Stertil Skylift - Our "Best Investment" Say Avenley Engineering

Following the recent installation of a Stertil Koni heavy-duty vehicle lift at its premises at Tonbridge in Kent, Avenley Engineering has described the acquisition as the best investment they’ve made in the business.

“Having used a Stertil Koni 4-post lift previously at one of our clients’ premises, I was impressed by the lift’s quality and ease of use,” says Paul Hutchison, Director at Avenley Engineering. “However, we decided that a scissor type of lift would be more suitable for our requirements. We looked at competitors’ scissor lifts but felt that, due to the fact that these were supplied and maintained by a third party, we wanted to just deal with one company. Stertil Koni not only manufactured and installed the SKYLIFT, they also provide a comprehensive after-sales service.”

THE COMPANY

Established 10 years ago, Avenley Engineering has earned an enviable reputation for its work on a wide range of unusual vehicles which include tarmac machines weighing up to 20 tonnes. Since the installation of the Stertil Koni SKYLIFT 250, the company has been able to increase production and ensure improved safety.

THE EQUIPMENT

Stertil Koni’s rugged and adaptable SKYLIFT 250 provides a safe lifting capacity of 25 tonnes and has been developed to offer a unique combination of efficiency, versatility and safety. Whether for working on tractor units or articulated bendi-buses, with available platform lengths from seven up to 14.5 metres, there's a SKYLIFT for most requirements. Even with the longest platform, only two lifting legs are required and each leg has its own measuring device, ensuring smooth and level synchronisation to within 15mm. Three options for lifting capacity – 20, 25 and 35 tonnes – increase the range of specifications available and the generous lifting height of 1.75 metres (reached in just 89 seconds) offers comfortable working conditions for operators. Perhaps the most significant feature of the SKYLIFT, though, is its ability to fit into narrow bays thereby enabling workshops to optimise their usable space.

In common with all Stertil Koni products, safety is paramount. The SKYLIFT has an independent mechanical locking system, which is always active - from when the lift is at its lowest level, right up to maximum height. The SKYLIFT’s two lifting legs and its lack of crossbeams or base frame, provide unrivalled working space beneath and unobstructed access from all sides of the vehicle. Easily installed, the SKYLIFT requires minimal maintenance and can be recessed or surface-mounted, according to individual applications.

Operating throughout a daily 10 hour working shift, Avenley Engineering carries out extensive repairs, servicing and overhauls on a wide variety of vehicles including asphalt paving machines. Since its installation, the Stertil Koni SKYLIFT 250 has been in constant use and was specified with a range of options including modular, sectional approach ramps to accommodate vehicles of different heights and to prevent low clearance vehicles ‘grounding’ when accessing the lift.  Full lighting and compressed air outlets were also specified and a jacking beam was supplied to simplify the lifting and supporting of components that need to be accurately positioned and bolted into position.