Thanks guys. I'm an engineer-in-training so I appreciate the heartfelt comments about engineers. I will try to not be a behind-the-desk type of engineer. I did some research of my own and also found a possible way to calculate it. So, I will look at my options and choose the one I think will...
I want to move 30lbs vertically on a platform. To do this I will have a rotating threaded rod driven by a motor. How much torque, hp, rpm do I need? I'm guessing the pitch of the threads will be important. As far as speed goes, I only want the platform to move about an inch in 1-2 seconds...