A recent overview of vehicle maintenance shops across North America conducted by bus lift and truck lift provider Stertil-Koni has found that fleet facilities—including bus, truck and US Military—are increasingly relying on support stands in their daily operations to boost safety and extend the capabilities of their existing lifting systems—all at a minimal capital expenditure.
According to Peter Bowers, technical sales and support manager at Stertil-Koni, “Safety is always mission number one. That’s why support stands are so essential. They are a secondary support device engineered to securely support raised trucks, buses, and other vehicles, facilitating a broad range of maintenance procedures.”
Generally, support stands are used in even-numbered sets of two, four, six, or more depending on the vehicle’s weight requirements. Stertil-Koni support stands are available in capacities from 7 to 18 tons per stand.
Continued Bowers, “As a growing number of fleet maintenance professionals know, these stands have become an indispensable and reliable piece of shop equipment for service and repairs. Moreover, due to an added emphasis on safety, industry-wide demand for support stands has escalated.”
With support stand use comes additional requirements for proper techniques, as Stertil-Koni GSA/military sales manager William Studivant, observes: “We train end-users where to put support stands—on the best contact point on the vehicle’s frame. When safely in position, stands can also become the sole support and bear the entire weight of the vehicle. In that way, they provide wheels-free lifting—which comes in handy for doing such work as brake jobs.”
In addition to using support stands with portable lifts, such as Mobile Column Lifts, support stands can also be paired with a range of in-ground piston and scissor-style vehicle lifts.
Heavy duty vehicle technicians note that their reasons for using support stands are many, but topping the list are the following:
- Design features that emphasize ergonomics to foster technician safety;
- Capacity to independently support heavy loads;
- Safety enhancement via added support;
- Flexibility to be used in any size workspace or bay and relocatable by a single technician; and
- Ability to handle a diverse range of vehicles via customized contact heads.
When it comes to operation, Bowers adds, “A support stand can be adjusted to the desired height to support the vehicle. Plus, several Stertil-Koni models allow 6 inches of fine adjustment via an ACME screw and all come with a variety of contact heads. Stands are available in folding or fixed frames with the latter helping to save valuable space on the shop floor. Each stand also includes a spring in the support tube to minimize the risk of hand pinching.”
Dr. Jean DellAmore, president of Stertil-Koni notes, “Speed, efficiency, and safety are essential to achieving top performance in today’s heavy-duty vehicle maintenance shops. That’s why Stertil-Koni support stands have become an essential piece of equipment for technicians tasked with keeping a broad range of vehicles well serviced and up and running.”
Find out more about Stertil-Koni support stands, visit https://bit.ly/2T2DOFy.
