Pentalift News Blog
Why Does It Cost More To Paint A Colour That Is Not Company Standard?
October 20, 2017, 1:10 pm -
All manufacturers have a standard paint colour that is for brand identity or for economy of scale in any high volume manufacturing facility. Pretty much any colour other than the manufacturer’s standard is available, but at an upcharge. The reason for this upcharge is due to the purchasing process, receiving process and manufacturing process. Depending on the colour of the paint, primer may need to be added to the lift table before the paint is applied. When painting a lift table a custom colour, the painter must first clean the lines with xylene. The painter then must pour primer into the paint gun reservoir and apply the primer to the table. Once the painter finishes applying the primer, the painter then takes the primer out of the paint gun reservoir and cleans the lines with xylene again. The painter must then put the custom colour paint into the paint gun reservoir, apply the paint to the lift table, and clear the lines for the last time. Depending on what paint a company chooses, the lift table may need to be specially packaged before it is shipped to the customer. Most manufactures require a RAL number of the colour requested to assure that the paint colour is exactly as ordered.
Contact a Pentalift Sales Representative for more information.
What Are the Benefits of Interlocking Overhead Doors to Loading Dock Equipment?
October 13, 2017, 4:08 pm -
If you have both a hydraulic dock leveler and an overhead door in the closed position and try to operate the dock leveler, the power of the dock leveler will damage the locked overhead door. If you have a vertical storing dock leveler in the rest (vertical) position and try and operate (lower) it when an overhead door is in the closed position, the dock will cause severe damage by impacting with the overhead door. In order to ensure that the dock leveler will not be able to operate when the overhead is in the closed position, you can equip the overhead door with an electronic interlock switch. Pit installed dock levelers or vertical storing dock levelers will only work if the overhead door is open.
Contact a Pentalift Sales Representative for more information.
Why Are There So Many Horse Power Ratings For Lift Tables?
October 6, 2017, 1:28 pm -
The reason lift tables have various horse power ratings is strictly to achieve typical speeds of vertical travel. The quicker the oil can be pumped into a cylinder, the quicker the cylinder extends, increasing the lift speed. Generally, the higher the capacity of the lift table, the more cylinders the lift table will require. In order to maintain typical lift speeds of 10 – 12 feet per minute, a higher rated power unit is used to achieve these speeds.
Contact a Pentalift Sales Representative for more information.
Why Is There a Choice to Have Self-Contained or Remote Power Units for Dock Levelers?
September 29, 2017, 2:02 pm -
Self-contained power units cost less and are the most common, however, there are alternatives. Remote power units are one of the alternatives and are best suited for wash down applications. When periodic maintenance is required, it is easier to access a remote power unit. At the time of installation, remote power units are typically installed 7’ – 8’above finished floor level on a wall mounting bracket. This moves the power unit up and away from potential impact. The hydraulic hoses are then run from the remote power unit to the dock leveler cylinder. Often the application determines the decision to go to a self-contained power unit or a remote power unit.
Contact a Pentalift Sales Representative for more information.
What Information Does a Lift Table Provider Require?
September 22, 2017, 4:33 pm -
When a customer gets in contact with a lift table provider, there are a minimum of 5 questions the customer should expect to get asked. The questions are: How much vertical travel would you like the lift table to have? What platform size would you like the table to have? Is this table going to be installed on the floor or installed in a pit? What voltage is available to run this table? Can I have a brief description of your application? These 5 questions are the basics of putting together a simple lift table quote. Each answer can lead to another question. For example, if a customer wants to install a lift table in a pit, the appropriate safety features must be applied to the table. If the table is going into a pit, the provider will generally ask if the customer would prefer bevel toe guards or toe sensors to minimize shear points around the whole table. Generally, the more unique the application is, the more information a provider needs to get.
Contact a Pentalift Sales Representative for more information.
