scissor lifts

Scissor lifts are a specialized type of aerial lift, designed to lift larger loads and provide more work space. For manufacturing or industrial work where multiple workers need to be on the same platform, a scissor lift is a must-have.

A scissor lift can be powered by gas or electricity. Diesel or gas-powered scissor lifts – often called rough terrain scissor lifts – are better for outdoor use, but can’t be used indoors. Electric scissor lifts are quiet and emission free, which makes them a better choice for use in warehouses or other indoor work.

The most basic consideration when choosing a scissor lift is the height you need to reach. Because the strength of a scissor lift is the size of the platform and weight it can support, you may not find the same lift heights you would in other types of aerial lifts: most can reach heights of 20 to 50 feet. You’ll also need to consider lifting capacity: most scissor lifts can carry from 500 to 2,500 lbs.

While most scissor lifts can only lift straight up and down, some have a feature that lets you shift the platform horizontally several feet. Others allow you to drive the machine around while the platform is raised – but not all do.


Types of scissors lift:

Hydraulic Lifts

Hydraulic scissors lifts provide the most economical, dependable, and versatile method of lifting heavy loads. Hydraulic lifts have few moving parts, are well lubricated, and provide many years of trouble free operation. These scissors tables raise the loads smoothly to any desired height, and can be easily configured to meet the specific speed, capacity, and foot print requirement of any hydraulic lifting application. Each hydraulic scissors lift is designed and manufactured to meet the industry safety requirements and is by far the most popular and efficient of all styles of scissors tables used in material handling applications.

Air Bag Lifts

Air actuated scissors lifts provide durable and safe lifting solutions for applications which require pneumatic operation rather than hydraulic, such as explosion-proof or environmentally sensitive locations. These scissors lift tables are powered by heavy-duty air bag actuators which are connected to your plant’s shop air system. Air bag scissors tables are used in a wide variety of applications to improve worker ergonomics and enhance plant efficiencies. Air actuated scissors lifts offer a durable, low precision, low cost and portable lifting solution which can be purchased standard, or customized to fit specific material handling application requirements.

Double Scissors Lifts

Double pantograph hydraulic scissors lifts provide the most economical, stable, and versatile method of lifting heavy loads with higher vertical travel while maintaining the smallest footprint possible. Double pantograph scissors tables use a one-piece, double scissors mechanism, and can be easily configured to meet the specific speed, capacity, and footprint requirement of any hydraulic lift application – without the need for permanent guides and structure above the lift. Common applications for double pantograph scissors lifts include mezzanine access and storage, pallet build-up and break-down of tall stacks, adjustable work platforms, conveyor transfer, and floor to floor movement of wheeled loads.

Ground Level Lifts

The Ground Level scissors lifts provide the near-zero lowered height of a traditional pan-style scissors lift with the extremely low reach-over distance previously available in expensive mast-style lifts. The XLR family of scissors lifts is designed for material handling applications where pallet jacks or other wheeled carts are used to transport loads that need to be raised – but without having to dig a pit to recess a conventional scissors table. These scissors lifts raise or lower the loads smoothly to any desired height for worker ergonomics or to change elevations inside the plant. The family of scissors lifts is available in either hydraulic or pneumatic actuation, and can be customized for a wide variety of applications.

Mechanical Lifts

Autoquip offers a variety of mechanically actuated scissors lifts depending on the application, environmental conditions, load restrictions and life cycles desired. All Mechanical scissors tables are designed for satisfying specialized applications requiring precise travel heights and offer repeatability in elevation to .06” accuracy. In addition to precision, Mechanical scissors lifts also can be easily programmed for automated systems, and – unlike most hydraulic lifts – have the ability to remain loaded in the raised position over long periods of time without drifting down. The most common applications for mechanical lifts are in clean room environments, explosion-proof atmospheres, food processing, and automated or PLC controlled systems.


The Benefits:

• The dangerous practice of using a ladder to work on was eliminated.


• Productivity and safety were improved - provide a safer work environment for your employees and make it easier for them to meet requirements that call for people working more than six feet above ground level be protected from falls. The guardrails on a scissor lift fulfill those requirements.


• Another feature of scissor lifts is their versatility. Most frequently they are used inside, but they are also suitable for outdoor use as long as they are operated on a firm, level surface. They can also be driven from one location to another and positioned to resume work without a lot of set-up time.


• Another feature that has become standard on lift machines is a platform extension. This is a rollout platform extending about three feet, with a capacity of 250 pounds. The advantage of extensions is that they overcome the access limitation of scissor lifts. Since scissor lifts normally only lift vertically, the platform extension provides some horizontal reach to extend over obstacles.
  

Disadvantages and solutions:

• Cost Considerations -
  Batteries do wear out and they are costly to replace, hydraulic hoses can deteriorate or have loose fittings resulting in fluid leakage problems and electronic controls can be at the end of their useful life and need replacing.
  A new 20-foot platform height scissor lift lists around will have new features that can make this investment worthwhile such as improved controls, lighter weight aluminum platform decks, re-engineered drive systems that use electric motors rather than hydraulic motors and a hydraulic lift cylinder combined with the hydraulic reservoir. Other advantages to the newly designed scissor lifts include reduced maintenance, significantly extended battery life and less chance for hydraulic leaks since some models have only four hydraulic connections versus the 40 or more on some older machines.
  

Typical Applications：

Construction, industrial, maintenance, distribution, entertainment and institutional users
Warehousing and distribution centers
Hotel, recreation and educational facilities
Construction (commercial buildings and infrastructure)
Mechanical, electrical, utility and painting contractors
Manufacturing and industrial facilities

Newer Scissor lift:

Another benefit of newer scissor lifts is the smaller size of the battery pack installed. Newer machines use lighter but stronger alloys, consolidated operating systems and incorporate more precision bearings and more accurately machined scissor pins. As a result, frictional drag is reduced and machines can operate more efficiently, so smaller battery sizes can be used. Smaller batteries mean the machine has less weight and lower battery replacement costs.

The design innovation that delivers the greatest improvement in the number of duty cycles is the use of direct drive electric motors instead of hydraulic motors. Using direct drive eliminates inefficiencies of pumping hydraulic fluid through hoses to and from the reservoir to the hydraulic motors driving the machine.

Electric drive motors power the wheels more efficiently than hydraulic motors. The efficiency of an electric drive is 65 percent versus hydraulic drive at 30 percent. In other words, scissor lifts with electric drive motors operate at twice the efficiency of machines that use hydraulic motors for their drive function.