Since introducing its range of wireless mobile column lifts in 2006, Stertil Koni has been a key player in the servicing and maintenance of commercial and public service vehicles.
The company was the first UK vehicle lift manufacturer to offer mobile lift columns that were fully operational without the need for 3-phase power and interconnecting cables. This provided great versatility and flexibility.
The wireless mobile column lifts are available in capacities from 7,500kg to 17,500kg and have been designed to offer smooth, accurate and controlled lifting. The positioning of the wireless columns is flexible: they can be used in any configuration around a vehicle. Typical installations involve a set of four mobile columns and enable workshop staff to operate the lifts individually, in pairs or as a set of four. This would provide a lifting capacity of 30 tonnes from a set of four 7,500kg capacity columns.
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 outdside. Also, the absence of power and communication cables reduces set-up time.
Additional safety is provided for the operator by an independent mechanical locking system that automatically locks the lift at 35mm increments, so removing the need for additional support stands that can obstruct operator access under a raised vehicle.
All models are fitted with long-life, deep-cycle batteries that will typically power the lifts for at least a week before needing recharging. The batteries can then be charged overnight via a 230v single phase supply.
The lifts are among the fastest available ' typical lifting heights up to 1.85 metres are achieved in just 70 seconds. And their unique synchronisation system ensures a smooth lifting and lowering cycle, even in the event of extremely uneven load distribution.
Since the first generation of lifts, Stertil Koni introduced a greener model ' the Earthlift. This is widely acclaimed as an ergonomically efficient, economically productive and user-friendly model that positively contributes towards the reduction of a business's carbon footprint.
Its unique Active Energy Retrieval System uses gravity and the load of the lifted vehicle to retrieve energy and then store it in the batteries of the lift's wireless mobile columns. The principle of the Active Energy Retrieval System is as brilliant as it is simple ' to use the energy generated by the raised vehicle as it comes back down.
The new system increases the number of lifting cycles by about 35%, compared to a fully-charged set of wireless mobiles under maximum load. In addition to the reduction in power consumption, the Earthlift's batteries need less recharging, thus increasing productivity and reducing costs as well.
All new Stertil Koni wireless mobile column lifts also feature the eBright smart control system. Incorporating full-colour touch screen control consoles, the eBright smart control system has been designed and developed to simplify operation by providing visual information about every lifting operation. For added safety and performance, the eBright Smart Control System also shows how many columns in the set are being used, the battery status of each column and when the mechanical locks are engaged.
And thanks to the Earthlift's special characteristics, including bio-degradable hydraulic oil, 98% of it can be recycled at the end of its life.
Tony Edge, General Manager of Stertil Koni, said: 'Since launching the UK's first wireless mobile column lifts in 2006, we've continued to invest in the range and introduce new models offering enhanced operator benefits.
'Our customers appreciate the design and engineering excellence of the range which, at the end of the day, shows itself in performance, reliability and longevity'
