What Is A Lift Table?
Lift tables are hydraulic or electrically powered machines that raise and lower workers and heavy materials. Lift tables are commonly used in construction, warehouses, and production lines to raise large and heavy loads for relatively small distances. These adaptable devices
provide an ergonomic way to lift and transport heavy pallets, load vehicles, and position workers for specialized jobs.
Types of Lift Tables
There are two main types of lift tables available: floor level lift tables and traditional lift tables.
Floor Level (Zero-Low) Lift Tables
Zero-low lift tables are a safe, floor-level solution for lifting and loading. Installed at ground level, materials can be easily rolled on and off the lift. The Zero-low line is conducive to the fork-free initiative – which can improve safety and reduce the management of a fork lift’s involvement. Air Technical’s floor-level lift tables are designed for the safest and smoothest operation, decreasing the potential for worker injuries caused by strenuous lifting.
Zero-Low Lift Table Product Information
Our line of lift tables offer the following features:
- Flush to the floor loading platforms so materials can be easily loaded using traditional hand pallet trucks
- Ability to tilt 45 to 90 degrees available on some models
- Load from different elevations with our dock-lift models
- Easily load from front or side with our Zero-Low Upender Positioners
Traditional Lift Tables
Unlike Zero-Low lift tables, traditional lift tables have a more substantial profile, with the height from floor starting at 8 inches. Lift tables are a stationary or portable solution that relies on a sturdy base to raise and lower as you complete specific tasks. This allows you to easily fix heavy
equipment or transport personnel to inspect or make repairs above ground level with a solution that is as cost-effective as it is successful in numerous functions.
Traditional lift tables include tilting, upending, double height, and tandem tables. Air Technical offers the following traditional lift tables:
- Hydraulic Lift Table
- Heavy-Duty Lift Table
- Die Handling System
- Mechanical Lift Table
- Tandem Lift Table
- Lift & Tilt Table
- Upending Lift Tables
- Double Height Lift Tables
- Mini Lift Tables
How Are Lift Tables Used?
Lift tables have numerous applications because of their superior versatility and stability. These include:
- Raising large or heavy loads for relatively small distances
- Loading, unloading, and docking operations
- Improved work positioning and ergonomic handling
- When integrated into conveyor systems, lift tables offer better load positioning
- Positioning materials for machine feeding
- Pallet and roll cage handling
- Furniture upholstery
- Animal grooming
Lift tables are a great addition to many industries for easy lifting and movement of materials and personnel. At Air Technical, we can accommodate various industry standards and requirements. For example, although we typically fabricate our equipment from carbon steel, we also offer stainless steel constructions as well as provide FDA-compliant coatings as an alternative for use in food processing and pharmaceutical applications. We can also include sanitary welds and vegetable-based hydraulic fluids.
Other common industries currently using our lift tables include transportation, heavy machinery, warehousing and distribution, printing and publishing, metalworking, upholstered furniture manufacturing, and woodworking. Check out these custom lift tables for General Electric and the US military.
Finding the Right Lift Table
Before investing in a lift table, there are some important factors to consider. These include:
Size, Lift, and Capacity
Start by evaluating the platform size you need, how high you need to lift your materials, and the weight of what you will be lifting. Understanding these items will guarantee you choose the right lift for your needs the first time.
Safety Features
For pit-mounted lifts, additional safety features are required such as a tapered toe guard, protective skirts, emergency stop bars, or enclosures.
Efficiency and Productivity Minded Features
Your new lift table can be outfitted with a variety of accessories and technology to help improveefficiency and productivity. These features include:
- Self-Propelled Drives. Save time transporting lifts around your facility by hand and opt for walkie drive or remote-controlled lifts.
- Programmable Operation. This adds automation to your lift and allows the equipment to better integrate into your existing production line. You will have the ability to select the speed, acceleration, and position of the movements.
- Conveyor Tops. Roller conveyors, ball transfers, and manual or powered turntables are available.
- Automatic Height Gauge. Utilizing a photo eye sensor, automatic height gauges raise or lower your table lift based on the amount of material added or removed.
- Automatic Cycle Package. Cycle packages allow you to program the lift height with one-touch operation.
The Air Technical Difference
When you choose Air Technical, you’re choosing a company with over 50 years of experience making high-quality lift tables for a diverse set of industries. From design to sales, our engineers use the latest technology to perform the analysis, testing, and calculations to construct the best
lift tables on the market. You’ll also benefit from our qualified sales engineering team who is available to answer questions, help you solve handling problems, and design custom solutions.
Featuring a heavy-duty welded steel construction, Air Technical’s lift tables are high on value-to-price ratio and an investment you can feel good about for years to come. Contact a member of our team today to begin increasing productivity and employee comfort with our top-quality ergonomic lift tables. Challenge us with your issue and we’ll help you find the best solution.