Choosing screw bottle jacks

How to choose a car lift for a car service

Start with a business plan. Car service activities, development prospects are assessed.

Determine:

• the list of services that are provided to clients, it is planned to do this in the future;
• types of serviced vehicles;
• energy sources;
• the area that can be allocated for the installation of equipment;
• finances that are planned for the acquisition.

The choice depends on the listed:

• type, number of lifts for service stations;
• carrying capacity of devices;
• equipment manufacturers.

For small garages and garages

These car services include service stations, which have no more than 2 jobs. Among them, 70% are family or garage. Their peculiarity is in a limited list of services provided, which affects the completion of lifting equipment.

With specialization:

• at tire service - for the operation of a sufficiently compact screw lift, or better a mobile pneumatic one, which works from a compressor that is mandatory at such service stations;
• on wheel alignment and the presence of a pit - you can get by with 1 ditch device, which is installed with the ability to move along the latter;
• on a wider list of services, if there is an appropriate area and finances, it is advisable to add a two-post or mobile column lift to the listed lifts.

For medium car services and service stations

Such enterprises have 3-9 workplaces, 5-20 people work. These auto services are often universal: they repair the chassis, engines, electrical equipment, tire service, check the correct installation of the wheels.

With sufficient space, the equipment of car services should include different lifts. Among them - often stationary and mobile two-post, plunger, scissor. For small urgent work, it is necessary to have screw, pneumatic ones.

For large car services

Service stations with 10-70 employees and 10-35 workplaces are considered large and large. Those exceeding these indicators are referred to as super-large.

All types of services that motorists need are performed at car services. For this enterprise are equipped with the necessary lifting equipment:

• two-post stationary devices that are used in the repair, maintenance of cars;
• four-column, the platforms of which have special equipment for restoring the geometric parameters of cars that have been in an accident, monitoring wheel alignment, tire fitting;
• mobile lifts of different carrying capacity for individual work, moving vehicles, units, spare parts.

Vertical devices

The design of vertical screw jacks was developed 30 years ago, and since that time it has remained practically unchanged. The main structural elements of the devices are a screw and a steel body. Carrying capacity - up to 1 ton.

Main advantages:

• Lack of effort applied to the handle.
• Large working stroke.
• Load stability.
• High lifting height.
• Low cost.
• Light weight.

Minuses:

• Small footprint, low stability.
• Can only be used for lifting vehicles with special lifting eyes.
• Large dimensions.

In order to avoid "breaking", experienced motorists advise additionally placing logs, bricks, etc. under the body of the lifted car.

Rack mechanical

Rack-screw structures are produced with one or two screws and can lift loads weighing up to 3 tons. The principle of operation of single-screw devices is the same as for vertical ones. In twin-screw jacks, the body plays the role of the support nut. The first large diameter screw has a second coarse thread. When the handle is rotated, a screw of a larger circle is removed, from which a screw with a smaller diameter comes out, due to which the lifting height increases.

Rack screw structures are stable and have a rigid frame. The disadvantages include a large weight, and for jacks with one screw - a relatively low lifting height.

Lever-screw

Multifunctional devices used for lifting vehicles weighing up to a ton. The main elements are the screw, the lower and upper arms. On the upper lever there is a nut and a pick-up, on the lower one there is a support platform and a screw stop. The angle between the lever with a pick-up and the lever with a platform is changed by rotating the handle.

Advantages of devices:

• Relatively small weight.
• Large working stroke.
• Low starting height.

The disadvantages include low structural rigidity and weak stability.

Screw jacks have a rigid structure and a large support surface, they are universal in use. The disadvantage is in the small working stroke.

Rhombic jacks

With the help of screw mechanical rhombic devices, machines weighing up to 2 tons are lifted. The set of the supporting component has four levers connected by hinges, which are located in a rhombus. Lowering and raising are carried out by changing the angles of the rhombus.

The drive of rhombic mechanisms can be:

• mechanical;
• hydraulic;
• electric;
• manual.

