| Guest Editorial By Dr. Jean DellAmore, President, Stertil-Koni What’s going on in the heavy duty vehicle lifting industry? Three key trends Th ink the staid world of heavy duty vehicle lift - ing hasn’t changed much recently? Th ink again. Th ese days, in the demanding world of heavy duty vehicle lift ing – notably for large truck fl eets, transit buses, motor coaches and even the U.S. military, three key trends are rapidly changing the landscape. 1. High Touch Heavy duty lift s are beginning to leverage new advances in human-to-machine interface (HMI) technologies. Th e goal is to provide enhanced control and lift monitoring systems – all delivered in a format this is increasingly familiar to us. Most of us really like an interface that closely resembles our favorite mobile phone or computer tablet. For its part, Stertil-Koni recently introduced the ebright Smart Control System for its mobile column lift s. Th is touchscreen control technology literally puts all key lift ing information directly at the fi ngertips of the person who needs it most: the busy technician on the shop fl oor. Our research shows that technicians and supervisors prefer a full-color, high-resolution, brightly illuminated screen. What’s more, they want owner- and user-confi gurable options, personalized ID controls to protect against unauthorized Research shows that for wireless mobile column lifts, technicians want full-color touchscreen control consoles that provide intuitive, ease-of-use with maximum visual information about the lifting process. Photo courtesy of Stertil-Koni use and the ability to simply tap the console for more menu options. In this way, lift use and performance can be carefully monitored and shop uptime measured and improved. 2. “Green” Lifts A second major trend in lift ing is the movement towards “green” lift ing systems. Th is has evolved as fl eet maintenance and service shops work to address new and more stringent environmental requirements. Many companies and transit agencies are beginning to demand that environmentally- A version of Stertil Koni’s Diamond Lift has been engineered for concrete foundations that makes it a good replacement for old, single-stage hydraulic lifts that have outlived their useful life and possibly represent environmental and safety hazards. Photo courtesy of Stertil-Koni CHANGE is coming from new hardware and software technologies. friendly technologies constitute an integral part of the specifi cations for all new jobs. By way of example, to help maintenance shops go green in the mobile column lift ing space, Stertil-Koni off ers the Earthlift , which we believe is the fi rst hydraulic green mobile column lift in the industry. Its columns are made with components that are 98 percent recyclable. What’s more, this lift uses a closed hydraulic system that contains biodegradable oil and the batteries are 100-percent recyclable. In-ground lift s also are becoming increasingly “green.” Th e newer versions of these lift s are engineered to utilize far less hydraulic fl uid and typically feature an above-ground control console for easy access for servicing. Th e Stertil-Koni EcoLift , by way of example, is the industry’s fi rst ultra-shallow, fullrise in-ground axle engaging scissor lift that combines high pressure, low-volume hydraulics and only requires 3.5 gallons of fl uid per scissor. Th e telescopic piston Diamond Lift uses less than 5 gallons of biodegradable hydraulic fl uid per piston and its cassette is fully self-contained, which ensures that hazardous shop fl uids do not enter the environment. Hence, soil contamination is not a concern. 3.Added Effi ciencies A third and very powerful trend that is transforming the lift ing industry is in “replacement” technology. Why is this approach gaining traction now? Th ere are thousands of old, single-stage hydraulic lift s literally rotting away in America’s workshops. Th ese lift s have long outlived their useful life and possibly present environmental and safety hazards. For our part, we believe shops can realize added effi ciencies and potentially signifi cant cost savings by utilizing their existing concrete foundations – all while stepping up to the latest, most effi cient lift ing technologies. Th at’s why our engineers recently developed a solution based on our Diamond Lift model. Specifi cally designed for concrete foundations, it is ideal for replacement lift situations. In sum, these are indeed exciting times for heavy duty vehicle maintenance facilities, particularly as new technologies – both hardware and soft ware – are helping to take the lift ing industry to new heights in terms of performance, durability, safety and environmental stewardship. Dr. Jean DellAmore is president of Stertil-Koni (www. stertil-koni.com), a global market leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts and a preferred supplier to the world’s leading companies in the truck and bus industries. He has been in the heavy duty lift industry for more than 30 years, the last 19 years with Stertil-Koni and the first 12 years with SEFAC. 46 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ JUNE 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com
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