Choosing the Right Lift Table for Your Application

Lift tables, also called scissor lift tables, are extremely helpful in an industrial setting. These tables can adjust in height to help with loading pallets and other manual tasks. The fact that they can be adjusted helps cut down on the number of repetitive stress injuries that workers could sustain.

Using a lift table can also drastically cut down on the amount of time it takes to load and unload product coming into/out of your warehouse. There are a couple of different kinds to choose from based on the needs of your facility.

The Different Types of Lift Tables

There are three primary types of lift tables. Each one is terrific at helping the workflow in an industrial facility. There are slight differences in each one, which makes some a better fit than others based on the tasks required.

Scissor lift tables– this is the standard for lift tables. They can be raised or lowered to meet the optimum height for the worker. Depending upon the style, your table may also rotate for an even bigger boost in productivity.

Mobile scissor lift tables– these are very much like the standard scissor lift tables. The difference is that these tables are mobile. You can shift these lift tables to wherever you need them in your warehouse.

Pallet positioner lift tables – these tables are made specifically for helping move material that is on a pallet. The size and weight specifications may be different for pallets, so this table could be shaped and designed to accommodate those.

There are also varying ways to power your lift tables. The vast majority of lift tables move through hydraulics. The most common source of power for this system is electricity. Others use an air motor for power. While manual power is an option for some hydraulics, it wouldn’t be effective for a table of this size.

How to Determine the Type of Lift Table You Need

To figure out what kind of lift table you need, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you get started. Once you have the answer to these, you can then pick which table is best for your facility.

1. How big of a table do I need?
2. How much do the pallets weigh that will be sitting on this table?
3. Do we need the ability to move our tables around?
4. Does the height of the table need to be adjustable?
5. Do we need the ability to rotate the table?
6. Does the table need to be compatible with pallet trucks?
7. How do you want the table to be operated?

Once you know these things, you will know if you need the standard, mobile, or pallet positioner style of table. Other factors to consider are making sure you buy a table that won’t be operating outside of its task safety limits and any safety features you will need your table to come equipped with.