Everyone who uses a scissor lift aerial work platform (AWP) wants to know they will be safe while up in the air. Harnesses and training are important, but so too is a hydraulic system that provides smooth, easily controlled movement.

Impro Fluidtek’s RC series of hydraulic motors are engineered to do just that, and a huge installed base speaks to their success. Here’s what makes these motors the best choice for an AWP.

Performance Criteria for AWP Owners and Operators

The most important performance measure for motors used in AWPs is torque at minimum stable speed (MSS.) The lower the MSS and the higher the torque, the more precise control the operator has over the platform and so the safer they are.

A second measure, of more interest to AWP owners, is how torque output changes over motor life. This relates directly to total cost of ownership, with longer life reducing costs.

For both these criteria, the RC hydraulic motor outperforms those from competitors.

How Hydraulic Motors Work

An appreciation of how these motors operate will help in understanding the advantages of the RC series.

Impro Fluidtek RC motors use a gerotor design to turn fluid flow and pressure into rotation and torque. Two important things about hydraulic as opposed to electric motors are:

• Generate high torque from a compact form factor
• Deliver very low rpms (potentially eliminating the need for a gearbox or transmission)

Gerotors consist of an inner rotor gear that rolls around the surface of an outer toothed stator. The stator has one more tooth than the rotor, so one rotor tooth is always in contact with one stator tooth. That divides the space not filled by the rotor into two chambers. A rotary manifold and valve assembly delivers fluid under pressure to one side, making the rotor orbit around inside the stator.

The difference in number of teeth provides the speed reduction and torque multiplication that makes hydraulic motors the first choice in many conveying, vehicular and machinery applications.

Key Features of RC Series Motors

RC motors use a patented manifold, a specially designed valve-in-rotor, and a proprietary pressure-compensated balance plate. The manifold and valve-in-rotor work together to reduce pressure pulsation and improve efficiency.

The pressure-compensated balance plate is engineered to improve efficiency through all phases of operation. At startup fluid pressure pushes the balance plate towards the rotor, which improves volumetric efficiency. Then, as the motor reaches operating pressure, the balance plate relaxes and lets the rotor turn freely. This translates to higher mechanical efficiency.

RC motors also use a heavy-duty drive link with full flow lubrication. This makes them exceptionally reliable, with testing showing output torque increasing with running hours.

Benefits in Scissor Lift AWP Applications

Using the Impro Fluidtek pressure-compensated balance plate, MSS is lower than competitors can achieve, while torque is higher. This leads to more stable operation, more precise control, and hence, safer operation.

In terms of total cost of ownership, the motor is more efficient than competitor products, thanks to the Impro Fluidtek manifold and valve-in-rotor design doing a better job of distributing hydraulic fluid around the gerotor. This results in superior ramp climbing capability and longer working hours (in drive mode) than leading competitors under the same conditions. Plus, full flow lubrication to the drive link ensures high reliability and long life.

A Long Pedigree

Used by global OEMs, the RC motor is backed by 24 patents and more than 15 years of orbital motor R&D. Key production processes are vertically integrated with core component manufacturing, ensuring quality and consistency.

Popular in the AWP market for 25 years, some 600,000 RC motors have gone into hydraulic-drive scissor lift AWPs in China since 2019. If you’d like to know more about using these motors in AWPs, contact us for more information.