Four Post Car Lift
Four Post Car Lift
A four post car lift is an item of material handling equipment designed to safely raise a vehicle to any height to assist an automotive technician in working on the vehicle at the best ergonomic position. The best 4 post car lifts are custom-built for the auto industry and come with many customizable options.
Four post car lifts have many advantages, including its ability to withstand high duty cycles, making it ideal for use in auto assembly plants and repair shops and for applications in other industries that require the day-to-day maintenance of vehicle fleets. Have you ever wondered what is the procedure to lift a vehicle on a four-post lift?
It’s easy to be confused about the type of car lift to select for vehicle repair and maintenance activities.
There are two primary types of car lifts; the 2 post car lift and the 4 post lifter.
The two post car lift is designed to lift vehicles for easy access to the wheels and the motor vehicle’s underside. The two posts are made from heavy-duty material consisting of 2 upright pillars with four adjustable supporting arms to evenly support the car when lifted.
The two columns are mounted on a solid surface, and the arms are raised and lowered using a screw mechanism, hydraulic cylinders, chains, or by cable and pulleys.
Due to its small size, the two post car lift is suitable for small commercial garages or personal use. It’s also ideal for operation in smaller spaces and are available as portable models.
There are two types of 2-post car lifts, namely;
The two columns are parallel to each other, the arm is equal in size, extending out at a similar angle. Symmetrical two post car lifts are easy to identify as their columns directly face each other.
The two pillars assume varied angles; one can be at 45 degrees while the other can be 90 degrees.
A potential downside of a two post car lift is that a vehicle can topple on either side and cause injuries or damage to the vehicle if not positioned correctly.
The four post car lift is designed to lift heavier loads for heavy-duty work cycles, such as larger trucks and heavy machinery. The 4 post car lift can handle more oversized loads compared to the two post car lift due to the additional support. A four post car lift can handle a load capacity ranging from 9,000 lbs to 40 000 lbs and more.
There are two categories of 4 post car lifts:
The commercial standard four post car lift dimensions can be designed with a custom lifting capacity and is suitable for large-scale automotive activities. Due to its capacity to handle duty work cycles, the commercial lift is fitted with numerous safety measures to protect the operator, such as air release safety locks, cable-breaking ability, and self-locking mechanical capabilities.
This category targets customers who want to use a four post car lift in their home garages and use the lift for storage to save on valuable floor space thanks to the adjustable ladder leveling system. The equipment comes with a caster kit, jack tray, and drip pans and can handle a capacity of 9,000 lbs.
The four post lift boasts numerous advantages over the two post car lift. They are:
- It can handle higher load capacity due to its greater stability, allowing for safer operations and fewer injuries to the operator.
- The four-post car lift can be used with vehicles and machinery across various industries, not just the automotive sector. For example, the airline industry uses the four-post lift to hoist aero engines. The power generation sector uses the lift to support a rotating assembly elevated by the four-post lift.
- The four-post lift can also include a technician’s lift to elevate an individual to the desired height to work on the machinery comfortably.
- It can be customized for all customer types, from customers working in their home garages to large-scale companies across various industries.
Caster kits can transform immobile stands into portable lifts that can be repositioned, relocated and allow for easy repair and cleaning.
You can modify your four-post car lift into a mobile 4 post car lift by using a caster kit. Most often, when you’re operating machinery from a four post car lift, you need to connect it to other components that may not be located close to your position.
A portable four post car lift allows you to move the work station to wherever you need it to avoid unnecessary dismounting.
A 4 post car lift with casters can turn your garage or plant into an adaptable shop that accommodates any vehicle from whichever location you need. The portable four post garage lift can be moved outside while still having access to your equipment.
A four post car lift with wheels lets you move machinery quickly without straining your body or incurring injuries if you’re a one-person operation.
- Retractable wheels with precision-based leveling pads
- Equipped with a self-locking drive
- 100% level lifting
- Mechanically synchronized motion and zero creep
- Elevates technicians to comfortable working leveling
- Used in assembly and servicing of machinery across all types of industries
Handling has some of the best engineered four post lifts in the market. These are some of our most popular lift models.
