Controling a lineal actuator to keep a hinged carriage floor level as the track it is running on changes angle

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Hi, my company builds and services Inclined platform lifts. These are platform lifts that run up and down hillsides. We are looking to repair a unit whose manufacturer is no longer in business. This unit’s control system connects to the carriage via cables located within the core of the lifting cable. These cables are broken and have shorted out the electronics within the carriage. The carriage has a self leveling floor which is hinged and lifted/lowered using a lineal actuator which was controlled by the PLC using an encoder to know the carriage location and in turn when to raise or lower the platform.

We will be fitting our Control system to this unit which communicates with the carriage via a radio signal.
We are looking to control the Lineal actuator independently of the operating system using a gyroscopic switch an Adruino as well as a motor controller. The lineal actuator is 24V with a 10A current draw at full load.

I am looking for a recommendation of what to use as well as I imagine someone to program.

Thanks

Andrew

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Hey there, @Andrew205640, and welcome to the forum. Glad to have you here.

I would strongly advise against using an Arduino as the primary levelling or safety-control system for a lift, at least not without a formal risk assessment and review by qualified safety or control-system professionals.

This forum is mainly geared toward hobby and maker-level prototyping. While an Arduino may be useful for experimenting with a bench-top concept or demonstration model, anything installed on actual lifting equipment is a controls-engineering and safety-critical application. It should be designed and tested by someone qualified to do so.

Otherwise, you would be in for a world of liability.

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Hi Jane
Well put and I think sound advice. I think you could include RPi in the description of hobby and maker devices.

It is unfortunate that apparently this particular kit is no longer supported but you would be lucky to find ANYTHING that is backed up forever.

I would think maybe Andrews company IS the professionals. I think they should know more about this than anyone on the Forum, although you might get lucky.

I agree that you should not be making major modifications to such machinery as this with or without hobby rated bits. Fraught with danger especially with legal ramifications as you suggest.
Cheers Bob