Usually, industrial lifts have been used in production and manufacturing settings to raise and lower work items, people and supplies. The scissor lift, also called a table lift, is an industrial lift that has been modified for wholesale and retail settings.
Most customers who have been shopping in a store late at night have probably seen a scissor lift, even if they do not know they have. Essentially, the scissor lift is a platform with wheels that performs like a lift truck. In a non-industrial type of environment, the scissor lift is ideal for performing jobs which need the mobility or speed and moving of individuals and materials above ground level.
The scissor lift is unique, able to raise workers straight up into the air. Instead, the scissor lift platform rises when the linked and folding supports under it draw together, making the machine stretch upward. Once the equipment is extended, the scissor lift reaches around from 6.4 to 18.8 meters or 21 to 62 feet above ground. This depends on the model's size and the purpose.
The rough terrain scissor lifts can either be powered by hydraulics or by an electric motor, however, it can be a bumpy ride for the employee in the lift going to the top. The design of the scissor lift keeps it from traveling with a constant velocity, as opposed to traveling faster during the middle of its journey or traveling slower with more extension.
An extremely common class of scissor lift is the RT or Rough Terrain class. Typical features of the RT units include increased power due to the internal combustion or IC engine. The variations come in petrol, gas, combinations or diesel. This is needed to handle the increased weights and steeper grades of 18 to 22 degrees that are normally associated with this particular class of scissor lift.