BLDC Traction Controller for Pallet Trucks & Floor Scrubbers

Low-voltage traction controller platform for Class III vehicles

Overview

A low-voltage BLDC/PMSM traction controller designed for battery-powered industrial vehicles such as Class III pallet trucks and commercial floor scrubber/sweeper machines.

It handles traction motor control, electromagnetic brake, main contactor and lift-related I/O in a single unit, with high drive efficiency (>96%) and a protection set suitable for harsh warehouse and industrial environments. The I/O set and ratings are aligned with commonly used 24 V pallet truck traction controllers, including many vehicles currently using Curtis 1226BL controllers, making it suitable as a replacement platform in existing designs with application-level validation.


Key Features

  • Optimised for pallet trucks & scrubbers – traction controller tailored for Class III pallet trucks and floor-care machines, with smooth low-speed control, strong start-up torque and controlled acceleration/braking.
  • 24 V BLDC/PMSM traction up to 1 kW – operates from a 24 V battery system (22–30 V DC operating range) and supports around 1,000 W shaft power with up to 50 Arms phase current for the traction motor.
  • Advanced speed & current management – supports advanced speed regulation with linear current cutback and temporary boost current for heavy transient loads such as ramps, obstacles or short overloads.
  • Complete vehicle I/O set – inputs for key switch, interlock, forward/reverse, lift, mode and emergency reverse, along with charger inhibit and throttle input; outputs for contactor, electromagnetic brake and valve / status indicator.
  • High efficiency & industrial standards – drive efficiency >96%, with design aligned to IEC 61800-3 and IEC 61800-5-2 for adjustable-speed power drive systems, and IP54 environmental rating for industrial use.
  • Safety & protection functions – under-voltage, over-voltage, over-temperature and short-circuit protection, emergency reverse handling, hydraulic lift lockout, motor temperature monitoring and battery protection.
  • Diagnostics & communication – serial port and CAN bus interfaces for configuration, diagnostics and integration with vehicle or fleet management systems.
  • OEM-friendly platform – firmware parameters (speed/torque limits, ramp profiles, current limits, I/O logic) can be tuned for different vehicle models and duty cycles; scalable across power variants on the same platform.

Applications

The controller is suited for low-voltage traction and pump applications that require integrated brake, contactor and safety I/O, including:

  • Class III pallet trucks (walkie pallet trucks, pedestrian stackers)
  • Commercial floor scrubber and sweeper machines
  • Compact utility carts / tuggers and small industrial vehicles using BLDC/PMSM traction motors
  • Other low-voltage traction or pump applications in the 0.25–1.5 kW range where integrated brake, contactor and safety I/O are required

Technical Specifications

Representative values for the current 24 V traction platform.

Controller rated voltage 24 V DC
Controller operating range 22–30 V DC
Motor type 3-phase PMSM / BLDC
Shaft power 1,000 W (typical traction rating)
Phase current 50 Arms
Overload capacity 110%
Position feedback Hall sensor
Drive efficiency >96%
Digital inputs
Hall sensors 3 nos
Key switch 1 no
Interlock switch 1 no
Forward switch 1 no
Reverse switch 1 no
Lift switch 1 no
Mode switch 1 no
Emergency reverse (NO) 1 no
Charger inhibit 1 no
Digital outputs
Valve / status LED driver 1 no
Contactor driver 1 no
EM brake driver 1 no
Analog inputs
Motor temperature (NTC) 1 channel
Throttle pot wiper 1 channel
Analog output Battery discharge indicator
Configurable analog / digital inputs
Digital 1 / Analog 1 1 no
Emergency reverse NC / Digital 2 / Analog 2 1 no
Communication interfaces Serial port, CAN bus
Protection Under-voltage, over-voltage, short circuit, over-temperature
Certification IEC 61800-3 and IEC 61800-5-2
IP rating IP54
Dimensions (L × W × H) 130 × 110 × 55 mm
Humidity Up to 95% RH, non-condensing (max.)
Operating temperature −10 to 50 °C

Enquiry Note

If you are interested, please share a few lines about your product, motor rating and supply voltage. We will review your requirement, map it to the closest Versa motor–drive platform and get back to you with next steps.

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