BALTIMORE — Vehicle lift supplier and manufacturer SLEC Inc. has made some recent updates to its lifts and now offers a new cable system.

Lifts from SLEC, a manufacturer of ACME threaded, self-locking screw lifts, are now American-made, the company recently announced. The lifts retain features such as a self-locking ACME threaded screw, which cannot lower without the application of power, according to Allister Collings, president of SLEC Inc.

The lifts also feature the ability to operate two columns independently for the removal of brakes or air bags. Additionally, single lifts can be used for wheel-free access for brake adjustments or wheel removal.

One of those lifts is SLEC’s 12 Type. The 12,000-pound capacity mobile column lift is typically used for repairing vehicles such as school buses, vans, and light-duty trucks up to a total weight of 48,000 pounds, according to the supplier’s website.

The 12 Type is specifically suited to the weight of a school bus, Collings said, since a typical school bus weighs no more than 36,000 pounds. Previously, the SLEC lift that offered the closest fit for a school bus was the 18 Type, its 18,000-pound lift with a capacity of a total weight of 72,000 pounds, which is available in sets of four columns. In particular, the 12 Type is more suited to match the lifting capacity to the column, he added.

The 12 Type incorporates many of the user-friendly features of the 18 Type, such as the ability to raise or lower the lift from a hand-held remote, which enables the operator to observe the moving load. Other user-friendly features of the 12 Type and 18 Type are columns that are up to 30% lighter than hydraulic lifts, and fitted with a hydraulic pallet jack to facilitate easy movement, but provide cost savings reflective of the reduced capacity, Collings added.

SLEC has also launched a self-retracting cable system. Known as the “Ultimate Pack,” it is attached to the side of each column and pulled out up to its maximum length and retracts automatically when released.

“Not all customers utilize the portability of a mobile lift, as the lifts are often used in fixed bay situations,” Collings said. “In these cases, it may be more practicable to suspend cables from roof trusses. However, where portability is required and cables are the preferred choice, the Ultimate Pack is the way to go.”