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INTERNATIONAL
JULY-AUGUST 2013
VERTIKAL DAYS
Craig Bentley, Haulotte UK general manager,
demonstrates the manufacturer’s new
ACTIV’Shield entrapment prevention system.
Terex AWP’s 43 m working height articulating
ZX-135/70 was shown in Europe for the first
time at the show and will be delivered to the
continent in October. It is a successor to
the Z-135 and offers a patented an X-Chassis
design and new angle sensors.
Vertikal Days is always a good barometer of the
UK market, and access manufacturers were out in
force to give their insights during June’s exhibition
at Haydock Park. Euan Youdale was there.
Steady work
T
he UK access market is taking slow steps
towards recovery. Craig Bentley, general
manager at Haulotte UK, says, “The
market is generally up this year, most of that
being electric scissors from a few specific deals.”
He adds that scissors account for about 50% of
the UK market, with the manufacturer’s 13.8
m working height Compact 14 scissor proving
popular. Vertical masts are also showing growth
in the market, says Mr Bentley, one of them
being the 10 m working height Star 10. “
Despite a difficult climate, the UK is
widely renowned as a leader in industry safety.
One of the issues addressed with gusto is
anti-entrapment. Haulotte Group used the
opening day of Vertikal Days to launch its own
entrapment prevention system.
The company’s ACTIV’Shield system
operates via a movable bar that will stop
operation when pushed forward by the
operator, but differs from other solutions in
that the bar can continue to move forwards
after the stop signal. Haulotte calls this
additional feature the Safety Gap.
Once triggered, only reversing or lowering
movements are allowed, “allowing the possibly
panicked operator to get out of trouble without
making the situation worse,” said a spokesman.
The system will be available from October
and will also be supplied for retrofitting on
older booms from 2008 year onwards.
The launch of the system follows that
of several other manufacturers and rental
companies in the UK, including Nationwide,
JLG and AFI-Uplift.The latter subsequently
sold its system Sanctuary Zone to a third
part supplier, UK-based Aerial and Handling
Services. Sanctuary Zone provides additional
overhead crushing protection system for use on
its boom lifts.
Around the time of Vertikal Days, Snorkel’s
global engineering team announced it had
approved the device for use on its boom
lifts and displayed it for the first time at the
exhibition. The device comprises a steel frame
that helps protect the machine operator from
being crushed between the platform and an
overhead obstacle. Two pieces are side mounted
on the guardrails to create a roll bar effect, with
an overhead bar running between them to
provide additional protection.
Tough market
This was the first time Italian manufacturer
Bravi had been at the exhibition under its
own steam. It ended its arrangement with
distributor Bravi UK in January of this year.
Marina Torres, Bravi sales manager, said, “The
market is still hard for us, and it would not
allow for a dealer, that is the only reason we are
on longer with them.”
On show was the Leonardo HD heavy duty
vertical mast platform.With Italy and the
UK being the biggest developers of low level
access there is a natural kinship between the
product t and the market. “We have added a
lot of features to our products and ones like
the Leonardo HD are perfect for contractors
because they have rough terrain capabilities
for the start of a project, then the indoor
capabilities for the end part.”
There have also been changes at another UK
distributor of an Italian manufacturer, namely
CTE UK, with its joint managing director
Brian King announcing his resignation on the
first day of Vertikal Days.
Mr King was part of the start-up of CTE
UK in 2002 and has worked with the company
since then. However, he is also heavily involved
in low level access manufacturer Power Towers
and it is this business that he will now focus on.
Power Towers has been successful is developing
low height products, with customers including
Nationwide, Hire Station and Riwal. Recently
rental giant Nationwide announced it had
ordered 1000 units of Power Tower’s Picolift,
amd Mr King said Hire Station has ordered
around another 1000. At Vertikal Days the
company was showing its wind rated machines
for outdoor use.The machine is slightly wider
and heavier at 250 kg, compared to the original
180 kg machine - it also has softer tyres for
rough terrain.
Michele Hillebrand, CTE Spa manager,
Co.me.t X4
vehicle mount
