Traditionally, industrial lifts have been used in manufacturing and production settings to raise and lower work things, people and supplies. The scissor lift, also called a table lift, is an industrial lift which has been modified for retail and wholesale environments.
Most customers who have been shopping in a store late at night have almost certainly seen a scissor lift, even though they do not realize they have. Basically, the scissor lift is a platform with wheels that performs like a lift truck. In a non-industrial setting, the scissor lift is ideal for completing jobs that need the speed or mobility and transporting of materials and individuals above ground level.
The scissor lift is a unique machine in that it does not use a straight support in order to hoist workers into the air. Instead, the scissor lift platform rises when the folding and linked supports beneath it draw together, making the equipment 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.
The rough terrain scissor lifts can either be powered by hydraulics or by an electric motor, however, it can be a bumpy ride for the employee in the lift going to the top. The scissor lift design keeps it from traveling with a constant velocity, rather than traveling slower with more extension or traveling faster during the middle of its journey.
An extremely popular class of scissor lift is the RT or Rough Terrain class. Standard features of the RT models include increased power because of the IC or internal combustion engine. The variations come in gas, petrol, combinations or diesel. This is required to deal with the increased weights and steeper grades of 18 to 22 degrees that are normally connected with this specific class of scissor lift.