With the help of these devices, you can lift a load weighing up to 1.5 tons. The design is small, reliable, and allows you to lift loads to a considerable height. The disadvantage is the rather high price.

Combined lever-screw products are a kind of combination of rhombic and lever jacks. They are oversized and have a low launch height. The disadvantages are low stability and insufficient rigidity.

The described types can be attributed to devices for use mainly in everyday life. Each variety is represented by models of different power. So, the screw mechanism, which is used in construction, has large dimensions and can lift a very large weight.

Device and principle of operation

The screw car lift can have a lifting capacity from 1.5 to 14 tons. The units can be equipped with 1, 2, 4 and 6 posts.

The device of screw lifts:

1. The two-column floor-standing unit consists of two columns and a cross member.
2. There is a lead screw in the rack, a lifting nut with sliding grips moves along it.
3. The travel bearing rotates by transmitting torque from the motor through a gearbox located on the rack.
4. The movement to the other bearing is transmitted by means of a chain transmission, which is installed inside the cross member.

The mechanical lift is attached to the floor with anchors. Thrust rollers prevent bending stress on the screws. There are four-post designs, for example, P-150, and six-post designs, P-102. They are used to lift trucks or buses. Single-rack devices P-238 are used in a set of four or six racks. The racks are mobile and can be installed indoors where there is a flat floor surface. The machine is controlled from a mobile station.

The screw electromechanical lift consists of the following parts:

• racks;
• crossbars;
• screws;
• nuts;
• pickups;
• electric motor;
• reducer;
• anchor;
• chain transmission.

In such designs, the screws rotate while the nuts remain stationary. There are also devices in which the screws are stationary and the nuts rotate.In such designs, the gearbox and the electric motor are mounted on a mast, and the nuts are rotated by a chain drive that is mounted in the mast box.

Electromechanical screw devices are reliable and safe in operation, have a simple design. The disadvantage is low efficiency, the need for constant lubrication and cleaning of the cargo screws. Calculation of electromechanical devices is carried out in the same way as for screw jacks. In units with a rotating screw, to prevent the effect of bending moment, support rollers are installed on the nut.

How the device works

A screw mechanical jack is a simple powerful mechanism, the principle of which is to convert torque into translational movements. This design consists of three elements:

• worm gear;
• nuts;
• a pair of screws.

The twisting moment is fed to the nut by a worm gear, due to which it is converted into translational movements, with the help of which the load rises and falls. For modernized screw jacks with ball screw (ball screw), the design consists not of a pair, but of a triple - a screw, roller or ball, nut.

Due to the added elements, the efficiency of the mechanism is increased, which helps to reduce the frictional resistance.

As a result, the lifting speed of the vehicle increases, as does the service life of the structure. But if we compare the cost of an improved lift with an ordinary screw device, then it is slightly higher.

After the invention of the conventional screw mechanical jack, experts decided to invent a mechanism with a ball screw drive. Over time, there was an urgent need to lift very massive objects, as a result of which mechanical devices were invented that have an electric drive. With the help of such synchronously operating devices and their symmetrical transmission, it became possible to lift loads with an impressive mass.

Note!
With the help of twin-screw jacks, vehicles weighing 3 tons can be raised to a sufficient height. As for the maximum lifting capacity of screw lifts, it reaches 16 tons, but such devices are used only at service stations

Electric lifts are controlled by a remote control that adjusts the lifting speed and height

Screw structures are usually equipped with a manual drive, but there are many models that have an electric drive to facilitate the performance of lifting work. Electric lifts are controlled by a remote control that regulates the lifting speed and height.

Electric screw jack

How to install a lift in a car service

Start by choosing the location and location of the device. This takes into account:

• lift dimensions;
• dimensions of the vehicles served on it;
• the need for free space around to move the car mechanic;
• the possibility of free access;
• the necessary distance from the areas of washing, painting of cars.

Adequate room height is required to position the device. At the same time, it must ensure free placement of not only the lift, but also the car at the maximum rise. With low ceilings, you can save on height by installing a lift and making a service area in the recess.

