Which hydraulic components are used in a scissor lift?
The heart of a scissor lift's hydraulic system is the power pack at the base of the machine: an electric motor, a pump, a reservoir and control valves in one compact unit. The power pack drives one or more lift cylinders that raise the scissor arms.
Load holding valves on the cylinders keep the platform in position. Control valves direct the oil to raise and lower the platform. Rough terrain models often also have hydraulic outriggers and, in some cases, hydraulic wheel motors for driving.
- Which hydraulic components are used in a scissor lift?
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The heart of a scissor lift's hydraulic system is the power pack at the base of the machine: an electric motor, a pump, a reservoir and control valves in one compact unit. The power pack drives one or more lift cylinders that raise the scissor arms.
Load holding valves on the cylinders keep the platform in position. Control valves direct the oil to raise and lower the platform. Rough terrain models often also have hydraulic outriggers and, in some cases, hydraulic wheel motors for driving.
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- How does a scissor lift work hydraulically?
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When the operator raises the platform, the electric motor drives the pump. The pump sends oil to the lift cylinder, which extends and pushes the scissor arms upward.
To lower, a valve opens and the oil flows back to the reservoir under the weight of the platform. A flow restriction keeps the lowering speed controlled. When the platform stops, the load holding valve closes and holds the cylinder in position, without the pump having to keep running.
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- Why are load holding valves mounted directly on the cylinder?
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On machines that carry people, the load holding valve is mounted directly on the cylinder. If a hose or connection fails, the valve still holds the oil in the cylinder, and the platform cannot drop.
On simpler lifting applications, the valve can also be mounted on the power pack. For a work platform with a person on it, however, mounting it on the cylinder is the safe choice.
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- Why does a scissor lift use hydraulics instead of an electric actuator?
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A scissor lift has to lift a considerable load, but above all it has to move smoothly and in a controlled way. With proportional hydraulic control, you can set the flow, and therefore the speed of the cylinder, precisely. As a result, the platform starts and stops gently instead of moving abruptly.
Hydraulics also holds a load in position without consuming energy. Electric actuators can be precise, but in this combination of force, compact size and controlled movement, hydraulics is still the logical choice.
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- What changes in the hydraulics of an electric or hybrid scissor lift?
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In an electric scissor lift, the pump is driven by a battery-powered electric motor instead of a combustion engine. This places higher demands on efficiency: every loss in the hydraulic system costs battery capacity.
Component choice, valve selection and the control of the power pack therefore become more important. In new concepts, we help determine where hydraulics adds the most value and how the system can be designed as efficiently as possible.
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