Industrial lifts have traditionally been used in manufacturing and production settings to help raise and lower materials, workers, and merchandise. The scissor lift, also called a table lift, is an industrial lift that has been modified for retail and wholesale settings.
Nearly all consumers who have been shopping in a store late at night have probably 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 environment, the scissor lift is perfect for performing jobs that need the speed or mobility and transporting of people and supplies above ground level.
The scissor lift is a unique machine in that it does not utilize a straight support in order to lift employees into the air. Instead, the scissor lift platform rises when the linked and folding supports underneath it draw together, making the machine stretch upward. Once the machine is extended, the scissor lift reaches approximately from 21 to 62 feet or 6.4 to 18.8 meters 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 could be a bumpy ride for the worker in the lift going to the top. The design of the scissor lift 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 common style of scissor lift is the RT or Rough Terrain class. Standard features of the RT units consist of increased power because of the IC or internal combustion engine. The variations come in petrol, gas, combinations or diesel. This is needed to deal with the increased weights and steeper grades of 18 to 22 degrees which are often associated with this specific class of scissor lift.