Installation of the mechanism requires a good foundation. The correct placement of racks, support frames, safety of work, service life of units, of the entire structure depends on the strength and evenness of the foundation.

When installing a lift with 4 racks, the thickness of the foundation is taken at least 15 cm; concrete M300 and higher is used for pouring. The same is done for two-column units, in which the lower synchronization, and with the upper or in its absence, the minimum concrete grade is taken as M400, the layer thickness increases to 30 cm.

Scissor lifts to save the height of the room are mounted in a recess, which is arranged in the floor.

Construction and principle of operation of the lift

The service lift consists of the following main systems:

bearing system (pick-up frames, racks)

drive system (power train)

electrical drive control system.

The supporting system includes: columns with built-in bearing bolts (4 pcs.), Cross beams (2 pcs.) And longitudinal ram beams (2 pcs.). The longitudinal beam is rigidly attached to the transverse beams and the drive chain is passed through it.

The right longitudinal beam is movable, which allows you to change the distance between the ramps in accordance with the front track of the vehicle being serviced, which makes it versatile.

The power train mechanism consists of an electric motor-gearbox assembly, which, through a closed circuit circuit, transfers the drive to the four nuts of the main bearing bolts. The nuts, rotating along the fixed bearing bolts, cause a vertical movement of the longitudinal drive beams of the lift.

The main features of such a lift are:

Electromechanical drive;

Construction with 4 electric motors (one for each of the columns) and mechanical synchronization;

Built-in electronic security system;

Smooth platforms for the use of lifts at locksmith posts;

Automatic lubrication of screw pairs using forced lubrication systems built into each of the columns;

Maximum convenience in servicing vehicles due to the fact that the front of the platforms is moved outside the lift base, which provides better access from below to the engine and gearbox of the vehicle.

lift drive electromechanical four-column

The electric drive control system consists of movement control buttons: "up", "stop", "down", two contactors and limit switches "up" and "down".

Limit switches are used to automatically detain (stop) the lift in extreme positions.

The synchronization of the lift is carried out using cardan shafts and gearboxes located under the platforms.

Automatic lubrication of the screw pair by a plunger pump is carried out during lifting and lowering.

Table 1.1 - Technical data of the prototype

Table 1.2 - Equipment for the prototype.

Table 1.3 - Initial data.

Features of pneumatic jacks

This type of equipment is used to lift and move cargo during repair, installation and rescue operations.Such devices are irreplaceable when there is a very insignificant gap between the load and the support. The pneumatic type of jacks is indispensable when the most accurate installation is required. If the work is carried out on swampy, uneven and loose soil, then the choice will be obvious.

These types of jacks are used for joining pipeline systems of impressive diameters, sometimes this parameter reaches 1200 mm. Such equipment has the form of a rubber-cord flat shell, which is made of reinforced fabric. It increases in height when compressed air is supplied. The source can be mobile or stationary compressors, compressed air cylinders, automobile pumps.

The main disadvantage of pneumatic jacks is the impressive cost, which is affected by the expensive manufacturing technology, the complexity of the design, as well as small batches of industrial production. Considering such jacks, the types and design of which should be studied by you before purchasing, it should be mentioned that such devices may be unsafe when the engine is turned off. As for the lifting capacity, it is determined by the pressure in the pneumatic actuator.

Choosing a quality tool

The choice of a jack must be done based on further goals. The main criterion: where is it to be used? Will it be a car repair shop or a private garage for a car enthusiast?

For motorists, everything is simple: in order to choose a device, you need to know the weight of the car and make a probable tolerance. The lifting speed of the machine does not matter. For this, with a small margin, a trolley jack for 3 tons is suitable.

At service stations or in a tire workshop, other requirements. For them, the lifting speed and lifting capacity of the device are important, therefore, the choice of a rolling jack will be different.

When buying a jack, pay attention to the vehicle's ground clearance, it must be higher than the platform of the lifting device. Pay attention to the maximum lifting height of the mechanism: the higher, the more dangerous, and the body can be deformed.

