Leading Welsh MOT Centre Opts For Stertil Wireless Lifts

Stertil Koni has provided a set of wireless mobile column lifts to SA1 MOT Centre to support a wide range of workshop activities at its new workshop in Swansea.

“Some years ago, I had experience of working with Stertil Koni lifts so I knew they were very reliable,” says David Rees, owner of SA1 MOT Centre. “Our new set of wireless column lifts is particularly easy to use with the ebright Smart Control System. Also, they’re very manoeuvrable which enables us to make the best use of floor space within our new, fully equipped workshop.”

THE COMPANY

Established over 10 years ago, SA1 MOT Centre provides a comprehensive range of workshop services to commercial and private customers not only within the city of Swansea but also throughout South Wales. The company opened a second workshop in January 2021 to meet increasing demand for its services which include MOT testing, clutch and brake repairs, timing belt replacements, steering and suspension work plus chassis and body welding. To simplify and support these activities, SA1 MOT Centre decided to invest in a set of four Stertil Koni wireless mobile column lifts, type ST1075FWA.

THE EQUIPMENT

Whilst each of these heavy duty column lifts provides a safe lifting capacity of 7.5 tonnes, when used as a set of four, the combined capacity is an impressive 30 tonnes. These latest generation lifts incorporate Stertil Koni’s revolutionary ebright Smart Control System which allows workshop staff to operate the columns individually, in pairs or in any other combination from any column in the set. Positioning of the wireless columns is also totally flexible, enabling them to be used in any configuration around a vehicle. Crucially, the ebright’s wireless mesh networking system eradicates any possibility of communication problems between individual columns when numerous sets are used in the same building.

Featuring full-colour touch screen consoles, the ebright Smart Control System has been designed and developed to simplify operation by providing maximum visual information about every lifting operation - all at the fingertips of the workshop technicians. For added safety and performance, the ebright Smart Control System also shows how many columns in the set are being used.

These heavy-duty lifts are powered by long-life deep cycle batteries which provide optimum performance for at least a week on average before recharging is necessary. Also, battery life is prolonged due to the fact that, unlike a screw-lift, power is only used to raise the vehicle therefore less time is spent recharging the lift which is carried out via a 230v single phase supply. Importantly, with no cables on the workshop floor, the risk of tripping is removed thereby providing valuable health and safety benefits.

All columns incorporate Stertil Koni’s maintenance-free, synthetic runner wheel system, which is self-lubricating, and the system is covered by a lifetime guarantee. An integral advanced hydraulic lifting system incorporates a microprocessor-controlled synchronisation feature to ensure safe, smooth and precise movement at all times. Safety is further enhanced by an independent mechanical locking system, incorporated into each column, which allows technicians to securely lock the lift to prevent a vehicle from being inadvertently lowered.

The absence of power and communication cables means that set-up time is greatly reduced, making the system fully operational much more quickly. Significantly, the lift’s unique synchronisation system ensures a smooth lifting and lowering cycle, even in the event of extremely uneven load distribution. The ST1075FWA provides a maximum lifting height of 1.85 metres which is reached in just 75 seconds thereby making it one of the fastest commercial vehicle lifts available.

SA1 MOT Centre operates throughout a nine hour daily shift to carry out work on many different vehicles ranging from private cars to multi-axle Hiab heavy lifting trucks. The Stertil Koni column lifts are used to simplify many workshop tasks on six to eight vehicles in a typical working day. In addition, Stertil Koni supplied an A Frame traverse beam to ensure the safe and secure lifting of trailers.

WEBSITE LINK: www.sa1motcentre-swansea.co.uk