Custom Lift Control System for a Sidewalk Lift

Challenge

A national church facility needed a specialized sidewalk lift to move materials between a basement-level receiving area and street level without disrupting the architectural appearance of the property.

The unique lift remains concealed below the sidewalk when not in use and rises to grade level when materials need to be loaded or unloaded. With a highly customized lifting application came an equally important controls challenge: creating a dependable, easy-to-use system that would give facility personnel safe and precise control of the lift.

The controls needed to provide secure access, intuitive operation, clear operator feedback, and emergency stop functionality while reliably managing the lift’s electro-hydraulic operation.

Solution

OSCO Controls engineered and built a custom control solution specifically for the sidewalk lift application.

The system gives facility personnel straightforward control over the lift as it travels between the basement and sidewalk levels. Illuminated press-and-hold pushbuttons provide intuitive raise and lower operation while giving operators clear visual feedback.

To help ensure the equipment is operated only by authorized personnel, OSCO incorporated keyed access into the control system. Emergency stop functionality provides an additional layer of operator control when an immediate stop is required.

The custom controls interface with the lift’s electro-hydraulic system to reliably manage vertical movement throughout the operating cycle. With the push of a button, operators can raise the platform to sidewalk level for loading and unloading, then lower it back into its concealed position when the delivery is complete.

OSCO designed the controls around the people using the equipment every day, turning a highly specialized lifting application into a simple and intuitive operating experience.

Key Control Features:

* Custom-engineered control system

* Illuminated raise and lower pushbuttons

* Press-and-hold operation

* Keyed access control

* Emergency stop functionality

* Electro-hydraulic lift control

* Clear operator feedback

* Application-specific control design

Result

OSCO Controls delivered a purpose-built control solution that provides the reliable operation needed for a unique material handling application.

The control system makes operating the custom sidewalk lift simple for facility personnel while providing the access control and operator functionality required for dependable day-to-day use.

For the customer, the result is a lifting system that can remain completely out of sight until it is needed. For OSCO Controls, the project demonstrates the value of designing controls around the application rather than forcing a specialized machine to work within the limitations of an off-the-shelf control package.