Hebelift ZH mit Saugvorrichtung für Innenkästen
Hebelift ZH mit Saugvorrichtung für Innenkästen
GUIDE TO LIFTING
LEVER LIFT: FUNCTION, SELECTION AND LIMITS
A lifting platform provides relief where employees regularly lift loads by hand. This guide explains its function, selection criteria, and the practical limits of its use. Zeilhofer Handling Technology, a German manufacturer, has been developing lifting aids for 18 industries since 1999.
CHAPTER 1
What is a platform lift?
A lifting platform is a mobile lifting aid for the ergonomic lifting, lowering, and transporting of loads directly at the workplace. Using interchangeable load-bearing attachments, it picks up boxes, barrels, rolls, or components and raises them to the appropriate working height. Modern lifting platforms are electrically powered, battery-operated, and can be moved effortlessly.
The Zeilhofer HHT ZH lifting platform is constructed from heavy-duty, extruded, and patented aluminum profiles. As the world's first lifting platform with a 48-volt lithium-ion battery, it operates completely wirelessly and without a compressed air connection, offering over 8 hours of runtime and a battery change in under 30 seconds. Combined with the Omniwheel chassis, it can be flexibly deployed at various workstations. The standard ZH lifting platform is designed for loads up to 100 kg, which is the ergonomically optimal range. Since Zeilhofer HHT designs each unit to customer specifications, higher load capacities are also possible upon request.
CHAPTER 2
What distinguishes the mobile lifting platform
48-volt battery
World's first lifting platform with a 48V battery. Battery swap in under 30 seconds, over 8 hours of runtime, wireless.
Drive types
Electrically via spindle, pneumatically or electropneumatically. Suitable for the process.
Aluminum lightweight construction
Patented, extruded profiles, high load-bearing capacity with low weight.
Omniwheel chassis
Maneuverable in all directions, even in the tightest of spaces, significantly more mobile than fixed casters.
Balance control
Pneumatically stepless balancing. Adding without pressing a button; the load follows the hand.
Complete solution: Made in Germany
Lifting platform plus customer-specific fixture for each component, all from a single source. Made in Germany.
CHAPTER 3
Lifting platform, floor trolley, mobile lift: the terms explained
Several terms are commonly used in the market for mobile lifting devices. They all essentially refer to the same principle: a mobile, usually battery-powered device that ergonomically lifts and positions light loads. The Zeilhofer HHT ZH lifting device is also called a floor trolley or mobile lifter, depending on the context.
floor trolley
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The design emphasizes the floor-mounted, mobile construction on casters. Zeilhofer HHT uses this term for the mobile lifting platform ZH, which requires no permanent installation.
Mobile lifter / mobile material lifter
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Emphasizes freedom of movement. Refers to the same class of equipment as the lifting platform, often in the context of warehousing and order picking.
Electric lift / Mini lift
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Refers to the electric drive and compact design. Commonly used in the market for lightweight, battery-powered platform lifts.
Demarcation
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A lifting platform is neither a pallet truck nor a material cart. A pallet truck or forklift truck moves pallets on the floor, while a material cart is a storage and transport cart without a lifting function. A lifting platform actively lifts and positions the load at working height.
CHAPTER 4
How does a platform lift work?
The core of every lifting platform is a vertical lifting column with a carriage on which the load-bearing mechanism is mounted. The operator raises or lowers the load electrically and moves the entire unit on rollers to its destination. The load is supported, not guided: the lifting platform handles the vertical movement, while alignment and fine positioning are the responsibility of the operator.
Depending on the model, the ZH lifting platform can be driven electrically via a spindle drive, pneumatically, or electro-pneumatically with an integrated pneumatic cylinder, as with the ZH90 lifting axis. This opens up possibilities that other lifting platforms do not offer.
CHAPTER 5
What only the ZH lift can do
The ZH lifting lift is more than just a device that raises and lowers a load. Four features set it apart from every other lifting lift on the market.
Four advantages that no competitor offers
Balance control
The pneumatic lifting platform balances the load continuously. Adding without pressing a button; the load floats and follows the hand.
Customer-specific device
Not just the lifting platform, but the appropriate device for each component. A complete solution, not just lifting and lowering.
Three drive types
Electrically via spindle, pneumatically or electropneumatically. Depending on the process, the appropriate technology is used, as with the ZH90 lifting axis.
Compact control
Automatic load weight detection, teach function and safety features for repeatable, safe operation.
In its pneumatic version, the ZH lifting platform features a balancing control system. The load is suspended in mid-air and follows the hand movement smoothly, without the need to press a button. This makes assembly particularly easy and precise, as the load can be guided sensitively into the target position.
The crucial difference, however, lies in the complete solution. Zeilhofer HHT not only supplies the lifting platform but also designs a customized fixture, precisely tailored to the specific component and application. No other manufacturer, not even Hovmand, offers this combination of lifting platform and bespoke fixture. The customer receives a complete, finished solution, not just a device that moves up and down.
Additionally, a compact control unit can be integrated, featuring automatic load weight detection, a teach function, and various safety features. All product details for the ZH lifting platform can be found on the product page .
CHAPTER 6
Up to what weight is a platform lift useful?
A lifting platform excels with light to medium loads. Up to approximately 150 kg, it is the most ergonomically and economically viable tool: lightweight, maneuverable, quick to set up, and usable at any workplace.
Above this limit, physics works against the principle. The heavier the load, the more massive the lifting column must be, the larger the required footprint, and the further the load is positioned in front of the device. The lift becomes top-heavy, sluggish, and more difficult to maneuver. The ergonomics, for which it was purchased in the first place, are reversed.
