Following successful trials, Scania (Great Britain) Limited has purchased 18 wireless mobile column lifts from Stertil Koni to support its vehicle maintenance and servicing operations at three separate depots.
Scania (Great Britain) Limited is a major supplier to British industry of trucks, buses, coaches and engines for industrial and marine applications. Additionally, the company provides a wide range of complementary and ancillary services in support of its products and customers through its network of more than 90 nationwide service centres.
At Scania (Great Britain) Limited's Lingfield depot, the existing vehicle lifts were approaching the end of their effective working lives and the company's management team decided to review options for replacement lifts. In-house trials of equipment from three leading suppliers were organised and the 7.5 tonnes capacity Stertil Koni lifts, type ST1075FWF, were the last to be trialled. Commenting on the trial, Mark Crawford, General Manager at the Lingfield depot, said, "Although booked for an extended trial period, it was obvious from day one that the Stertil Koni lifts were the closest match to requirements and were chosen unanimously by the depot's team of nine service technicians."
The ST1075FWF uniquely incorporates a wireless control system that provides maximum access to the underside of a raised vehicle. Each of the mobile columns is equipped with two long-life deep cycle batteries which, when fully charged, will power the lifts for at least a week, on average, before re-charging is necessary. The batteries can then be charged overnight via a 230v single phase supply. With no cables on the workshop floor, the risk of tripping is removed, providing valuable health and safety benefits and, with no power supply necessary, the system can be used inside or outdoors.
Positioning of the wireless columns is flexible: they can be used in any configuration around a vehicle. Also, with no power or communication cables to connect, set-up time is drastically reduced thereby making the system fully operational much more quickly. The lift's unique synchronisation system ensures a smooth lifting and lowering cycle, even in the event of extremely uneven load distribution of vehicles to be lifted.
Each column has its own control box and provides a lifting capacity of 7.5 tonnes. This means that the system's total lifting capacity may be increased simply by adding more columns. The ST1075FWF ensures safe lifting up to a height of 1.85 metres which can be reached in just 89 seconds. Each column also incorporates an independent mechanical locking system that allows a technician to securely lock the lift to prevent a vehicle from being inadvertently lowered. This advanced safety feature eliminates the need for axle stands - if permissible under local Health and Safety regulations - thereby ensuring unrestricted access and movement beneath a raised vehicle.
Incorporating Stertil's maintenance-free, self-lubricating, synthetic runner wheel system, the lifts are covered by a lifetime guarantee. The lowering speed is pre-selectable and each column can be lowered manually in the unlikely event of a battery failure.
At the culmination of the in-house trials, Scania (Great Britain) Limited purchased eight ST1075FWF lifts (two sets of four) for Lingfield which were quickly followed by the purchase of another set of six for the company's depot at Stansted plus a set of four lifts for its South Mimms depot.
"There was very little difference in the price of the three lifts we reviewed," said Mark, "So we were able to focus on which equipment offered the best value for money. The lifts were delivered on time as promised with no hiccups or teething problems. Now that the lifts are in use, we can fully appreciate their contribution to the smooth operation of the vehicle maintenance and servicing function."