Vehicle wash bays and the case for galvanised lifts

Mobile column heavy-duty vehicle lifts offer many advantages that anyone at TotalKare will be happy to demonstrate for you. However, while these are undoubtedly the most advanced and convenient option for someone in a workshop or garage, I’m here to explain why fixed post models still have a vital role to play in vehicle maintenance and in wash bays.

Essentially, this article can be summed up in two words – wash bays. And maybe one more – outside.

If you are a workshop or garage manager and you want to install heavy-duty vehicle lifts in your wash bays you should always – that’s always – choose galvanised fixed post lifts. The same applies if you want to use your lifts outdoors.

Protect against water exposure

The reason for this – and it’s true to say that an awful lot of maintenance engineers who work on buses, trucks, coaches and a whole range of other vehicles do not know this – is that mobile column lifts are not fully protected against repeated water exposure, unlike galvanised fixed post lifts which are ideal for wash bays and for using outdoors. For further protection, the lifts can be supplied with optional IP56 protection for wash bay use and IP55 ingress protection.

The galvanised heavy-duty fixed post lifts from TotalKare are available in a range of capacities – 16,000kg, 20,000kg, 25,000kg or 33,000kg – and platform lengths from 7m to 18m. Suitable for lifting most types of commercial vehicles, the lifts have a drive through width of 3300mm with 700mm wide platforms and are available with drive on/drive off options.

Low maintenance

Fitted with an electromechanical lifting system and an electronic self-alignment system, the lifts can be surface mounted or recessed into the floor for a flush fit. Other features include a low-profile platform system from 206mm to 250mm, the ability to control lifting operations from any column, electronic measurement using inductive sensors and electronic shut down if an obstruction is detected. Finally, the lifts are low maintenance and offer a longer working life thanks to a hardened steel screw with low friction recirculation ball nut.

To conclude then, using mobile column lifts in a wash bay could damage the lifts and lead to unwanted expense so it makes sense to use lifts that are designed specifically for the job. These latest orders confirm that TotalKare’s galvanised fixed post lifts are suitable for use in the most demanding environments.