CANopen lift in the simulator for the Airbus A380

The CANopen in-aircraft lift in the simulator for the Airbus A380 is not only connecting the three floors inside the aircraft, but also the descend to the runway. On the one hand this facilitates the catering and on the other hand helps the boarding of passengers in wheelchairs.
In mechanical terms the lift design was a challenge. A special construction was necessary. The drive of the main and add-on mast is performed by means of four synchronous motors. Since the drive is slip-free due to the used synchronous belts, absolute encoders measure the position. The position is captured redundantly by all four drives and transmitted via the CANopen network to the control unit. “The synchronization of four drives was another challenge,” said Jörg Hellmich from Böhnke + Partner. A fixed shaft connects the two motors of the main mast. The two motors of the add-on mast are not mechanically linkable; the synchronization is realized electronically.