PFlow Power Lift

The LSST mirrors and camera are designed to be transported on carts, as complete subassemblies, from the telescope to the maintenance level within the summit facility during LSST's ten-year survey lifetime. The mirrors will be recoated approximately every two years and the camera clean room will be available to support maintenance and servicing. Because the maximum load (the M1M3 on its cart) will approach 75 tons, and the equipment must move up and down 27-meters, a custom, robust lifting mechanism is required. PFlow Industries (link is external) has built a unique 11-meter square Vertical Platform Lift for LSST, and today on Cerro Pachón the folding-edge structure for its movable roof was successfully installed. The folding edge is positioned at the top of the lift tower, and it swings back to allow passage of the lift carriage when the platform lift is called up to the telescope floor. The movable roof, which is pushed up by the lift carriage, minimizes the overall height of the lift structure and aides in airflow over the building. When the lift is not in use, the roof is securely latched down to the building and the folding edge to meet weather protection and seismic requirements. The folding edge structure, itself weighing nine tons, was safely and precisely installed in a single day to minimize interference with the ongoing adjacent assembly of the Dome.