The world’s first standardized category 5 lift table has been launched

Two years of intense development and test runs are finally over. Today, EdmoLift launches the first standardized category 5 hydraulic lift table – the HDL 2000.

– We have seen an increased demand in lift tables designed for intensive operations and with a long lifespan. Now we have that product in our product range, says EdmoLift Sales Area Manager Tomas Edmo.

Category 5 is the highest classification of lift tables under the lift table standard EN 1570-1 and means that the product has a lifespan of at least 512 000 lift cycles while being fully loaded. In order to meet the customer’s need for lift tables that can be used in demanding and intensive environments, lift table manufacturers’ have previously been forced to provide custom solutions for each individual case based on standard models of existing lift tables. With the introduction of the HDL 2000 to the market, EdmoLift has now taken the important first step of making bespoke lifting solutions for the heavy industry easily accessible through standardized category 5 lift table models.

The ambition is that the HDL 2000 will shortly be followed by more products according to the same concept. In particular, Tomas Edmo sees two areas where there is a substantially high demand for category 5-lift tables:

• Automated production lines that are running around the clock.
• ​Production environments where every disruption is connected with high costs.

​– In these types of situations a HDL 2000 works as an insurance. You pay a little extra for a product that you know is virtually maintenance-free and strikingly durable. At the same time, it is not much higher in price than a “regular” lift table – the competitors’ unstandardized solutions are considerably more expensive – so we have been able to create a very unique and price competitive product, says Tomas Edmo.

The process of developing the new concept started about a two years ago. EdmoLift’s product development engineer Lennart Rösblad took on the mission of creating a product that would be able to withstand the demands of category 5 and be able to run around-the-clock loaded with 2000 kilograms.

Lennart tried different concepts, drafted up models and made extensive calculations. A central part in the new line of lifting solutions was to establish a design that strengthens the scissor’s areas that are exposed to immense pressure as it prolongs the lifespan of the lift table significantly. The result of Lennart’s work is a lift table with two pairs of scissors made of flat steel. The two pairs of scissors are separated from each other while each pair is joint with a bolted intermediate. This results in a very strong construction and extreme stability in all directions. Furthermore, the table comes with rigorously designed lube for life bearings.

– The design of the lift table is developed in a way where it can easily be made larger which allows for a seamless transition into new category 5 products. We saw the opportunity for a completely new product segment for EdmoLift and acted thereafter, says EdmoLift’s Head of Design, Hans Vikström, and also highlights the format as a big advantage. Many manufacturers try to guarantee a long lifespan by selling an overdimensioned lift table that is used for working with weights clearly lower than what it is intended for. The HDL 2000’s immense durability rests upon smart innovation, high quality and competitive test runs. It is as compact as a regular lift table, with the same lowest height and lift stroke, but lives 4 to 16 times longer than standard lifting tables from category 1 and 3.