Overview
Handling Specialty focuses on heavy-duty, engineered-to-order lift equipment for various industries. One of their most recent custom lifts was designed for the assembly of a new all-terrain SUV in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Located in the paint shop, the lift receives a truck body-in-white in the lowered position, allowing the operators to raise it to an ergonomic height. Operators can then reach underneath the body to bolt the body-in-white to the transfer skid. Due to the fact that personnel will be underneath the body-in-white, safety considerations were a priority. Each cylinder is equipped with a mechanical rod lock that is spring activated and hydraulically released. This ensures a mechanical lock at any position, eliminating the possibility of uncontrolled descent.
This lift was designed for high-speed cycling: it can be raised and lowered in approximately 20 seconds. The design incorporates shock absorbers which cushion the high-speed impact of the frame as it reaches the down position. For the peace of mind of the operators in the area, a soft shift valve has been used to make the overall movement of the lift as smooth as possible. A base-frame mounted valve manifold was utilized due to the external location of the hydraulic power unit (75 feet from the lift).
Features
- Four shock absorbers cushion downward travel.
- Soft shift valves ensure smooth lifting, lowering, and stopping.
- Each cylinder is equipped with a spring-activated and hydraulically released mechanical rod lock, ensuring a mechanical lock at any position and eliminating the possibility of uncontrolled descent.
