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Choosing the Right ServerLIFT Data Center Lift

A server-handling lift is an important investment for any data center. Buying the right equipment requires careful analysis of both your current and future data center space.

ServerLIFT®-brand data center lifts are the most effective solutions created and crafted for use by the IT equipment industry. We’ve expanded our lineup to include several models designed for different applications. The 4 choices we offer provide a solution for the wide variety of data center structures and functions. Data centers can vary widely in size, configuration, heating and cooling requirements, energy usage, security parameters, and more.

These incredibly robust and well-thought-out data center lifts are all expertly made with direct input from our customer base. To point you toward the best solution, let us first help you to identify your specific parameters for data center lift usage.

Assessing Your Data Center Facility

Begin with your existing configuration. What does your data center or colocation facility look like this year? Some measurements and evaluations to include:

Aisles and Maneuverability:

  • How wide are the aisles?
  • What is the turning radius to/from the end of the narrowest aisle and the walkable/cross aisle?

Overall Transportation:

  • What are the obstacles to movement throughout the facility? (e.g. ramps, doors, grated flooring, elevators, etc.)
  • What kind of ground clearance and ceiling clearance is required for a lift?

Rack Specs:

  • How tall are your tallest racks?
  • What is the depth of your deepest racks?
  • Are your racks contained?
  • Do you utilize drop-in or slotted rails?
  • What are your overhead obstructions, and how much ceiling space currently exists?

Equipment and Systems:

  • What is the weight of the heaviest piece of rack-mounted IT equipment  in your facility? (including fully populated chassis)

Future Data Center Growth

Once you have a handle on the details and limitations of your data center’s current configuration, it’s time to take a proactive look at operations one, three, five, or even ten years out. Consider your business growth plan and impending upgrades.

For example, do you anticipate your equipment getting heavier? Perhaps there is a move anticipated in the next several years; consolidation, containerization, or movement to the cloud or a colocation facility. If the space will soon be shared, does another lift already exist there—and is it meeting your needs? Can you request one or provide your own?

With this comprehensive operations and facilities assessment in hand, it’s time to use the results to choose the optimal lifting solution.

ServerLIFT® Server-Handling Solutions

With four different models to choose from, find the data center lift which will be of greatest use to you and your team.

SL-1000X

The ultimate data center tool: the SL-1000X is our most versatile and heavy-duty server handling lift.

Like the rest of our solutions, the SL-1000X is designed to be handled easily by a single operator. Each of our server-handling lifts does what nothing else can; complete a critical job in a manner that is completely safe and without risk. Use the SL-1000X device to lift equipment weighing up to 1,000 pounds (454 kg) up to 56U or 8.75 feet high. The SL-1000X unit is also compact, functional, and smartly designed with ergonomic and highly intuitive features.

SL-500X

The SL-500X is our most well-rounded solution for the everyday handling of equipment that weighs up to 500 pounds (227 kg). Like the SL-1000X, it is an electric lift, giving a full day of work on a single charge. In addition, servers can be supported and lifted safely up to 52U or 8 feet high.

With the movable platform, equipment can be installed or removed easily from either side of the aisle. There is no turning required. The platform extends up to 6” on each side. Our lifts also feature brightly colored stabilizer brakes for locking the lift into place as you move chassis and other pieces on or off of them.

SL-500FX™

The SL-500FX brings extended support for servers deep into the rack. One of our more niche models, it was created based on feedback from customers working in data centers with wider aisles like manufacturers and systems integrators. Any facility with at least five feet or 1.5 meters of space in front of a rack can benefit from the SL-500FX.

A standard 19-inch server rack cabinet is typically about 36 inches deep. Our front-loading server-handling lift keeps steady support under servers and other pieces up to 20 inches (50.8 cm) deep into the rack. The SL-500FX also features up to 3.4 degrees of platform angle tilt adjustment. It features the same pinch-point-free design, ergonomic handling, and precise alignment of our other lifts.

