Hydraulic Lifts- Why So Popular?

Most of the multistorey buildings use lifts to vertically move goods and people from one floor to another. There are electric lifts and hydraulic lifts. Hydraulic lifts are more comfortable and quietest while comparing with electric lifts. Electric lifts are employed in buildings having more than ten floors. The security system of hydraulic lifts is more reliable than electric.

Here, you can find more about hydraulic lifts.

A hydraulic lift system can vertically move people or goods using the force generated through pressurized fluids. The basic principle behind the working of hydraulic lift is Pascals law. Pascal's law states that a small force applied to a large area will generate a large force to a small area. Various industries like automobile, transport, construction, etc. use hydraulic lifts. Scissor lifts, two-post lifts, four-post lifts, carousel lifts, and mezzanine lifts are the various hydraulic lifts available in the market. A scissor lift has a railed platform and criss-cross metal support that can raise the surface vertically to perform work easily. Both the two-post and four-post lifts are used in the automobile industry to lift vehicles. The two-post lifts are ideal for changing the tyre of four-wheelers and four-post lifts are ideal for long-term vehicle storage. The carousel lifts are used for improving the storage capacity. These lifts use chains to support shelves or carriers. The mezzanine floor lifts can carry a load of up to 1000kg.

Hydraulic Lift Working

The main components of a hydraulic lift are piston within a cylinder (called a ram), oil reservoir or tank, pump, motor (to drive the pump), and valve. The pump, fluid, and motor are kept in a machine room. To move the lift vertically up, the pump will push the oil towards the cylinder, by exerting pressure on the piston. To bring the lift down, the valve opens and allow the fluid to flow back into the reservoir. To stop the lift on certain floors, the power to the pump is switched off. The fluid will move from the reservoir towards the cylinder when the valve is closed.  The reverse operation occurs when the valve is opened.

Also Read: Hydraulics basics for Beginners

Advantages of Hydraulic Lifts

Since the hydraulic lift doesn't use cables, it prevents the classic dead-drop situation. In case of any failure, instead of a sudden fall, it moves according to the oil leakage. So, the safety of the hydraulic system is a great advantage. The components of hydraulic lifts are kept in the machine room. So, it requires less space and weight. Also, the loading and unloading time can be reduced. If proper care and maintenance are provided, this system will work smoothly. Hydraulic lifts are cheaper than electric lifts. Hydraulic lifts have less wear compared with electric. Hydraulic lifts have fewer components and low installation cost.