Rotary Lift MOD30 Inground Lift Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Aug. 3, 2012
When Rotary Lift introduced the MOD30 modular environmentally friendly inground lift in 2002, it changed the industry.

Rotary Lift's MOD30 modular environmentally friendly inground lift celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2012.

Although heavy-duty inground lifts had been the preferred choice of truck and bus maintenance facilities for decades, increasing environmental and safety concerns in the 1990s led many service managers to install surface lifts instead. When Rotary Lift introduced the MOD30 modular environmentally friendly inground lift in 2002, it changed the industry.

"The MOD30 virtually eliminated customers' environmental and safety concerns, while at the same time providing unique productivity-enhancing features like our patented Universal Saddle Adapter, joystick controls and auto spotting system," said Doug Spiller, Rotary Lift heavy duty product manager. "As a result, the MOD30 has been a top seller, with more than 1,000 installed in customer locations around the world over the last 10 years."

Through the years, Rotary Lift has continuously improved the MOD30 inground lift so it provides maximum versatility to lift heavy-duty vehicles with the latest design features, including low-floor and kneeling buses and trucks with aerodynamic fairings and new emissions equipment. 

The MOD30 inground lift provides greater and faster access to more service areas on a vehicle than any other heavy-duty lift. It uses half the hydraulic fluid of traditional inground lifts, and the entire system is contained in a six-foot deep enclosure that's coated inside and out with Rotary Lift's exclusive EnviroGuard coating, a quarter-inch thick polyurethane sealant that protects against electrolysis and harsh contaminants for the 30-year life of the lift. Only the MOD30 meets the environmental standards of underground storage tanks (USTs), including lead detection, fluid monitoring, fluid extraction and an alarm system.

The MOD30 is energy efficient, requiring just a ½ horsepower motor for wheelbase adjustment, while other lifts need between two and 10 horsepower.

To alleviate safety concerns, the MOD30 comes with galvanized shutter plate trench covers that automatically move to keep the pit covered at all times. The lift's VEC Variable Equalized Control system raises both jacks simultaneously for level lifting, instead of "stair-stepping" a vehicle by first raising one end, then the other. It is automatically monitored 80 to 120 times per second.

Other features of the MOD30 include: 

  • Rotary's patent-pending inbay technology. Through inbay, technicians can immediately access and review service, diagnostic and maintenance information, including multiple memorized wheelbase settings, operation and maintenance manuals, troubleshooting guide and fault codes to identify problems, training guide to help train new users on the proper use of the lift, and preventative maintenance reminders.
  • Modular design. The lift can be configured for the facility's specific needs, with the control panel placed wherever it is most convenient for technicians.
  • Productivity enhancements. Both housings are recessed to provide an unobstructed floor. A wheel spotting dish for axle positioning guides the placement of the vehicle for proper lifting. The patented universal saddle adapter makes it easy to mount the vehicle. An auto spotting system allows positioning of the moveable piston without crawling around on the floor. The optional pendant control enables the technician to operate the lift remotely from the control console.
  • Available with two or three posts. Lifting capacity from 60,000 to 90,000 lbs. Can accommodate articulated buses and vehicles with tandem axles.

The Rotary Lift MOD30 is third-party tested by ETL and ALI certified to meet ANSI safety and performance standards. It is made in the United States.