BendPak PCL-18B-6 Mobile Column Lifts, Set of Six

The PCL-18B-6 is a six-column mobile lifting system for three-axle trucks, buses, refuse vehicles and municipal fleets. Before any of the lifting numbers, there is one design decision worth knowing about: BendPak states that the PLC and the main system components in these columns are standard off-the-shelf brands rather than proprietary printed circuit boards or controls. On a six-column set that is not a footnote. A proprietary controller failure can idle every column you own and leave you waiting on a single supplier; a commodity part is something an industrial electrician can source locally.

Each column is rated at 18,000 lbs; operated as a team of six, the system is rated to 108,000 lbs. There is no pit, no bolted superstructure and no dedicated bay — the columns roll to the vehicle, clamp the wheels, and roll back out of the way afterwards.

Will it fit?

Mobile columns free you from a fixed bay, but they still have to move through your building and stand on a floor that can carry them. Each column measures 45" (1,143 mm) across and 48.75" (1,238 mm) deep, with a chassis length of 32.25" (819 mm) and a turning circle of 40" (1,016 mm) — the figure that decides whether a column can be walked around a parked vehicle. Each weighs 1,450 lbs (657 kg), so a set of six is a serious point load on the floor and on any doorway or ramp along the route.

Maximum lifting height is 71.5" (1,889 mm) at the fork. The forks themselves adjust from 9.5" (241 mm) to 35" (889 mm) wide with a fork length of 11.5" (292 mm), which is what lets one set cover passenger-vehicle wheels and deep commercial duals without buying separate adapters.

Power — confirm this before you order. This listing is the low-voltage configuration and its title specifies 208-230/190V. BendPak's own published feature list for the PCL-18B family states a 208-240V, 3-phase main power system, with optional voltages available on request. Those two statements do not describe the same supply and we have not resolved which applies to the set currently shipping. Have your electrician confirm the incoming service, and confirm the required voltage with us in writing before you place the order.

A note on the two published overall-height figures. BendPak's specification sheet for this column carries two overall heights, 101" (2,565 mm) and 146.5" (3,721 mm), and labels them raised and lowered in that order. A lowered column cannot stand taller than a raised one, so we are not going to restate which label belongs to which number. If ceiling or doorway clearance is tight in your building, ask us to confirm the governing figure in writing before you order.

Floor condition, ceiling clearance, doorway access and the electrical supply are the buyer's responsibility to verify. BendPak's installation and operation manual, linked in the downloads on this page, is the governing document for siting and commissioning.

Electronics you can actually get parts for

The off-the-shelf choice runs through the whole control package. Each column carries its own key-lock enclosure, emergency shut-off, warning light and audible alarm, and the electronics are multi-fuse protected. The system runs self-diagnostics and self-calibration rather than needing a technician to trim it by hand, and control circuitry is 24-volt, keeping the operator-facing side at a low potential.

Keeping six columns level

Six columns lifting one chassis have to agree with each other continuously. Position feedback comes from sealed and enclosed linear potentiometers, chosen for precision output and high-frequency response so every column reports where it is throughout the cycle rather than at the ends of it. Columns can be run SINGLE, in a PAIR, or as a TEAM, and the whole set can be programmed and driven from any column in the group — you do not have to walk back to a master station to make a change.

Variable height limits can be programmed for a low ceiling or for a job that must stop at a set working height, and lowering has two speeds — BendPak calls them turtle and rabbit. Slow is what you want under a loaded chassis; fast is what you want at the end of a shift.

Moving them, and what happens when the power does not come back

The steering wheels are pallet-jack style, so a column settles firmly onto the floor under its own weight; constantly loaded spring-type wheels leave a column free to roll when it is not carrying a vehicle, which is exactly when nobody is watching it. Power units and cylinders sit low in the chassis, giving a lower centre of gravity than a screw-drive column with a heavy overhead motor. Tandem 8" polyurethane-covered steel wheels on sealed roller bearings cope with debris, and forklift pockets let the columns move between buildings.

Failure behaviour is the other half. Inverted hydraulic cylinders carry an integrated safety valve to stop an uncontrolled descent if oil pressure is lost, multiple automatic independent safety locks are spaced every four inches through the rise, and each column has a manual safety override valve so the vehicle can be brought down in a power cut without hand cranks.

Perfect For

• Heavy-truck and tractor-trailer service shops working three-axle vehicles
• Municipal, transit and refuse fleet garages
• Truck dealerships that need lifting capacity in more than one bay
• Operations that lift in a yard or a leased building and cannot install fixed lifts

What's in the Box

Six PCL-18B columns, each with multi-width wheel forks and locking pins, its own key-lock control enclosure, its own emergency shut-off and its own manual safety override valve, plus the interconnecting cabling that ties the set to a single point of control. BendPak notes that a standard four-column set uses just three 30' cables, which is what keeps the front or the back of the vehicle clear of cable runs. The multi-width forks are stated to remove the need for specialty wheel adapters. Cross beams, jack stands and any other accessory are separate purchases — ask us before you assume something is included.

Specifications

Certification, stated plainly

BendPak's published feature list for this system says it meets or exceeds the standards prescribed by ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2011, the North American standard for automotive lift construction, testing and validation. Read that for exactly what it is: a manufacturer's statement of conformance to a standard. It is not the same document as a current third-party listing for this specific model, and an insurer, a fleet safety policy or a local inspector may want the listing rather than the conformance statement. We have not independently verified this model's listing status; if it is a condition of your cover, your contract or your local code, ask us before you order and we will answer in writing.

Shipping and delivery

Freight to the lower 48 states, and six crated columns is a substantial load — plan the unload before the truck is booked. You must be able to take the shipment off the trailer with a forklift or equivalent, or collect from the carrier terminal. Residential delivery is available and carries a residential fee. Freight is quoted live at checkout, not fixed in this description.

Inspect every crate against the delivery receipt before you sign, and write any damage on the paperwork at the time — a clean signed receipt makes a concealed-damage claim very hard to win. Warehouse pickup is available at the locations listed in the Pick Up and Delivery section of this page.

Warranty

BendPak publishes a written warranty covering this product; the document is linked in the downloads on this page and it, not this description, is the governing text. We have deliberately not restated a period or a coverage term, because that document is the only place they are stated. One warning that applies to any hydraulic lift: do not disassemble a column, a cylinder or a power unit before a claim has been opened — a unit taken apart is very often a claim declined. Photograph the fault, stop using the equipment, and call us.