BYD taps Stertil-Koni vehicle lifts for bus manufacturing plant in Lancaster, Calif.

Build Your Dreams (BYD) has selected Stertil-Koni's heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems for its 550,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Lancaster, Calif.  

According to Bobby Hill, vice president of sales with BYD’s North America division, “Stertil-Koni lifts are a vital part of our production process, warranty work and vehicle upgrades. The lifts allow our employees to examine and work on the undercarriage of our vehicles safely.”  

The BYD team at the Lancaster location selected the Stertil-Koni ST 1085 cabled Mobile Column Lifts for its facility. These vehicle lifts play a role in the manufacture and inspection of BYD’s clean energy buses. Key features of these lifts include:   

• Lifting capacity of 18,500 lbs. per column;  

• Touch screen control console, known as the ebright Smart Control System, providing all lifting  

   information at a glance;   

• Connectivity that links up to 32 lifts in a single set;  

• Extra-long adjustable 14-inch pick-up forks able to raise multiple types of vehicles safely and  

  securely;   

• Stringent mechanical locking system for added safety; and  

• Fast lifting and lowering, requiring only 94 seconds to reach a lifting height of 73 inches.  

At the plant, technicians on the shop floor can quickly and easily place ST 1085 lifts into four- and six-column configurations, with the latter central to the production and inspection of BYD’s extra-long, 60-foot articulated buses.   

Helping to make it all happen was Southwest Lift & Equipment Inc. (SWL) – a Stertil-Koni distributor based in San Bernardino, Calif., providing vehicle lifts, shop equipment and service in the key markets of southern California and Arizona.   

“Stertil-Koni Mobile Column Lifts leverage our tremendous company expertise in reliable hydraulic lifting technology – an approach that ensures efficient and smooth lifting with low maintenance – every time,” said SWL President Dean McDonald. “For added safety, the ST 1085 comes with the coveted Gold Label designation from the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI), which certifies that lifts are third-party tested and proven to meet the stringent safety and performance requirements outlined in the safety standard ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition).”   

Steril-Koni President Jean DellAmore added, “Stertil-Koni is proud to support BYD in its mission to advance the passenger and commercial transportation industry with its advanced electric vehicle technology. For our part, Stertil-Koni strives to bring the very best in vehicle lifting technology every day, thereby ensuring the highest levels of safety, performance and customer support.”