Zeilhofer HHT deliberately designed the ZH lifting platform for loads up to 100 kg. This isn't because a higher load isn't technically possible, but because a different principle offers a better solution for heavier loads. For heavier and more precise tasks, the cable manipulator, the articulated arm manipulator, and the lifting axis are available.
CHAPTER 7
Lifting platform, manipulator, cable manipulator or lifting axis?
The right choice depends on the load capacity, direction of movement, and positioning accuracy. The following guidelines will help narrow down the options:
Lift
ZH
up to 100 kg
Lightweight, mobile, battery-powered. Quick handling at changing workstations.
Rope-
manipulator
up to 150 kg
Suspended loads, photographed from above. Acer and ZH70.
Lifting axle
ZH90 Flex-Arm
up to 200 kg
Linear lifting axis and articulated arm combined. Optional battery.
Articulated arm manipulator
up to 800 kg
Non-swaying in multiple axes. Rotating, swiveling, turning. Radius up to 4.5 m.
Lifting axle
ZH90
up to 1,200 kg
Precise vertical strokes. Stable guidance, exact positioning.
The crucial point: If a load only needs to be lifted and moved, a lifting platform is sufficient. If it needs to be precisely rotated, turned, or joined during the process, a manipulator is superior. If it needs to be moved vertically with high precision, a lifting axis is the right choice. You can find a detailed comparison of all systems in the selection guide .
CHAPTER 8
The Zurich lift by industry
The ZH lifting platform is used wherever light loads up to 100 kg need to be moved mobilely and ergonomically. The following industries illustrate typical applications. A complete overview of all 18 industries served by Zeilhofer HHT can be found on the application page .
Where the mobile lifting platform moves light loads:
Logistics & Shipping
Ergonomic support for order picking, packing and shipping
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Provide boxes and packages at working height, pick goods and prepare them for shipping without straining your back.
Warehouse & Order Picking
Goods can be flexibly removed and moved to exchange points.
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Removing items from shelves, repositioning them and moving them between different workplaces; thanks to the Omniwheel chassis, they are particularly maneuverable in tight spaces.
Machine loading
Feed machines quickly and precisely with lightweight parts
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Feeding components and loading machines, with repeatable positioning via the programmable compact controller.
Industrial production
Lift components and tools to working height without exerting force
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Relieve the load at recurring handling points and move the lifting platform flexibly between production stations.
Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals
Handle lightweight containers cleanly in controlled areas.
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Ergonomically move containers and small loads in stainless steel, suitable for hygienically demanding environments.
Assembly & Production
Guide components to the assembly station without pendulum movement.
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Position and join assemblies and components without force, with stepless balancing control for precise, synchronized work.
Workshop
Handling tools and equipment on the go without a fixed infrastructure
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Tools, devices and lightweight components can be moved flexibly, and used anywhere a fixed installation is not possible.
food industry
Move buckets, containers and boxes hygienically to working height.
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In food processing, use the stainless steel version, which meets the requirements for cleaning and hygiene.
Automotive & supplier industry
Positioning light to medium-weight components in final assembly
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Modular assembly and equipping of assembly stations with customer-specific fixtures, precisely tailored to the respective component.
Data centers
Move servers and IT components precisely and gently
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Positioning with millimeter precision when installing and maintaining server racks, also with suitable equipment for ESD requirements.
CHAPTER 9
What matters when making your selection
The most important starting point is the actual load weight, including the load-bearing capacity. The load's center of gravity is also crucial, as an off-center load requires a different design than one guided centrally. Further decisive factors include the required movements, the operating environment (e.g., cleanroom, moisture, temperature), the frequency of use, and the available space and floor quality.
Furthermore, the new EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230, which sets higher requirements for the safety of machinery and handling systems, will apply from January 20, 2027. Anyone investing today should already be taking these requirements into account.
CHAPTER 10
Why a lifting platform from Zeilhofer HHT
Zeilhofer Handling Technology develops, designs, and manufactures its products in Holzkirchen, Germany. The ZH lifting platform is part of a comprehensive product range that extends from lightweight mobile lifting aids to lifting axles with a capacity of 1,200 kg. This means that if a user's requirements exceed the capabilities of a standard lifting platform, the appropriate solution is available from the same source, tailored to the specific device and control system, right up to a complete installation. Quality according to ISO 9001 and TISAX Level 2, including prototype protection, ensures consistent standards across the entire product range.
FAQ / Q&A
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
01 What is a platform lift?
A lifting platform is a mobile, usually battery-powered lifting aid for the ergonomic lifting, lowering, and transporting of loads in the workplace. The Zeilhofer HHT ZH lifting platform operates with a 48-volt battery and an omniwheel chassis and lifts loads up to 100 kg.
02 Up to what weight is a lifting platform useful?
A lifting platform is the ergonomically and economically sensible tool for loads up to approximately 150 kg. Above this weight, the device becomes top-heavy and more difficult to maneuver. Beyond this point, a manipulator, a cable manipulator, or a lifting axis are the better options.
03 What is the difference between a lifting platform and a manipulator?
A vertical hoist raises and lowers a load and is moved as a single unit. A manipulator guides the load without pendulum motion and also enables rotation, swiveling, and precise positioning of loads up to 800 kg.
04 Is a lifting platform battery-powered?
The ZH lifting platform uses a 48-volt battery that can be changed in under 30 seconds, so the device is continuously ready for use without charging breaks. No compressed air connection is required.
05 In which industries is the ZH lifting lift used?
The ZH lifting platform is used wherever light loads need to be moved: in industrial production, the automotive and supplier industries, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, the food industry, retail and logistics, data centers, as well as mechanical engineering and workshops. Zeilhofer HHT provides solutions for 18 industrial sectors.
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