WIKA Mobile Control Supplies Load Pins for Aircraft Manufacturer’s Custom-Built Hoists
Manufacturers of lifting machinery value suppliers that offer excellent customer service, high capacity, short lead times, and quality products at a competitive price. And with increasing automation and interconnected functions, manufacturers also prioritize sensors that will interface seamlessly with their control modules and those of their end users.
When WEMCO (Washington Equipment Manufacturing Company) received a large expedited order for custom-made hoists, their engineers reached out to WIKA Mobile Control (WMC) for custom load pins. The company was familiar with WMC’s other force solutions and our history of working closely with customers to come up with the just-right solutions.
The Project: Load pins for custom-built Hoists
This WEMCO project consisted of several hoists in varying lifting capacities, from 1 ton to 11.5 tons. One of the components that WEMCO needed was load pins for the measurement of static and dynamic forces. When looking for a supplier, they had two main criteria:
- Load pins that can measure force directly, without requiring any additional software or modules
- A supplier that can manufacture and deliver custom load pins in a timely manner
TJ Shields, a WEMCO project manager, reached out to Eric Mowen, the aftermarket/OEM key account manager at WIKA Mobile Control. “They were quick with approval drawings, communicated any potential issues or questions in a timely manner,” TJ said. “WIKA has been a great company to work with.”
The Solution: fSENS F53x8 load pins for force sensing
To supply WEMCO with the specific load pins they needed, it was decided that the ideal force solution would be the highly adaptable and configurable fSENS F53x8 load pins. These compact sensors with a robust design have integrated safety features and are produced with the precise geometries that each customer specifies.
What especially sold WEMCO on the fSENS F53x8 is that these load pins are able to interface directly with their controls system. In addition, this project had a short turnaround time, and WMC was able to meet their delivery expectations.
WEMCO also needed to integrate anti-two blocking (A2B) technology, so they added WMC’s iSENS HES limit switch to the application.
The Outcome: Customer satisfaction, load accuracy, and safer lifting
The customer was pleased with the end result. The fSENS F53x8 had everything they were looking for in a load pin:
- Pre-calibrated at the factory, with no recalibration required
- Excellent long-term stability and consistently high accuracy
- Seamless interfacing with their programmable logic controllers (PLCs)
- No need for additional software or modules
“We needed 20 load pins in a short timeframe, and WIKA delivered on time and under budget. You can’t ask for much more than that in this current market,” TJ said.
Eric was also pleased with the way this project turned out. “This was definitely a team effort, a collaboration between the teams at WEMCO and WIKA Mobile Control,” he said. “We look forward to furthering our partnership with this leading equipment manufacturing company.”
Sensing Solutions Start with WIKA Mobile Control
Based in Chambersburg, PA., WIKA Mobile Control has more than four decades of experience in designing innovative control solutions for telescopic cranes, overhead traveling cranes, gantry cranes, and other load-bearing mobile machinery. Contact us for more information about custom force sensors for your lifting equipment.
