CVW finds out how Stertil Koni has helped get Wm Hamilton & Sons’ washbay operations up and running again after an unfortunate incident at the workshop.
As part of a reconstruction project to replace workshop and vehicle washing facilities destroyed by fire, Wm Hamilton & Sons Ltd specified a Stertil Koni Skylift 350 to simplify operations within a purpose-built washbay.
Based at Dovesdale Farm in Stonehouse, Larkhall, Wm Hamilton & Sons Ltd is one of Scotland’s leading providers of logistics solutions to the UK’s construction and waste industry, plus many local authorities and highway agencies. The company’s fleet comprises a mix of over 70 modern vehicles including bulk articulated tippers, 8-wheel tippers, curtain siders, waste ejector trailers, powder tankers and road sweepers. In order to help keep the fleet in optimum condition, the Stertil Koni Skylift is used on a daily basis within a programme of scheduled safety inspections and maintenance operations.
Offering a lifting capacity of 35 tonnes, the Skylift 350 is installed in a shallow pit, flush with the washbay floor, to simplify the positioning of vehicles on the lift’s integral 14.5m long parallel platforms.
These hot-dip galvanised platforms also feature an anti-corrosion coating and full LED lighting. Located in an outside washbay area, the heavy duty, electro- hydraulic Skylift is operated via an adjacent stainless steel control console. Also, since the lift is electronically controlled, a number of specific requirements may be programmed into its operation, whilst an internal LCD display provides constant system information.
Stertil Koni’s range of low maintenance, long life Skylift models offers capacities from 20 to 35 tonnes and can be installed to suit customers’ needs within space limitations of workshops or working areas. This is aided by the Skylift’s vertical lifting and lowering movement which, unlike a parallelogram lift, means there are no obtrusive overhangs. Easily installed, moved and maintained, the Skylift is the ultimate lift in terms of efficiency, versatility and safety, according to Stertil Koni. Varying platform lengths accommodate any vehicle including lorries, trucks, tractors and articulated buses, whilst remaining unobstructed from all sides.
The Skylift can also be used in tandem, linking two lifts in a line to provide a total maximum lifting capacity of up to 70 tonnes. The user can operate the two lifts as a synchronised pair or operate both lifts independently. This is especially necessary when lifting articulated vehicles, trucks and semi-trailers or vehicles with an uneven weight distribution, such as a truck and crane combination. Importantly, an independent mechanical locking mechanism is always active to ensure operator safety. Responding rapidly to Wm Hamilton & Sons’ need for its washbay to be fully operational as soon as possible after the fire, Stertil Koni engineers were able to install the Skylift 350 within a matter of weeks.
“Understandably, the fire was a huge blow to our operations,” said David Hamilton, Managing Director of Wm Hamilton & Sons. “However, we were soon up and running again, offering our usual 24/7 service, 365 days a year. The Skylift fulfils a vital role in ensuring that we can continue to provide the highest levels of service to our growing number of customers. It’s easy and safe to operate and gives our washbay staff unrestricted access to the underside of raised vehicles.”
