Side lifters

How does a side lifter work?

| 2020-04-23

The Titan engineering team invested a lot of design time to achieve the optimal geometry of the crane.  This is a crucial factor because it is often difficult to place trailers near containers. The wide reach allows the operator to lift the container even if the trailer is at a distance.The demanding requirements of the various tasks that the weightlifter must be able to complete means that the position of the arm pivot point and the actual arm length must be optimized to ensure that all tasks and side lifter work can be completed. Through unremitting optimization, a large extension of 3.9 meters was finally achieved, while still being able to perform dual stacking functions on 9.6-foot containers, and maintaining a low profile making it an ideal product. This makes the side loader work better.

Side lift container workingSide lift container working

This is a challenging task, because any small adjustment will have a significant impact on the final performance, and often a small adjustment to improve one function will have a greater negative impact on another function.


This large-scale expansion is also an important function when performing trailer-to-trailer transfers. The trailer-to-trailer transfer refers to the use of a container side loader to load or unload containers onto another trailer. During this process, the accompanying trailer is parked as close as possible to the forklift, and then the container is transferred. The larger outreach allows additional distance between the supporting trailer and the container side lifter, making alignment easier and avoiding collision damage.

Side loader craneSide loader crane

Another feature is its low stowed position. The container loading is stored in a low-key manner, which can avoid damage from foreign obstacles during transportation, and also avoid damage and contact with the container when being loaded by straddle carriers. 

Side lift container transportSide lift container transport

Operators wishing to transport and deliver lighter loads more economically may find this new model becomes their first choice. Simply put, the design seamlessly combines the very best of both worlds – low tare weight and proven strength and durability in one unit. Faced with two competing yet important design objectives, Sidelifter set out to produce a sidelifter that met the optimum needs of low tare weight, while at the same time delivering proven strength and durability.

With a 37ton lifting capacity, the sidelifter is quick and stable and boasts an outreach of more than four metres to provide ease of operation. The sidelifter is available with a separate power pack system with Kubota engine. This means that the sidelifter can operate with any truck without any specific hydraulic fittings, and gives more flexibility for operators with a fleet of trucks. In addition, this model will handle 20 ft containers, 40 ft containers as well as 2 x 20 ft containers side by side. It will also handle the double stacking of containers, an added feature when space is at a premium.Side loader has been tried and tested,where it enjoys a strong presence in the commercial road transport market. For some years the side loader container has become a top selling product in those countries.Many operators approve of the technology and have been impressed by its performance, e.g. having the ability to lift up to a 36-tonne weight yet answering the payload challenge.

Container side loader trailerContainer side loader trailer

Designers at Titan are constantly improving their rugged sidelifter without compromising on ‘safety’ which continues to be their number one focus. Throughout the design process, a constant eye is kept on safety. Although the sidelifter was built to work under the most extreme of conditions,transfers of containers weighing up to 45 ton can still be made easily within a “safe” working envelope.

Container loading trailerContainer loading trailer

The hydraulic system is fitted with pilot operated over-centre valves on the crane arm cylinders. These are factory pre-set to cope with unforeseen shock loads or attempts to lift more than the crane’s maximum lifting capacity.Prevent the arms from moving unless there is a pressure signal from the main hydraulic valve.Help keep the movement of the load controlled and constant when being lowered, regardless of the pressure that may be in the cylinder.Ensure that the cylinders are held in position, should the hydraulic system lose pressure. This stops the arms from dropping and prevents any run away of the load in the event of a hose failure.The hydraulic system is also fitted with a High Speed/Load Sense Unloader Valve which limits working pressure when operating in high speed mode. This prevents the engine from overload.

An emergency stop button is located on the remote control that will shut down the engine and stop all operations once the button is activated.The sidelifter stabiliser legs are fitted with an interlock system that prevent lifts from being attempted without the stabiliser legs being deployed. A plunger switch is fitted to the stabiliser housing and is activated when the foot has positive downward pressure. Until that time, the lifting arms are disabled.

Get more articles about side lifters, please click "TITAN side lifter".

Feedback