1) Monorail Manufacturers Association, Inc. (MMA) Industry Group
Founded in 1933, The Monorail Manufacturers Association, Inc. (MMA) is an independent incorporated trade association affiliated with the Material Handling Industry. MMA Members produce the preponderance of patented and enclosed track underhung cranes and monorail systems.
2) Monorail Manufacturers Association
An independent incorporated trade association affiliated with the Material Handling Industry. The membership of MMA is made up of companies which produce the preponderance of patented and enclosed track underhung cranes and monorail systems.
Monorail Manufacturers Association, Inc.
8720 Red Oak Blvd., Suite 201
Charlotte, NC 28217
Phone: (704) 676-1190 Fax: (704) 676-1199
Hal Vandiver, Managing Director
hvandiver @mhia.org
3) Track switch
A device with a moving section of monorail or patented track that can be moved to permit the passage of a carrier or trolley from one fixed track to another.
4) Track section
A piece or section of a monorail or patented track system.
5) Tractor drive
An electrically or pneumatically powered drive mechanism that attaches to a trolley or carrier, via a tow bar, and allows the trolley/carrier to move on a monorail or negotiate switches, curves and drop sections. Manually powered trolleys or carriers can be retrofitted with tractor drives, in some cases.
6) AEM
A conveying system which consists of monorail track, track mounted electrification, individually powered vehicles, a supporting structure, a control system, lifts, switches and turntables.
7) Carrier
Also known as a trolley. A unit that travels on the bottom flange of a monorail or patented track beam, jib crane or bridge girder to transport a load.
Also refers to a trucking line used to transport materials to and from a distribution center.
8) Wire rope hoist
A hoist that utilizes wire rope as the lifting medium. Often powered electrically or pneumatically. This lifting device is made up of a rope storage drum, motor(s), gear box and braking system and is suspended from a monorail or bridge beam(s) by means of a trolley. May also be mounted in a staionary manner.
Manual wire rope hoist are generally referred to as "pullers" and operate utilizing a ratchet and pawl tensioning technology.
9) Hand trolley
A trolley or carrier, generally suspended from a monorail or crane bridge, that is capable or designed to be propelled manually. A push-pull trolley.
10) Patented track
A generic term referring to crane and monorail equipment built in accordance with the MMA specification utilizing a composite track section incorporating a proprietary bottom flange shape.
A monorail track beam fabricated from a "T" section and a running flange. Patented track is characterized by the "hardness" of its load bearing surface and the ability to be bent into curves without deformation of the beam's load bearing surface. The name "patented track" derived from the original patent received by the inventor for the fabrication and production process of the beam(s).
11) Automated Electrified Monorail
Automated Electrified Monorail describes a conveying system which consists of monorail track, track mounted electrification, individually powered vehicles, a supporting structure, a control system, lifts, switches and turntables as are necessary.
12) Enclosed track monorail
A track section, usually in a rectangular tube shape, that possesses a continuous slot running lengthwise along the underside of the section. This slot permits carriers and end trucks to travel on the interior bottom flange of the track section.
13) Monorails
A single run of overhead track on which carriers (trolleys) travel.