Electric-Based Material Handling Cart

The rapid growth of small and medium-scale industries has increased the demand for compact, efficient, and cost-effective internal material-handling solutions. Traditional manually operated trolleys cause significant operator fatigue, reduced productivity, and safety risks when transporting loads above 200–250 kg. This paper presents the design, development, and experimental validation of an electric material handling cart powered by a 500 W BLDC motor, a dual-mode BLDC controller, and a 48 V, 10 Ah Genesys battery system. The cart is constructed on a robust stainless-steel chassis with optimized dimensions of 1200 mm × 1000 mm × 500 mm, supported by a CNC-machined drive axle, differential mechanism, and 17-inch pneumatic wheels. A chain–sprocket reduction drive provides high starting torque for industrial loads between 200–250 kg and ramp climbing up to 5%. Extensive field testing—including load trials, gradient climbing, structural assessment, runtime evaluation, braking tests, and narrow-corridor maneuverability checks validated the system's performance. The cart demonstrated a mixed- duty runtime of approximately 50 minutes and a controlled braking distance of 0.35 m, confirming theoretical predictions. Results confirm that the developed electric cart offers a reliable, zero-emission, and ergonomically superior alternative to manual material handling, making it highly suitable for warehouses, workshops, and confined industrial environments.