Traditionally, industrial lifts have been used in manufacturing and production settings to lower and raise work items, people and materials. The scissor lift, also known as a table lift, is an industrial lift which has been modified for wholesale and retail settings.
Nearly all customers who have been shopping in a store late at night have probably seen a scissor lift, even if they do not realize they have. Essentially, the scissor lift is a platform with wheels which performs similar to a lift truck. In a non-industrial setting, the scissor lift is great for completing jobs that require the speed or mobility and transporting of materials and people above ground level.
The scissor lift is a unique machinery in that it does not use a straight support in order to hoist employees into the air. Instead, the scissor lift platform rises when the folding and linked supports under it draw together, making the machine stretch upward. Once the equipment is extended, the scissor lift reaches roughly from 6.4 to 18.8 meters or 21 to 62 feet above ground. This depends on the unit's size and the purpose.
Rough terrain scissor lifts are typically powered by hydraulics or electric motors. It can be a bumpy ride for employees in the lift going to the top. The design of the scissor lift keeps it from traveling with a constant velocity, as opposed to traveling slower with more extension or traveling faster during the middle of its journey.
A really popular class of scissor lift is the RT or Rough Terrain class. Standard features of the RT models comprise increased power because of the internal combustion or IC engine. The variations come in petrol, gas, combinations or diesel. This is considered necessary to deal with the increased weights and steeper grades of 18 to 22 degrees that are normally connected with this style of scissor lift.