Everything You Need to Know About Hydraulic Cargo/Freight Lift: A Complete Guide

Let us start by understanding the ‘cargo lift systems’ businesses use to transport goods predominantly among floors.

What is a Cargo Lift System?

You can regard a cargo lift system as a fixed freight, and a non-scissor freight elevator used to transport goods among different floors of businesses, such as industrial plants, factories, etc.

Such lifting systems are advantageous in workplaces where there is no possibility of excavation. And there is no upper lifting point requirement. 

Cargo lift systems come in multiple variants, such as single column, double column, and four columns. 

The equipment operates smoothly and reliably. It bears hydraulic and electrical protections and transports cargoes economically and conveniently.

Technically speaking, hydraulic cargo lifts work based on Pascal’s principle of transmission of fluid pressure. So what happens is, the compression of fluids generates control and power.

An electrical pump powers the lifting mechanism of a hydraulic cargo lift system. The pump pushes pressurized fluid into a jack lifting system. As a result, pistons in a cylinder at the base of the lift system moves the elevator car upwards and downwards. 

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydraulic Cargo Lift?

Akin to all equipment, a hydraulic cargo lift also entails a slew of advantages and disadvantages. First, let us walk through the benefits of hydraulic lifts that make them so popular. So, here goes the benefits:

• The involved installation process is cheaper compared to other elevator types.
• Occupies less space in a building
• Can lift heavy loads
• It does not necessitate an overhead machine room 

Along with the advantages, the cargo lifts also pose a few disadvantages, which are as follows:

• They are slow in movement. Typically, such a lift cannot move faster than 150 feet per minute.
• Oil in the piston system can overheat quickly.

What are Things to Consider Before Buying a Cargo Lift?

Before you purchase a cargo lift, you should ensure that it can meet your needs. But, choosing a perfect lift is not that easy. To arrive at a perfect selection, you need to wight multiple options, such as type, size, and load capacity.

So, what are the factors to consider beforehand? Here are they:

The Tasks For Which You Need a Cargo Lift

The cargo lift you purchase should be able to meet your requirements. And that is why you should invest in the right and high-quality cargo lift for your business. First, assess the good in your business for which you need a cargo lift. For example, say you need a lift to transport large and heavy goods, you can choose a large cargo lift. For smaller and less heavy goods, you can select a medium-sized cargo lift. 

The size of the lift you choose must thus match the size of your intended loads.

The Load Capacity You Need

Two factors determine the load capacity of a goods lift.  The factors are–its weight and the volume of the load it can carry. First, assess the type of load you are going to transport on the cargo lift. For example, say, you need it to carry large boxes of light objects or small boxes of heavy items. So, you do not need the same hydraulic platform lift size. And the same argument applies to the weight capacity. Therefore, assess what load capacity you need for your business. Remember that overloaded cargo does not function properly. 

The Distance to Move Goods

Next, determine the distance the cargo lift needs to move your goods to figure out the lift’s structure, size, and position within your business premises.

Can Your Building Accommodate the Lift?

Imagine a hypothetical situation. Say you purchase a cargo lift, but your building does not have the requisite capability to accommodate it. So, you will have no other option but to return it to the seller. As such, you should ensure that your building can accommodate the cargo lift. So, study your building to figure out whether it can take the weight of the lift. It is a good idea to call a technician from the lift company to assess your building. 

Should the Cargo Lift Be Open or Enclosed?

It depends on your preference. For example, a shaft is absent in the open type hydraulic goods lift but is present in an enclosed platform lift. And the restriction in an open lift is that it can travel up to a maximum distance of 3 meters.

The Right Drive System

There are three drive systems for hydraulic freight lifts–guided chain, hydraulic, and screw drive. It is a good idea to discuss the type of drive system with the manufacturer so that you can figure out the right drive system for your cargo lift. Remember that the drive system can directly impact the movement of the lift and the longevity of the components.

Check out the video to know about the working mechanism of Sabtech’s best-in-class cargo lifts.

   

The Right Supplier

Do not fail to choose the right cargo lift supplier. If you fail to do so, you may end up putting money in the wrong lift, which will not be able to serve your requirements satisfactorily. Instead, you can try out the world-class cargo lifts of Sabtech, one of the best hydraulic cargo lift suppliers in Saudi Arabia. The trusted and reputed company provides three types of excellent cargo lifts–mast cargo lift, scissor lift table, and movable scissor lift.

Why Should You Choose a Cargo Lift?

Easing the movement of goods among different floors is the primary application of hydraulic lift. 

You need to choose a hydraulic cargo lifting system if you need to move goods between various working floors, three-dimensional and underground garages, stories of high-rise buildings, and places where you cannot excavate pits. 

Hydraulic cargo lifting platforms come with anti-falling, upper and lower doors interactive interlocking features. And you can set operation buttons on each floor and the work surface of the lifting platform to put in place a multi-point control for your cargo lift.

Akin to choosing the right cargo lift for your business, you also choose a reputed and trusted cargo lift manufacturer to get the most appropriate lift for your business. 

Conclusion

If you need to transport goods among different floors in your business, you need to invest in an excellent cargo lift. But, do not purchase such a lift in haste, instead consider the factors outlined in this article. Also, choose a trusted and reputed supplier, like Sabtech.