Hydraulic Lifts Key Terms

Familiarize yourself with the hydraulic lifts key terms

A hydraulic lift is an important component of a material handling system. Hydraulic lifts are equipment that use hydraulic cylinders to lower or raise work platforms, industrial products or personnel. Various types of hydraulic lifts are available in the market, including table lifts, personnel lifts, dock lifts and fork and pallet lifts.

While buying or renting hydraulic lifts, you will come across various technical terms, which indicate types or specifications of hydraulic lifts. This guide intends to familiarize you with key terms, such as hydraulic cylinders, rotary lifts, lift capacity and hydraulic scissor lifts.

 

Hydraulic cylinders

Hydraulic cylinders are mechanical actuators that use hydraulic pressure to give a linear force through a linear stroke.
Try: GlobalSpec, an informative Web site, provides description about hydraulic cylinders.

Rotary lifts

A rotary lift is a type of hydraulic lift that is useful for lifting automotives to comfortable heights for service and storage.
Try: You can learn more about rotary lifts at IQS, an online directory of manufacturers of industrial products.

Hydraulic scissor lifts

A hydraulic scissor lift is another lift that is widely used in many industries for material handling. In a hydraulic scissor lift, a crisscrossed mechanism is employed for lowering or raising the load.
Try: ScissorLiftRentals.net is an informative Web site for prospective renters and customers of scissor lifts.

Hydraulic lift tables

A hydraulic lift table is an ergonomic device that uses a hydraulic system for raising, lowering, stacking or moving industrial goods between two or more elevations.
Try: easy2source.com, a Web site by Netlink Solutions, offers detailed information about hydraulic lift tables.

Hydraulic dock levelers

A hydraulic dock leveler is useful when there is a height difference between the bed of the truck and the floor of a loading dock.
Try: On Track Door Systems Inc., a supplier of dock systems, explains more about hydraulic dock levelers.

Lift capacity

Lift capacity is the most important specification of a hydraulic lift. Lift capacity is the maximum load or force supported by the lift. Before buying or renting a hydraulic lift, you must assess your requirements and calculate the lift capacity.
Try: Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) publishes a glossary of technical terms, including lift capacity.

Metric or imperial dimensions

Metric dimensions are the dimensions of industrial products according to Systeme Internationale (SI) standards. For lifts, load capacity is measured in kilograms and length dimensions are measured in centimeters, according to the SI standards. Unlike metric dimensions, the imperial measurement system specifies the lifting capacity of a lift in pounds.
Try: Technology Services (PDF), a part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, provides an informative document that explains the relation between the different measurement units.

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