Specialist Rob Neale, Workshop and Operations Manager at Repairify observed: “Lifts and jacks are just as important as the smaller tools on the workshop floor and we are seeing businesses invest in them for several reasons, ranging from upgrading older lifts to investing in specialist lifts to work on electric vehicles. “We are seeing a move away from the one-size-fits-all lift to a focus on specialist lifts for certain jobs. An example of this is an electric and hybrid vehicle battery lift that has a dedicated lifting table to assist in the mounting and removal of batteries from EVs and hybrids. Installing this type of lift opens new job opportunities for the repairer. However, it is important that technicians undergo the relevant training to ensure they have the knowledge and skills to work on EVs and understand how the lift works and its weight limits.” Offering up some wisdom, Rob added: “When it comes to tips, the main one is to ensure everyone on the workshop floor knows what the maximum weight of the lifts. To ensure technicians as well as other people in the business know what the max weights are, we recommend regular reminders and, probably most eye-catching of all, signposts in the lift bays. If this is done correctly, it helps ensure a safe work environment and reduces the risk of a heavy vehicle being put on a lift that cannot bear its load.” Capacity Neal Stote, Product Director at ISN Europe commented: “Cars have steadily been getting bigger and heavier for many years now but electrification has clearly increased the lifting challenge. We’re not just talking about lifting capacity either; All too often people make the mistake of 48 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2023 LIFTS AND JACKS www.aftermarketonline.net buying a lift that is not perfectly suited to the job it needs to do because their focus is on lifting capacity when there are other important factors to consider. “ISN Garage Assist has a wide range of quality vehicle lifts to choose from, be they 2-post, 4-post or scissor lifts. Focusing on Cascos lifts, these allow you to mount a vehicle from either direction; You can drive forward, or reverse on to a Cascos lift, it makes no difference, and they’re designed to lift the maximum load at any angle of the load or extension of the arms. They also have safety systems that provide for super-flexible positioning of the arms under the vehicle. Most modern lift columns are formed from folded sheets of steel, which is the cheapest way to produce them but this requires a very large column profile to ensure the strength. Columns on Cascos lifts are made from solid, hot-rolled profiles of steel. The extreme rigidity and resistance to torsion allows a much slimmer column, while still maintaining a stronger component, which means less overall footprint and more width between the columns.” Neil added: “Thanks to the slim profile of the columns, Cascos lifts provide the largest working distance between posts while occupying as little space as possible in your garage. This extra space is great for today’s ever-larger vehicles. It provides a better working environment, with optimum door opening for getting into and out of the vehicle. Cascos lifts also feature symmetric lifting arms, as opposed to asymmetric, where the vehicle is offset to allow door opening access, although asymmetric arms are available as an option.” For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3V9XVTc Safe and effective Once you have your lift, you need to maintain it, and use it properly. By law, the equipment needs to be assessed by a professional every 12 months, and also needs to be maintained regularly. Failure to do so can lead to investigation by the Health and Safety Executive, with fines or even imprisonment following. MAHA UK Sales Manager Nick Austin said: “Despite the risks, we are still observing deteriorated rubber pads on the ends of lifts where steel is then exposed. The point of the pads is to provide suitable contact with the vehicle to avoid it slipping off.” It gets worse: “Rather than have a 200mm sleeve to reach the chassis or use a U-shaped adaptor that goes each side of the chassis, like an anti-slip sleeve – the rubber pad comes off and the anti-slip goes on – I continue to see an ordinary two-post lift with a great big oily block of wood between the vehicle and the lift pad, which is completely unsafe.” He added: “It’s important that technicians are provided with the right adaptors, as it is vital to ensure the safe and effective use of a 2-post lift. Once again, it’s a safety issue and could lead to serious consequences if an incident occurs. Like the rubber pads, they’re not expensive and certainly not as expensive as a new 2-post lift. We offer many types of adaptors, for many different vehicles including various EVs. Essentially, they lock onto the chassis via a locating hole or dedicated position along the sill. This type offers increased stability to prevent slip – why buy a lift but not the adaptors?” For more information, visit: www.maha.co.uk/en/products/liftingtechnology/two-post-lift~t2410 Electrification has clearly increased the lifting challenge ”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=