BendPak will premiere its new EV12DPS Octa-Flex prototype at this year’s NADA Expo in Las Vegas, Feb. 2-4. The company says the lift features its patent-pending Octa-Flex concept, a new two-post lift design with two sets of arms: triple-telescoping swing arms plus integrated lift-assist arms. Octa-Flex is the world’s first two-post lift series with eight fully adjustable, telescoping lift arms, according to BendPak.
The company says Octa-Flex offers all the functionality of a traditional two-post lift while enabling technicians to do things like tackle cab-off repairs without the help of additional component-handling equipment or a second tech. While the primary lift arms hold the vehicle, the Octa-Flex lift-assist arms can be used to help safely and ergonomically lift and maneuver heavy vehicle components like EV battery packs, drivetrains, tires, and wheel assemblies with precision, BendPak says. When they’re not needed, the powered lift-assist arms can be moved up out of the way, so the lift can be used as a standard two-post model.
“Octa-Flex lift-assist arms act like that second set of hands you wish you had when you need to remove a 1,200-pound EV battery or wrestle 100-pound wheels and tires off a truck,” says Jeff Kritzer, BendPak president and CEO. “Now you don’t have to ‘put your back into it’ or grab a buddy. Our Octa-Flex lifts will help technicians get more work done with less physical effort and strain.”
BendPak says the Octa-Flex’s three-stage arms extend and retract further than any other thanks to a patent-pending design that enables the inner arm tubes to retract fully through the back of the arm assembly and even beyond the arm pin itself, providing unfettered access to a wide range of vehicle lifting points. Plus, their lower profile and dropped-end pad receiver lets them access hard-to-reach lifting points with less chance of damage to vehicle side skirts, running boards or ground effects, even on low-slung sportscars or EVs.
The Octa-Flex concept also features BendPak’s patent-pending Automatic Swing Arm Restraint System (ASARS) to keep the primary lift arms in place. ASARS provides twice as much holding grip as traditional systems, according to BendPak. Its 360 degrees of forged steel teeth secure the arms in place to withstand more than 2,000 pounds of side force that can be generated during vehicle service. This adaptive system requires minimal operator involvement to set and release, BendPak says.
The Octa-Flex concept is a clear-floor design delivering unobstructed floor space for moving toolboxes, transmission jacks and other equipment under elevated vehicles, BendPak says. The company says that the EV12DPS Octa-Flex is built to deliver long service life with single-piece columns for strength, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene load bearings that never need lubrication, super-tall lift carriages to minimize stress on components, and industrial-grade hydraulic cylinders.
Octa-Flex Series lifts also feature BendPak’s Bi-Metric reversible swing arms that enable the lift operator to set the lift in either symmetric or asymmetric configurations, the company says.
BendPak is committed to further enhancing the Octa-Flex concept in the coming months. Anticipated for fall 2024, the global launch will encompass models with rated capacities of both 10,000 and 12,000 pounds.
BendPak’s will be in booth 4569W at NADA Expo from Feb. 2-4.
