MANUFACTURING TURNTABLE
Case Study | Columbus, OH
How a Custom 24SRI Manufacturing Turntable Brought Lash-Free 180° Positioning to a Live Transfer-Cart Line
Product Installed: Carousel-USA 24SRI Precision Manufacturing Turntable
OVERVIEW:
Cummins Inc., a global leader in power solutions, needed a turntable that would integrate directly into an existing manufacturing line at its Columbus, Ohio facility. An existing railed transfer cart had to roll onto the turntable, rotate 180° in either direction, and return to a fixed position with automated, repeatable precision — cycle after cycle, as part of the normal production flow.
Carousel-USA engineered and delivered a fully customized 24SRI manufacturing turntable. It dropped into the live line and met its structural, alignment, and operator-safety demands — without reworking the existing cart or floor rails.
THE CHALLENGE:
The turntable had to satisfy several demands common to live production lines:
Top-mounted tracks aligned exactly with the fixed floor tracks, in both directions of travel
Lock and hold at position with no rotational lash once rotation stops
Controls that prevent unintended operation
Active detection of human presence in the surrounding work zone
They needed a solution that was precise, repeatable, and safe to run alongside personnel — without disrupting the broader line.
THE SOLUTION: 24SRI PRECISION MANUFACTURING TURNTABLE
Carousel-USA engineers designed a Model 24SRI turntable built around a precision center bearing that retains its center axis through millions of cycles, with flush-mounted 1045 steel tracks carried on smooth steel top panels so the existing transfer cart rolls across the transition without interruption.
To eliminate rotational lash, a pneumatic shot pin engages at the 180° position and firmly latches the turntable in place once it stops, while a passive mechanical cart latch secures the cart itself while it is aboard.
KEY FEATURES
NORD 1.5 HP gearmotor — 2–5 RPM rotation, clockwise or counter-clockwise
8,000 lb load capacity — six 2,500 lb wheel assemblies plus a 4,000 lb center bearing
±0.09′′ track alignment — flush 1045 steel tracks laser-set to the existing floor rails
Pneumatic shot-pin locking — 24 VDC position confirmation, 60–70 PSI actuation, zero lash
Integrated operator safety — area scanners slow and stop the table when personnel enter the zone
Made in the USA — designed, engineered, and fabricated in Fontana, CA
The completed 24SRI manufacturing turntable — smooth steel top with flush-mounted tracks (left), and the tubular steel structure set into the pit alongside the Carousel-USA control panel (right).
DESIGN PROCESS:
Beyond the drivetrain and locking hardware, the Carousel-USA controller manages the full set of input and output signals. It choreographs the motion sequence — rotation, position confirmation, pin engagement, and release. For operator safety, Carousel-USA controls engineers integrated area scanners that monitor the surrounding zone. If a person enters the designated area, the system immediately slows and shuts down. It protects personnel without disrupting the broader line.
IMPLEMENTATION:
On site, the manufacturing turntable was set into a 13′′-deep concrete pit, with the wheel assemblies, center bearing, drive motor, shot pin, and limit switch anchored to the pit floor. The flush-mounted tracks were then aligned to the existing floor rails — laser-checked and adjusted to within ±0.09′′ — so the existing transfer cart crosses the transition in either direction without interruption, and the smooth steel top panels finish flush with the surrounding floor for a clean transfer.
Laser alignment of the concrete pit against the existing floor tracks at the Cummins facility.
RESULTS:
The 24SRI manufacturing turntable integrated cleanly into Cummins’ existing production line, delivering controlled 180° rotation with repeatable, lash-free positioning and flush tracks matched to the cart already in service.
Repeatable, lash-free 180° positioning locked by the pneumatic shot pin
Flush track alignment to within ±0.09′′ for uninterrupted cart transfer
Existing transfer cart and floor rails reused — minimal line disruption
Integrated area-scanner safety for operation alongside personnel
By reusing the existing transfer cart and aligning to the established floor rails, Carousel-USA delivered a solution that dropped into the line with minimal disruption — engineered, fabricated, and built in Fontana, CA.