With a lifting capacity of up to 18,000 lbs., the automotive four-post lift is a favourite in the assembly, auto repair, and maintenance industry. This four-post lift can be custom designed to your specifications and meets all industry standards.
The automotive four post lift moves items at impressive speeds of up to10 inches per second thanks to the four high-efficiency ball screws.
This vertical assembly station has a lifting capacity of 2,000 lbs. and caters to end-of-line assembly inspection on small tractors and utility vehicles. This four post lift provides a reliable cycle throughout the lift and lower process and can lift at any height.
The four post electrical chain is mechanical and runs on electricity.
Boasting a whooping capacity of 196,000 lbs., the engine roll-over and lift station allows for easier positioning in assembling and maintenance work. This four post lift uses mechanical actuation and is mainly used to position reciprocating engines during manufacturing operations, and is customizable to your specifications.
This four post lift is used to position technicians at the position as they build turbines. The iris opening lets technicians build the turbine through the exceptional placement around the opening’s diameter powered by a hydraulic system.
Lifting and lowering are actualized by four ball screws placed at each column, driven by mechanically synchronized motors. Technician’s safety is incorporated through the 48-degree pitched staircase.
Fall safe and limit switches protect operators and machinery from injury and damage.
Handling has successfully customized vertical assembly stations for rotor assembly and vertical assembly.
Popularly used in the insurance industry, the moveable ceiling is a specialized four-post lift for conducting fire testing for insurance purposes with a capacity of 330,000 lbs. The lift comes equipped with sprinkler systems where it’s placed over a client’s products or environment then ignited to test for fire readiness and safety. Once the fire’s extinguished, a laboratory reviews the results and advises the client on the measures they need to implement to improve safety.
The Cargovator boasts a capacity of over 62,000 lbs. and can stop motion with full loads without experiencing downward creep. This is an essential factor in ensuring safety while lifting machinery such as turbine engines and gas compressors for assembly and disassembly.
Wing assembly platforms are four post lifts specialized for the aerospace industry and can be configured to 0 to 10 fpm speeds. The platform is fitted with a customized opening and allows easy access to the aircraft wings from all positions and any elevation.
Technicians can access various utilities from the platform, such as the vacuum system, computer data ports, and electrical ports.
In the past, transformer coil winding assumed a horizontal position, but that has changed in recent years to vertical winding. This scenario presented a challenge because the coils can stand up to 20 feet, making them inaccessible to workers. Handling’s four post lift for transformer assembly solved this problem by installing the four post lift system in a pit where technicians could access the coil at whichever height through a unique open-center platform.
Another challenge was the coil winding increased the diameter, so Handling Specialty designed the platform center to adjust as the size increases. The four post lift for transformer assembly handles 20,000 lbs. and is equipped with a smooth self-locking drive.
Designed for jet engine pre-dress facilities, this four-post lift model ensures no swaying during the pre-dress process. This model handles capacities of 31,500 lbs. it’s also equipped with a passive retention system to protect technicians and equipment.
Handling Specialty has specialized in designing and manufacturing four post lifts for all types of organizations and industries. Other industries that we’ve designed and built specialized four post lifts include
- Four post lift for transformer core winding: this technology was adopted by ASEA Brown Boveri’s American and Canadian plants for their electrical transformers.
- Four post lifts for theater: Handling developed a multi-stage four post lift stage for one of the US’s largest Christian-themed live theaters. It featured a four-post vertical screw design that’s durable and flexible.
Four post lifts are more versatile than two post lifts. Four posts give you a stable platform and maximize your storage space by allowing one lift to do it all. With our experience in designing lifting equipment for over 50 years, we have engineered our 4 post lifts to run smoothly with any industry or work requirement – making them perfect for customization across different industries. Contact us to discuss your equipment handling and lifting requirements.