The height of the jack that suits you should not be the maximum lifting height

Pay attention to the maximum lifting height of the mechanism: the higher, the more dangerous, and the body can be deformed. The height of the jack that suits you should not be the maximum lifting height

There is no need to buy a known powerful jack, especially with a small fulcrum. Using such a device, you can easily damage the body.

The first classification of a sliding hydraulic jack is its lifting capacity. Suffice it to say that this is the most important criterion. The type of vehicle with which this lift can work depends on this parameter.

This criterion is met by three load capacities:

• two tons - for a car in the garage;
• three tons - for off-road vehicles, in the garage or at the service station;
• five tons - SUVs, minibuses, service stations and vehicle fleets.

The second classification is the lifting height of the platform. On each jack, the manufacturer indicates the digital range of the product, that is, the extreme point of maximum compression and lifting.

The first number is important for low-slung cars. If the car's ground clearance is less than the jack height, it will be impossible to slip the device under the car, especially with a flat tire.

The second is for SUVs. Most of them have a large enough ground clearance, the height of the jack may not be enough to remove the wheel.

The third important factor influencing the choice of the mechanism is the manufacturer. This criterion affects the quality of the product to a large extent. The unit can be:

• domestic;
• import;
• Chinese.

It is believed that imported equipment is of much higher quality. It is worth noting that our industry does not stand still.Today the market offers high-quality domestic developments that are not much different from imported counterparts. You can buy pretty good products, saving money on buying products from domestic manufacturers.

What can be said for sure - the quality of Chinese products is very low. In cases where a person is under a car, his life depends on the quality of the jack, so there is no point in saving money by risking his life.

In addition, rolling jacks have two ways of using them:

1. The first one is tools of mechanical or manual use, requiring the application of the physical strength of a person.
2. The second is increased productivity mechanisms that use hydraulics to enhance human capabilities.

The effort required to raise the vehicle using a hand-held trolley jack is directly proportional to the length of the handle that is being lifted. When working with a passenger car, you can get by with a short handle. It is easy to use even in the cramped conditions of a standard garage.

But to lift a heavy SUV, a manual jack will not be enough, you will have to make a lot of efforts and, most likely, the height of the mechanism will not be enough. A hydraulic rolling jack can handle this situation easily.

Thanks to their versatility, hydraulic lifts have gained well-deserved recognition in vehicle service stations and private garages.

Selection of screw lifts

A device is selected taking into account the planned scope of work and after carrying out the necessary calculations. When choosing a jack, decide first whether you have enough strength to use a mechanical device or you need an electric drive.

If the load is supposed to be lifted manually, the calculations are not carried out, but when more serious tasks are to be performed, the screw device is calculated. The calculations are reduced to determining the required power. For this purpose, calculators are used, offered by a number of sites.

Even when choosing a jack, you need to pay attention to its main characteristics - working stroke and lifting height

For hydraulic devices, the gear ratio is important, on which the force transmitted to the handle and the power of the electric motor depend

The most common jacks among motorists are mechanical devices. They have a simple design, inexpensive, undemanding storage and transportation conditions, and are easy to repair.

Nevertheless, the most popular are rhombic jacks, because the overwhelming majority of Russian-made cars are equipped with them. If you need to buy a new device, find out the weight of your car and select a jack of the appropriate capacity. Buy a device with a small margin and do not forget that more powerful mechanisms have a greater mass and dimensions, therefore, they need more space in the garage and trunk.

It is better to buy domestic jacks, since in comparison with foreign counterparts, the difference in functionality is small, and the cost is much lower. In addition, not every major city has service centers that repair imported devices.

If there is a fairly flat platform under the bottom of the car, any jack is suitable, in principle, but when recesses for a specific device are provided, you will have to look for it. For lifting a car in the garage, almost any model with a hydraulic, mechanical or electric drive will fit. In the field, a hand-operated mechanical jack is recommended.