“Both myself and our engineering director had previous experience of Stertil Koni vehicle lifts, so we were aware of their superior build quality and performance,” says Mike Harvey, engineering manager at Battersea.
“We wanted lifts that would be safe to operate and robust enough to cope with our relentless and demanding requirements. Of course, we were already confident about the reliability of the Stertil Koni lifts and, because the lifts are completely wireless, we have also eliminated any worries about our workshop engineers tripping over trailing wires and cables.”
The ST1075FWA-4 lifts can raise vehicles to a height of 1.85m in 75 seconds. Each column is fitted with an eBright smart control system, which allows the columns to be operated individually, in pairs or in any other configuration from a single location.
Incorporating wireless mesh network connectivity and full-colour touchscreen consoles, eBright gives the technician visual information, including how many columns are being used, the battery status of each and when the independent mechanical locking system is engaged.
Abellio London’s fleet is a mix of 241 vehicles, including the latest Routemasters and a variety of hybrid buses that are all Euro VI compliant. Each of the Stertil Koni lifts provides a lifting capacity of 7.5 tonnes so, when used as a set of four, the combined capacity is 30 tonnes.
Long-life deep cycle batteries will power the lifts for at least a week on average before recharging is necessary. The batteries can then be charged overnight via a 230V single phase supply.