SL-350X

As a hand-cranked lift, the SL-350X model is a great alternative to electric lifting for data centers that move servers infrequently. This easy-to-use device provides server support up to 52U or 8 feet high. It also can handle weight up to 350 pounds (159 kg). Once locked into place, it can be used to tilt the angle of the platform by up to 2 degrees for perfect side-to-side (post-to-post) server alignment.

We created a hand-cranked model for lighter, infrequently handled IT hardware because some operators only need equipment moved every once in a while. If your needs are frequent or your servers weigh 350 pounds (159 kg) or more, going with the electric powered models is highly recommended. The ease and speed with which data center tasks can be accomplished using an electric lifting solution is unparalleled. Manual hand cranking on a regular basis, especially with heavier payloads, can be frustrating, unnecessarily time-consuming, and potentially risk arm, wrist, and shoulder pain.

Choose Your Data Center Lift

With four DC lift choices outlined above, here are the final three questions to answer.

Q: Do you need a front-loading or a side-loading lift?

A: The SL-1000X, SL-500X, and SL-350X models all feature side-to-side, easy-glide sliding shelves. That means they can load equipment into both sides of the aisle without turning the lifts around, making them perfect for the tight spaces common to most data centers. On the other hand, the SL-500FX Front Loading data center lift gives you 20 inches of support deep into the rack, provided you have wider aisles or the more open spaces needed to position and the lift head-on to the rack.

Q: How often are you making moves?

A: For most data centers, we recommend the SL-500X Electric Lift or the SL-1000X Super-Duty lift. Their easy, electric lifting is perfect for regular use. They can handle it all, even as your servers become more dense and heavy. If the convenience, efficiency, and minimal body impact of the electric models is not a concern, and moves are infrequent, the SL-350X hand-cranked model is a great way to eliminate the dangerous manual handling of expensive IT equipment.

Q: Do you question how to justify the purchase of a ServerLIFT®-brand data center lift?

A: Any question regarding budget must reflect the answers to your data center assessment laid out above. It also generates a few additional and important points:

  1. Handling sensitive IT equipment by hand is dangerous and inefficient. With a one-time purchase of a well-designed, well-built ServerLIFT® solution, work that previously required 2 or more people can reliably and safely be done by just one.
  2. No other company in the world offers data center lifts that are completely safe and certified, supported and serviced worldwide, and are backed by a no-hassle, 30-day money-back guarantee.
  3. ServerLIFT® devices are the only data center lifting tools that can perform all functions of a data center lift including reaching from the bottom to the top of any rack, and going even further by assisting in unboxing servers and angling them for drop-in rail installs.

The answers to all three questions should indicate that there is a considerable cost savings and/or benefit inherent in choosing a ServerLIFT® device. This is thanks to lowered downtime, fewer injuries, and greater efficiency on your data center floor. You can now build the correct solution to create a functional tool that does exactly what you need it to do.

Our goal is to help you to Rack Like a Pro with solutions centered around a truly great data center lift. ServerLIFT® products were all designed to meet, exceed, and anticipate market needs. Every data center lift we make executes the three essential functions flawlessly.

Our functional attachments further customize ServerLIFT® solutions. Many were built with the unique needs of your data center in mind, and in response to customer requests and direct feedback.

Join the ServerLIFT® Family

We invite you to discover the difference in implementing a device created exclusively for the rigorous demands of the data center. Our customers often share positive feedback on how it has dramatically enhanced their operations, lowered labor cost, and invigorated a culture of safety within their enterprise.

ServerLIFT® is in all 50 states and over 60 countries, serving the majority of Fortune 100 and 500 companies. The attention we pay to requests with broad market appeal has allowed us to evolve well ahead of the competition. This has contributed to our global success, as has our 100% accident-free reputation as reported by our customers.

If you have any additional questions for our team of experts, we invite you to contact us and we will respond promptly.

 

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Buying a Data Center Lifting Device