decks and even small parts can be finished in the mold, upside down. Then the mold is rotated 180 degrees and the part released onto an awaiting dolly. The mold is then raised and the finished part rolled away. This method saves time, manpower, and is far safer for both the worker and the finished parts.
This new system offers new levels of worker safety, increased productivity, and a significant reduction in labor. Read and familiarize yourself with contents of the manual and begin to reap the benefits of your new system now.