Overview
Some applications exceed the limits of every standard VRC on the market. Loads above 12,000 lbs. Carriages larger than 12 feet. Vertical rise beyond 150 feet. Continuous cycles without hourly or daily limits. Speeds approaching 400 feet per minute. The PFlow F Series is where the limits stop. PFlow calls it “The Hercules of VRCs” — and the specifications justify the name.
The F Series is a four-post mechanical VRC designed for virtually unlimited capacity, carriage size, and vertical rise. Every unit is custom-engineered to the application. PFlow has built F Series lifts handling up to 200,000 lbs for automotive manufacturing, heavy equipment production, multi-story distribution, and industrial operations where no other VRC can do the job.
Specifications
- Standard capacity: up to 50,000 lbs
- Custom capacity: up to 200,000 lbs
- Carriage size: unlimited (minimum 6 ft wide x 6 ft 6 in. long)
- Vertical rise: unlimited
- Speed: 20 fpm standard, up to 400 fpm available
- Cycles: unlimited, continuous operation
- Environment: indoor or outdoor
- Motors: 2 HP to 15 HP TEFC brake motors standard
- Electrical: 230/460 VAC, 3-phase; 24 VDC control voltage
- Warranty: lifetime structural warranty
- Compliance: ASME B20.1 Safety Standards
Four-Post, Four-Side Loading
The four-post design frames the carriage on all four corners with structural steel guide columns. This creates the strongest possible structure for oversized and extremely heavy loads — and opens all four sides of the carriage for loading and unloading. Material can enter from the front, back, either side, or any combination, giving maximum flexibility for traffic patterns, forklift access, and integration with conveyor systems or automated material handling equipment.
Built for Speed, Built for Cycles
Standard F Series travel speed is 20 fpm, but custom configurations reach up to 400 fpm — fast enough for high-speed automated production lines and rapid-cycle distribution operations. Unlike hydraulic VRCs that are limited to 10 cycles per hour and 100 per day, the F Series has no cycle limit. It runs continuously, shift after shift, for as long as the application demands.
Safety Features
- Limit switches shut down the motor and engage the brake when tripped or on power loss
- Motor overload protection prevents excessive current draw
- Chain sensors prevent slack chain from jumping sprockets
- Certified safety cams prevent carriage descent in the event of chain failure
- Optional DeckLock safety system for added security at upper levels
- Interlocked gates with 8-foot enclosures on all accessible sides per ASME B20.1
Construction and Options
The carriage is lifted and lowered by heavy-duty roller chains attached to a mechanical lifting mechanism on top of 6-inch guide columns. Standard NEMA 12 control panels and push-button stations are included. Optional hot-dipped galvanized or epoxy finishes are available for outdoor and wash-down environments. Explosion-proof components can be specified for classified (hazardous) areas.
Applications
The F Series serves automotive manufacturing, steel and metals processing, heavy equipment assembly, multi-story distribution, food and beverage production, aerospace, and any operation that needs to move extremely heavy, large, or high-volume loads between levels — at any speed, at any height, without cycle limitations. If the application exceeds the capacity of every other VRC, the F Series is the answer.