Electrical Requirements & Power Pack Configuration

Should you go with an individual or centralized power pack? The answer affects redundancy, maintenance downtime, and your electrical layout.

Design Decision 01

Should I go with an individual or centralized power pack?

Every hydraulic stacker needs a power pack to generate lifting pressure. The question is: does each unit get its own dedicated power pack, or does one large unit distribute hydraulic pressure through shared lines to multiple stackers?

Per-Unit Requirements
Data Sheet 02

Base electrical specs per unit

From the APS 2PK6.0 product data sheet — these specs apply to each individual stacker unit.

W
2.2kW
Power unit
V
208V
3-Phase 60Hz
A
8.3A
Working current
DC
24V
Control power
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE / FAILURE ANALYSIS

When one thing breaks, what stops working?

A single hydraulic leak. Two architectures. The blast radius is the difference between a quick service call and a full garage shutdown.

SCENARIO:
HIGHER RISK 01 / SHARED

Centralized

One pump. One shared line. One point of failure.

LEAK PUMP
5/5
stackers offline

A leak anywhere in the shared line takes every connected unit offline. One pump failure = total outage. Maintenance on one unit = shutdown for all.

VS
RECOMMENDED 02 / ISOLATED

Individual

Five units. Five power packs. Zero shared failure points.

LEAK PUMP PUMP PUMP PUMP PUMP
1/5
stacker offline

Each stacker has its own self-contained power pack. A failure stays local — the other units keep running. Maintenance is isolated. No cascading failures.

The trade-offs at a glance

CENTRALIZED
INDIVIDUAL
When a leak happens
All units offline
Only that unit
Maintenance impact
Whole line down
One stall down
Single point of failure
Yes — central pump
None
Hydraulic line length
Long shared runs
Contained per unit
Troubleshooting
System-wide diagnostics
Always isolated & local
POWER PACK ANALYSIS / FIELD EVIDENCE

The truth about
power requirements.

A common misconception is that individual power packs need more power. They don't. The real difference is how that same power gets distributed — and what happens when something fails.

EVIDENCE / FIELD
EXHIBIT A Individual Power Pack AutoMotion's Power Packs
Centralized power pack with hydraulic lines distributed to multiple lifts/stackers
Power Pack
EXHIBIT B Leaking Power Unit Real-world failure mode
Leaking power unit causing oil stains and slippery floor conditions
Oil leaks cause stains,
slippery floors & damage
THE MISCONCEPTION
MYTH

Individual power packs require more total electrical power.

TRUTH

Both systems draw the same total power from the grid. The difference is how it's routed — and what stays running when one piece fails.

It's not about more power. It's about distributing it efficiently.

OPERATIONAL REALITY
3–5
valet attendants per floor (max)

Only enough lifts need to run at one time to serve the attendants on duty.

Design power distribution to match the number of attendants working — not the total number of lifts.

  • Route power smarter, not heavier
  • No oversized central pumps
  • Each unit operates on demand
KEY TAKEAWAY

Individual power packs deliver greater reliability, easier maintenance, cleaner installations, and lower long-term risk for your garage.

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