Tank Shuttle (50kg)
- Max travel speed 4 m/s, max acceleration 2 m/s²
- Travel positioning ±2mm, fork extension ±1mm
- 5-axis integrated servo configuration
Application solution · LOGISTICS
Logistics Industry — Shuttle & Conveyor
Quick answer
What motion-control stack does a warehouse shuttle need?
A warehouse shuttle needs travel and lift servos, position feedback, motion control, communications and a defined vehicle-safety boundary. The review matches Kinco iSMD or SMC motion hardware and AK840 control to payload, speed, acceleration, gearbox, positioning and WMS-interface needs.
Warehouse automation system integrators and 3PL operators deploying 4-way pallet shuttles, tank shuttles, air shuttles, spider vehicles, climbing robots, and servo conveyor lines.
Reference architecture · Model-specific review
Control problem
What must this application control?
4-Way Pallet Shuttle (1.5T)
- Speed 2 m/s, acceleration 0.5 m/s²
- 80-flange 1.5kW high-power motor reduces chassis height to standard pallet
- Specialized positioning algorithm for smoother operation
Conveyor & Fork Servos
- Pallet conveying: 70mm diameter, 600rpm (14 m/min), 60Nm torque, 1T payload
- Tank fork toggle servo: 24V Modbus, 60rpm no-load, 0.16Nm rated
- Servo + non-powered roller solution for sortation
How the control stack fits together
Four scoping blocks show the review path; they are not a wiring diagram.
- Step 1
Load & vehicle class
Select the candidate travel and lifting families from the tank-shuttle, pallet-shuttle, air-shuttle, spider-vehicle or conveyor duty.
- Step 2
Travel & handling axes
Review travel, jacking, fork-extension, direction-change and conveyor axes against the required payload and motion duty.
- Step 3
Control & sensor layer
Confirm EtherCAT where multi-axis synchronization is required and review sortation-sensor connections to the available drive I/O.
- Step 4
Cabling & grounding
Review integrated-servo cabling, shielding and grounding for the expected high-frequency start-stop duty.
Bill of materials
Use this table to compare component roles, exact model names and key specifications before application review.
| Role | Component | Key spec |
|---|---|---|
| TANK-SHUTTLE | iSMD80-100-DQAK-AAK-000 | 50kg shuttle travel · 750W |
| TANK-SHUTTLE | iSMD80-040-DQAK-AAK-000 | 50kg shuttle traverse / widening · 400W |
| TANK-SHUTTLE | iSMD60-040-DQAK-AAK-000 | 50kg shuttle fork extension · 400W |
| TANK-SHUTTLE | iSMD80-075-DQAK-AAK-000 | 50kg shuttle direction change · 750W |
| 4-WAY-1.5T | SMC80S-0150-30AAK-5DSUFD145-AB-000 | 1.5T travel · 80-flange 1.5kW |
| 4-WAY-1.5T | SMC80S-0120-30SBK-5DSUFD145-AB-000 | 1.5T jacking · with brake |
| AIR-SHUTTLE | iSMD80-075-DQBK-CAK-000 × 4 | Air shuttle 30kg travel · 750W with brake |
| AIR-SHUTTLE | iSMD80-100-DQBK-CAK-000 × 2 | Air shuttle lifting · 1KW with brake |
| SPIDER | iSMD60-040-DQBK-EAK-000 × 4 | Spider vehicle travel · 400W |
| SPIDER | iSMD80-075-DQBK-EAK-000 × 4 | Spider vehicle winches · 750W |
| CONVEYOR | iSMK60-021-DMAK-AA-000-BSC × 2 | Conveying + jacking · 50kg pallet · available on request |
| FORK-SERVO | Tank Fork Toggle Servo | 24V · Modbus · 0.16/0.48Nm · 52×28×66mm |
| CTRL | Kinco AK840 | EtherCAT master · anti-shaking algorithm |
Configuration summary. The cited warehouse-shuttle configurations state ±2mm travel accuracy at 4 m/s, ±1mm fork-extension precision and up to 51% power savings versus an AC asynchronous-motor baseline.
This is a candidate architecture, not a quotation. an engineering BOM review checks each line against your machine, and PLC and HMI programming scopes the control work once the hardware is agreed.
What changes the component choice?
What we check
- Selection: Published references pair iSMD80 with a 50 kg configuration and SMC80S with a 1.5 t configuration; final frame, gearbox and motor selection depends on the reviewed vehicle duty.
- Selection: Review whether anti-shaking control is required for a spider vehicle from its load-table dynamics and handling profile.
- Selection: iSMD multi-turn absolute encoders eliminate homing-on-startup delay, critical for high-throughput sites.
- Selection: Fork toggle servo selection: 24V Modbus version for cost-sensitive sites, integrated CAN version for high-speed sortation.
- Wiring / protocol: Integrated servos may reduce separate motor, encoder and drive cabling compared with a reviewed split design; actual wiring count depends on the architecture
- Wiring / protocol: Optical/electrical signals from sortation sensors connect to drive IO ports — minimizing field wiring
- Wiring / protocol: EtherCAT topology required when multiple shuttle axes need ms-level sync
- Wiring / protocol: Shielded cabling with proper grounding under high-frequency start-stop duty cycles
- Migration: AC asynchronous + VFD shuttle replacement: motor frame and gearbox typically differ — mechanical re-validation required.
- Migration: Existing SCADA tag mapping needs review — Kinco standardized object dictionary may differ from legacy.
- Migration: Power saving claims (up to 51%) are measured vs AC asynchronous baseline; sites already running PMSM see smaller delta.
Where it may not fit
- Ultra-heavy shuttle applications above 2T per vehicle (consult engineering)
- Cryogenic or high-temperature warehouse environments outside motor rating
- Sites requiring specific WMS vendor-certified motion stacks (Dematic, Vanderlande)
- Component certificates do not certify the finished machine; the responsible builder or integrator retains system-level validation.
Frequently asked
What energy savings can the MTPA control strategy actually deliver?
The cited configuration states up to 51% power savings versus an AC asynchronous-motor baseline. Actual savings depend on duty cycle, payload and the motor scheme being replaced.
Can your shuttle BOMs adapt to non-standard pallet sizes?
The published BOM is sized for standard EU/JP pallet platforms. Non-standard pallet sizes (1.2×1.2m, 1.5×1.5m heavy) require engineering review of motor torque, gearbox ratio, and chassis stress.
Do these solutions support being controlled by a 3rd-party WMS?
A third-party WMS can be evaluated through the vehicle controller, gateway and the WMS vendor's documented API. EtherCAT and CANopen may serve the motion layer, but they do not by themselves provide WMS integration. Recipe exchange, status mapping and exception handling remain subject to engineering review.
Application review
Check this architecture against your machine
Send the payload, duty, voltage, protocol, safety scope and any existing part numbers you already know.
Limits. These figures describe the stated configuration, not Automation Liberty customer results. This is a candidate architecture; exact model, compatibility, certification, availability and commercial scope are subject to engineering review and confirmed at RFQ.
Independent engineering and sourcing partner. Product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification only.
Why no list price? Every quote follows an engineering review of your application — you get a validated price, not a catalog number.