They came for Spinfinity and our new central braking system, but stayed for the 3D-printed and wooden attractions.
For the first time, Hamilton’s booth featured a trailability demo, which allowed ProMat visitors to take trailers for a “test drive.” Using a 3D printer, our carts and trailers team created a remote-controlled, scaled down demo of an AGV with a Hamilton train.
“It’s one thing to explain how our carts trail better,” said John Yater, the Hamilton engineer who designed the track. “It’s another to show it, and put our customers in control on a crowded trade show floor.”
While the plastic models might look like toys, they’re near perfect replicas of their bigger, much heavier brothers.
“Engineering wise, the running gear is made from metal just like our real trailers,” said Yater. “And the wheels are plucked from airplane models.”
Spin the Wooden Caster Wheel. Win a Prize.
Booth-goers also played spin the wheel for a chance to a win a 60-inch Samsung HDTV, Bose Bluetooth speaker, FitBit, or $100 REI gift card.
But in typical Hamilton fashion, the wheel was anchored by a two-foot tall, wooden Spinfinity caster rig. Lester Jones, Hamilton’s plant manager, crafted the entire thing – from the caster legs to the swivel section and mounting plate – in his home woodworking shop.
“I really enjoy woodworking. It’s what got me into manufacturing,” said Jones. “I made my first table in junior high school. Since then I’ve made countless types of furniture, but never a child-sized caster out of wood.”
Before debuting his wooden masterpiece at ProMat, Jones had to overcome a series of engineering challenges.
“The challenge was making it light enough so it wouldn’t crush the display, but strong enough so it wouldn’t break when spun,” he said. “It’s actually completely hollow, which made construction more complex, but even more rewarding in the end.”
Special thanks to everyone who visited us at ProMat, and to all of the Hamilton crew who helped after hours to build our largest, and most interactive booth yet. And, congratulations to Adrian Orme on winning the grand prize TV! When can we stop by and watch the latest episode of The World’s Toughest Fixes?