Marshalls opts for Stertil Koni columns
Passenger transport provider Marshalls Coaches has invested in a set of Stertil Koni heavy duty wireless mobile vehicle lifts, type ST1075FWA, to assist in a wide range of servicing, maintenance and repair operations.
Established in 1974, Marshalls Coaches operates from its workshop and office complex in Leighton Buzzard, and runs a fleet of 45 vehicles ranging from 16-seater coaches up to 88-seater double deck buses.
Operating locally throughout Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and London, the company serves schools, commuters and shoppers – while also offering an extensive range of UK and European coach holidays, with bespoke, modern vehicles equipped with toilets, kitchen and drinks facilities, refrigerators, reclining seats, tables, air conditioning, DVD monitors, steward/ess service and high speed Wi-Fi.
Also, as a DVSA-approved tachograph centre, the company is relied upon by a growing number of local companies to provide tachograph installations, calibrations and repairs. Other services offered include brake testing, headlight alignment, vehicle steam cleaning, toilet discharge and coach cleaning.
Individually, the Stertil Koni ST1075FWA wireless mobile column lifts provide a safe lifting capacity of 7.5 tonnes. This means that, when used as a set of four, the combined capacity of the Stertil Koni lifts is 30 tonnes.
Each column incorporates Stertil Koni’s 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. 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 workshop technicians with maximum visual information about every lifting operation. It also shows how many columns in the set are being used.
The heavy-duty lifts are powered by long-life deep cycle batteries, said to provide optimum performance for at least a week on average before recharging is necessary.
Battery life is prolonged, says Stertil Koni, 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.
With no cables on the workshop floor, the risk of tripping is removed, the firm adds, thereby providing valuable health and safety benefits.
All columns incorporate 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 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, says Stertil – while 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 75 seconds, the company adds, thereby making it one of the fastest commercial vehicle lifts available.
“We have been using Stertil Koni mobile column lifts for several years and have been impressed by their reliability,” said Glen Marshall, partner at Marshalls Coaches.
“In fact, we relocated our previous set of four lifts to our wash bay where they continue to operate smoothly with no problems. As a successful company, our reputation is founded on the reliability of the service we provide and the lifts are a vital factor in helping us maintain that reputation.”
