A Comprehensive Guide to Lift Table Parts and Lift Table Accessories

Lift tables are an essential component in all sectors of the material handling industry. Customizing your lift table parts and your lift table accessories to optimize your application is an excellent way to enhance the functionality of your operation. 

At Blue Giant, we strive to optimize efficiency and safety for all our customers, which is why we carry a comprehensive lineup of recommended lift table parts and accessories. 

Basic Lift Table Parts: The Platform

At its core, lift table parts can be reduced to the platform, scissors, and base frame. Additional lift table accessories can be added to make a more complex design tailored to achieving specific tasks within the material handling industry, but a stripped-down lift table will include these three main components. 

The platform is used to carry the load the user is lifting. Various designs and configurations of the platform suit limitless use cases. However, one cannot get creative with the minimum length and width of the platform. These two factors rely on a particular lift table's base frame and scissors. 

Allowing a certain level of creativity regarding the platform allows for considerable flexibility regarding specific customer requirements. An example of this is how lift table accessories such as a rotating device can be added to the lift table to better suit a customer’s application. 

Basic Lift Table Parts: Scissors

Arguably, the most defining feature of a lift table is the scissor mechanism. Without scissors, the primary function of a lift table – lowering or raising materials – cannot be accomplished. 

The scissors are the mechanical connection between the platform and the base frame. Typically, the scissors consist of two different parts, which are connected by a bolt, and in most cases, the lifting motion is facilitated by hydraulic cylinders. As the scissor lift parts begin to move apart, the platform is easily lifted or lowered. 

Usually, a platform's deadweight must be considerable to successfully lower the lift table. However, in exceptions to this case, a double-acting hydraulic cylinder can be used.

Basic Lift Table Parts: The Base Frame

The primary purpose of the base frame is to support the lift table structure. However, that does not mean that the base frame design has to be basic – depending on variable factors, the base frame can be designed to have several layers of complexity. 

Sometimes, the base frame does not have to be incredibly rigid. Usually, in cases such as these, it is because the base frame is directly attached to the floor, so the base frame only has to consist of a simple metal plate as it acts as a surface to fasten the fixed bearing. 

That being said, if the customer’s flooring is not equipped to handle heavy loads, you should always use a base frame to prevent unnecessary damage to the floors.

Recommended Lift Table Accessories: Wheel Chassis 

For added mobility, a wheel chassis is a great lift table accessory to consider for your application. Installing a wheel chassis effectively gives your lift table wheels so your platform can be mobile. The trolley frame usually consists of two swivel braked castor wheels and two fixed wheels for additional accuracy and control. 

Recommended Lift Table Accessories: Accordion Skirting 

To increase the longevity of your lift table, it is recommended to install accordion skirting. The purpose of accordion skirting is to protect the scissor mechanism and other lift table parts from dust, debris, and potential damage. Also, by adding accordion skirting to your lift tables, you help maintain a clean and safe working environment. 

Recommended Lift Table Accessories: Roller Conveyor 

Roller conveyors are an excellent solution for further facilitating the movement of materials on and off of the lift table. Roller conveyors are particularly useful when unloading or loading materials where different levels need to be reached. 

Recommended Lift Table Accessories: Turntable Top 

Whether it is a circular or rectangular tabletop, turntable tops are an excellent lift table accessory for increasing the ergonomics of handling an object. By enabling the rotation of the load on the lift table, turntable tops are able to handle materials from different angles without having to reposition the load manually, which can slow down the efficiency of the process.

Recommended Lift Table Accessories: Remote and Footswitch Controls 

Both remote and footswitch controls offer an effective way to increase the operator’s control of the lift table to allow for a more seamless operation. 

A remote-controlled lift table allows operators to control the lift table remotely to provide increased flexibility and convenience, especially in applications where the operator needs to move around the warehouse or workspace. Equally, footswitch controls allow operators to control the lift table with their feet, leaving their hands free to handle materials. 

Lift Table Parts and Accessories for Optimal Performance

When considering lift table accessories, choosing those that align with your specific material handling needs and requirements is essential. If you need assistance, talk to an expert at Blue Giant. Our team will ensure you find what you need in order to better tackle your specific application. Blue Giant is able to fulfill all your materials handling needs and will work with you to ensure you purchase the most suitable lift table accessories for your application.