Discover more about server lifters and how they help Data Centre & IT Room operation
How do you move data centre server equipment safely in a server room?
Moving data centre server equipment safely in a server room is not only important to prevent damage to the server equipment, but also to reduce the risk of personal injury to technicians installing the equipment.
Data centre server equipment, as well as other IT equipment that is installed within a 19” server rack, is often heavy or bulky and even with multiple technicians the risk of damage to this sensitive equipment, or injury to a technician is still a possibility. Health & Safety manual handling guidelines relate to lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing and pulling. Considerations need to be made for the weight of an item, the number of times an item needs to be picked up or carried, the distance it needs to be carried, where it is being picked up from or put down to (e.g. from the floor or putting it on a shelf above shoulder height) and any twisting, bending, stretching or other awkward posture that maybe adopted whilst carrying out the task. The guidelines highlight the maximum weight that should be lifted at various positions relating to the body. At waist height and close to the body a man should be able to safely pick up and carry a 25kg weight (16kg for women) but this diminishes the further the item is away from the body or above or below waist height. As data centre server equipment and other IT equipment, particularly UPS products, are bulky or/and heavy moving them around the server room safely can be achieved through the use of a server lift.
What is a server lift?
A server lift, or server lifter, is a mobile lifting platform designed to aid the movement of servers or other pieces of IT equipment to a server rack in which they are to be installed. The platform can then be raised or lowered, by hand or under power (depending on the model), to the position in the rack in which the server or IT equipment is to be installed.
What lifting equipment is available for data centre servers, and how to they help computer installation?
A server lift is a piece of lifting equipment used for moving data centre servers and other pieces of IT equipment around IT rooms and aids the process of the physical computer installation into 19” server racks. The use of lifting equipment such as a server lift when conducting a computer installation is vital to minimise the risk of damage to sensitive data centre servers, network switches, UPS units and other IT equipment and/or personal injury to the IT technician installing them.
There are various types of server lifts available but all provide a stable platform for lifting equipment to the desired height in a server rack, from which the equipment can be installed to pull out mounting kits. Raising the platform is either done by hand or under power from the server lifter itself.
EDP Europe offers various kinds of lifting equipment including battery operated and manually operated server lifters:
- Original Battery-Operated Server Lifter – EDP Europe’s original battery-operated sever lifter offers a range of models that lift weights from 80kg to 400kg at varying heights from 85mm to 1700mm. They feature a built-in rechargeable power pack that enables dual speed elevation and descent. A battery charge meter enables the operator to see how much power is left. The attractive design features soft grip bull bar handles, along with quality castors that enable a good deal of manoeuvrability. Easy to use controls enable the dual-speed control for raising or lowering the platform.
- Slim-Line Lite Battery Server Lift – The Slim-Line Lite is a lightweight battery-operated server lifter that is capable of lifting capacities up to 90kg. It offers excellent manoeuvrability, intuitive controls and a stylish anodised aluminium appearance. There are various models available with minimum lifting heights of 112mm and maximum, depending on model, of 1,757mm.
- Slim-Line HD Heavy Duty Battery Server Lift – The Slim-Line HD server lifter is a heavy-duty version of the Slim-Line Lite lifter offering an increased lifting capacity ranging from 80kg to 200kg depending on the model. Minimum and maximum height levels also vary depending on model but the top of the range 49-SL-200EM lifts 200kg from 84mm to 2,084mm or 46U!
- Manual Server Lifter – EDP Europe’s manually operated server lifter uses an ‘Easy Winch’ system that safely raises or lowers the load with the minimum amount of manual effort. Manufactured from powder coated mild steel these lifts are lightweight and remarkably manoeuvrable. With three models available that lift 85kg, 140kg or 200kg.
- Genie Server Lifters – Genie is a leading manufacturer of industrial lifting equipment and this expertise has been extended to the data centre server installation market. Genie GL server lifts is a range of standard or counterweighted manual server lifts designed to make the movement, handling and installation of IT equipment easier.
Genie GL8 leading the way in manual lifting equipment.
The Genie GL8 server lifter is a leading solution in the manual lifting equipment market. It has a compact design that is available in two versions: a standard base version that has a low loading height and can lift and manoeuvre in tight spaces and a counterweight base version that has a shorter leg length enabling you to work closer to the carried load. The Genie GL8 has a lightweight, durable and telescoping aluminium construction with a removable platform that exposes durable steel forks to provide extra versatility for lifting equipment. The Genie GL8 has a load capacity of up to 181kg and a maximum lift height of 2.50m making it an ideal manual server lifter for installing equipment into tall 48U server racks.
Can a data centre server lift be utilised as material handling equipment for other manual lift requirements?
The data centre server lifts from EDP Europe are very flexible and can be used as material handling equipment for other manual lift tasks, although it would depend on the task needing under taking. The flat platform is large enough to carry various objects, with some models capable of being modified to carry out other manual lifting requirements. On the Genie GL server lifts the flat platform can be easily removed to expose the forks opening it up to a wide variety of material handling requirements making it extremely versatile.
Can a data centre server lift be utilised as material handling equipment for other manual lift requirements?
The data centre server lifts from EDP Europe are very flexible and can be used as material handling equipment for other manual lift tasks, although it would depend on the task needing under taking. The flat platform is large enough to carry various objects, with some models capable of being modified to carry out other manual lifting requirements. On the Genie GL server lifts the flat platform can be easily removed to expose the forks opening it up to a wide variety of material handling requirements making it extremely versatile.
