Industrial Automation Magazine India

The HaloDrive Omnidirectional Drive System provides a complete solution for complex component handling applications.

Albion, Mich., January 2024 – Conceptual Innovations, a leader in the world of industrial material handling solutions, has received patent approval for the company's innovative HaloDrive Omnidirectional Drive Systems. This new technology provides a complete solution for precise yet unrestricted movement in the largest, heaviest, and most complex component handling applications.

The foundation of HaloDrive Systems™ are modular omnidirectional "Pods" which are not restricted by the traditional axle and four corner positioning common in most drive systems. The HaloDrive Pods™ operate independently, this freedom enables:

·Development of a custom transporter engineered specifically for the load and its functional requirements

·Modular design enables unlimited weight and load size capacity.

·Integration into existing equipment (retrofit) to add powered mobility with extreme precision, helping to reduce capital equipment expenditures and improve productivity.

Multiple Pods can be integrated to ensure safe transport of unique loads with typical applications running from 5,000lbs to 50,000lbs. For larger loads, transporters can be operated in tandem to distribute the load.

"We see tremendous potential for this new technology in industries where large, often sensitive, parts are being transported in an assembly operation or final assembly– such as in aerospace and defense," Doug Backinger, Vice President of Sales at Conceptual Innovations, explained.

"Customers in these industries have reported significant improvements to productivity, labor cost reduction and improved safety. In one instance, a customer was able to eliminate the need for an overhead crane, showcasing the HaloDrive's ability to move a colossal 40,000lb load with unprecedented precision."

Key benefits of the patented HaloDrive design include:

Unlimited Maneuverability: Independent HaloDrive pods can begin movement in any direction, with any orientation to transport the largest loads through the tightest paths enabling optimal use of space in any facility.

Unparalleled Power Management: Patented technology enables the dual motors on HaloDrive Pods to efficiently allocate power from each motor as needed, rather than having each motor dedicated to a specific function. This provides a significant increase in torque and power from a compact battery package.

Extreme Accuracy: The pods easily and accurately positions large loads with extreme precision (+/- 5mm), accelerating assembly processes, increasing quality, improving safety and reducing risk of damage to the load and facilities.

Improve Productivity: A single operator can precisely move a load weighing up to 100 tons using wired or wireless controls, enabling increased capacity per load while reducing the number of laborers needed to transport.