Behind the Scenes: Dock Lift Table for Grand Pianos and Stage Scenery

For deliveries to a theatre, we manufactured a tandem lift table that allows grand pianos, stage scenery and other heavy or bulky goods to be moved safely between yard level and truck loading height. The 5,500 × 2,500 mm platform is accessible from three sides. A special extended-length function also enables the loading of goods that extend beyond the platform.

A wide variety of goods are handled through the theatre’s delivery area, ranging from stage scenery and set elements to event equipment and valuable musical instruments. Grand pianos in particular place high demands on the loading process. They are heavy and bulky, and their delicate surfaces and mechanisms require particularly careful handling.

As part of the refurbishment of the delivery hall, a loading solution was therefore required to bridge the height difference between the yard and the truck loading bed while providing sufficient space for large transport goods.

Overlength goods presented an additional challenge. Individual stage components and other items can be longer than the platform itself but still need to be transported using the lift table.

Accessibility was also an important consideration: depending on the goods and their onward route within the building, the platform needed to allow loading and unloading not only from the truck-facing end, but also from the side.

Based on these requirements, we manufactured a tandem lift table with a platform measuring 5,500 × 2,500 mm and a load capacity of 5,000 kg.

In its lowest position, the platform is level with the yard. This allows goods to be pushed or wheeled onto the lift table at ground level. The system then raises the platform to the truck loading height, allowing the goods to be moved directly into the cargo area. For unloading, the process is simply reversed.

The spacious platform also provides sufficient room for bulky goods – such as a grand piano on its transport frame.

A special feature of the dock lift table is its ability to handle goods that are longer than the 5.5-metre platform.

A separate extended-length mode is activated using a selector switch. A door at the narrow end of the platform can then be opened, allowing the load to extend beyond the platform.

When lowering in this operating mode, the lift table does not return all the way to yard level but stops automatically beforehand. This prevents a crushing hazard between the overhanging load and the floor.

This allows stage components and other long goods exceeding the actual platform length to be loaded and unloaded safely.

For flexible transport routes, the tandem lift table can be accessed from three sides.

At the narrow end facing the truck, loading flaps provide a direct transition between the platform and the vehicle. A door is located at the opposite narrow end, with another door on one of the long sides.

This allows goods to be moved both towards the truck and sideways into or out of the delivery hall. Particularly for large and difficult-to-manoeuvre goods, the transport routes can therefore be adapted to the available space and the specific loading requirements.

An automatic roll-off protection system prevents wheeled goods from accidentally rolling off the platform when it is raised.

The lifting area is additionally secured by an enclosure made of welded wire mesh. During lifting and lowering, an audible warning signal alerts people in the surrounding area to the movement of the platform.

When handling overlength goods, the automatic intermediate stop provides an additional safety measure.

The tandem lift table has been in use at the theatre since 2021. With its 5,500 × 2,500 mm platform, 5,000 kg load capacity and access from three sides, it is suitable for a wide range of goods – from grand pianos and event equipment to stage components.

The extended-length function further increases its versatility: even goods that extend beyond the 5.5-metre-long platform can be handled using the lift table.

The result is a loading solution specifically tailored to the theatre’s various behind-the-scenes transport processes.