Stertil-Koni announced that BYD selected and is now using Stertil-Koni heavy-duty vehicle lifting systems in its 550,000-square-foot, manufacturing facility in Lancaster, Calif.

BYD began assembling buses in Lancaster in 2014 in what had previously been a shuttered 100,000-square-foot RV manufacturing facility. Today, the upgraded plant is capable of handling the production of as many as 1,500 buses a year with 750 employees and is designed for additional expansion as its North American sales continue to rise. BYD builds fully electric transit buses ranging in size from 30 to 60 feet, double-decker coaches ranging from 23 to 45 feet, and articulated buses that are 60 feet in length.

The facility is also responsible for final assembly of medium- and heavy-duty trucks used for cargo handling at ports and railroad yards, refuse collection, and food and package delivery.

The BYD team at the Lancaster location selected the Stertil-Koni ST 1085 cabled Mobile Column Lifts for its facility. These vehicle lifts play an integral 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.

• Stringent mechanical locking system for added safety.

• 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. — 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.