Having relied on Stertil Koni heavy duty vehicle lifts for over 20 years, MAN Truck & Bus had no hesitation in specifying the latest generation of wireless mobile column models. This was decided ahead of the company’s move to a new seven bay workshop located on the same trading estate in Team Valley Gateshead.
Based in the North East, MAN Truck & Bus Gateshead provides a onestop service that includes new and used vehicle sales, genuine parts supply, plus servicing and maintenance. The company’s loyal customer base includes single truck owner drivers, and fleet operators with over 100 vehicles. In recent times, it has launched its Advantage programme, which provides all-makes van servicing, and features a range of flexible packages to meet the needs of its customers.
During the recent upgrading of its workshop, MAN Truck & Bus Gateshead decided to replace its existing set of four Stertil Koni 6.5 tonne cabled column lifts with a set of six wireless mobile column lifts, type ST1075FWA. These latest 7.5 tonne capacity Stertil Koni heavy duty lifts enable workshop technicians to carry out regular servicing and maintenance operations on a wider range of buses, trucks, and up to three and four-axle lorries. The absence of cables eliminates any risk of tripping, and the positioning of the columns around all kinds of vehicles is completely unrestricted, thereby providing total freedom within the workshop for maximum space utilisation.
When used as a set of six, the ST1075FWA mobile wireless column lifts ensure an impressive combined safe lifting capacity of 45 tonnes. Each column also features Stertil Koni’s revolutionary ebright Smart Control System, which provides complete flexibility by allowing workshop technicians to operate the columns individually, in pairs, or in any other configuration – from any column in the set. This flexibility enables technicians to work with confidence and in complete safety.
Incorporating 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 at all times. For optimum safety and performance, the ebright Smart Control System also shows how many columns in the set are being used. The ST1075FWA provides a maximum lifting height of 1.85m, which is reached in just 75 seconds.
The columns include Stertil’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 features 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, integrated within each column, which allows technicians to securely lock the lift to prevent a vehicle from being inadvertently lowered.
“Our previous cabled column lifts from Stertil Koni worked hard for over 20 years with no serious problems,” says Matt Forth, General Manager at MAN Truck & Bus Gateshead. “In a typical day, our workshop technicians deal with no less than 30 buses and trucks, and the new wireless lifts are invaluable in supporting a whole range of servicing and maintenance operations. Also, on the odd occasions when lifting is not required, the technicians can simply wheel them away to free up space in the workshop.”
