Four drive concepts have prevailed in the lift table market in the past two decades. Each of these concepts has individual advantages and disadvantages, which will be examined in more detail in the course of this series of articles.
Here you will find a brief overview of the various arguments for and against a certain type of lift table. We recommend visiting the relevant pages on hydraulic lift tables, belt-drive scissor lift tables, lift tables with push-pull chains and spindle lift tables for a more in-depth review.
Hydraulic lift tables
A hydraulic lift table uses a combination of electric motor, hydraulic pump and hydraulic cylinders as the drive. The pump is driven by the electric motor, which supplies oil to the hydraulic cylinders. The lifting and lowering movement of the scissor lift table in turn is generated by the extension and retraction movement of the cylinders.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Inexpensive | Special oil required in the food sector |
| Less wear | Low positioning accuracy |
| Discretionary placement of the drive unit | Heating of the hydraulic oil |
| Simple and reliable overload protection | Temperature of hydraulic oil too low |
| One power unit for different forms of movement | Noise emission |
| Power only required during lifting | Compression and rebound of the lift table |
| Retrospective reduction of the lifting times | Filtering of the hydraulic oil |
| Risk of leaks |
To the article on Hydraulic lift tables
Belt-drive scissor lift tables
In this type of lift table, the up and down movement is generated using belts. The belts are connected on one side to a shaft flange-mounted on the gear unit and on the other side to a lift carriage.
The lift carriage is moved by rolling the belts on and off the shaft. The lift carriage in turn influences the scissor position.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| No hydraulic oil necessary | Uneven load on the belts |
| Placement of the drive outside the lift table | Limited use at higher temperatures |
| Shock-absorbing and vibration-damping power transmission | Sensitive to external influences |
| Lifelong belt re-tensioning | |
| Energy requirement for lifting and lowering |
To the article on Belt-drive scissor lift tables
Lift tables with push-pull chains
In this type of lift table the push-pull chain acts directly on the platform to be lifted. The platform is raised when the chain is extended, whereas the platform is lowered when the push-pull chain is retracted.
In this type of lift table, the scissors are used only for lateral guidance.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Relieving the load on the scissors | Point load transfer |
| No hydraulic oil necessary | High overall height |
| High positioning/holding accuracy | Levering out of the scissors |
To the article on Lift tables with push-pull chains
Spindle lift tables
In a lift table with a spindle drive, the support nut is located on one of the two scissor halves, while the counterpart is mounted on the other scissor half. Similar to a screw-nut combination, the nut moves in relation to the threaded rod when the latter is turned.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| No hydraulic oil necessary | High energy requirement |
| High positioning/holding accuracy | High overall height |
| Higher wear | |
| Energy requirement for lifting and lowering | |
| High process quality requirements |
To the article on Spindle lift tables
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