V
ERTICAL
M ASTS
14
access
INTERNATIONAL
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
Finding favour
V
ertical masts are providing
increased competition to
ladders and podiums in the
work
place, particularly
inwarehouses and retail
sites for stock
pick
ing and
other relevant duties. They
are also finding new areas
of growth.
EuanYoudale
reports.
V
erticalmast lifts are ideally suited to
any application requiring compact
dimensions or lowfloor loads.They are
capable of fitting into spaces too small for a
scissor lift,while also addressingmany safety
issues that ladders or scaffoldingmay present.
That is the view ofCoreyConnolly,product
marketingmanager at Skyjack.
Supporting this opinion isMarieEngstrom,
associate productmanager fromGenie,who
saysmast lifts are growing inpopularity as
changing safety regulations andworksite rules
mandate the removal of ladders.“They offer
additional functionality over a ladder, such as
increased efficiency and safer access.
“Some rental customers enter the aerial
marketwith our series ofmanually propelled
productswhich are simple for one person
to transport and setup and are offered at an
affordable entry point.From there theymay
move to a self-propelledproduct like theGR
orGRC.With their small size, these self-
propelledproducts offer additional access to
areas that larger productswouldnot fit.”
Compact conditions
An example of this trend comes fromFrance-
basedATN,which launched its last vertical
mast, thePIAF 660RC, atAPEX.The
company describes it as ‘very compact’,with
itsweight anddimensions being stand-out
features. It is 0.78mwide x 1.92m tall, and its
920k gweight allows it tofit into elevators.
The 660RCuses a unique closed
box telescopicmastwhichmakes
it is easier tomaintain and repair,
says themanufacturer.ATN is now
considering a new verticalmast on
tracks,whichwouldbe a little higher
than its predecessor thePIAF 810
andhopefully ready for Intermat 2015.
The featureswill be common to thePIAF
range, such as, easymaintenance,non-captive
spare parts andheavy-duty components.
DavidBeltrame, salesmanager atATN,
explains.“Applications such as electrical
maintenance of sprinklers,warehouse
activities, and so on, are subject to strict
safety rules and these kind ofmachines,
compact and fast,make theseworks easier.”
With this inmind,ATNhas aPIAF
660RC ‘picking’version in the pipeline,with
an extensible basket, allowing the operator to
liftmaterial while using a tablet or PC.
JLG’smost recent products are the JLG
LiftPodFT70 and theFT140personal
portable lifts.RandyMarzicola, channel
development director at JLG Industries,
says theFT range continues the
LiftPod legacy, as it is simple
to assemble,operate and
transport and enhances job site productivity.
“Verticalmast lifts have longfilled a
specific niche in the lift and accessmarket.
Warehouses anddistribution centres, for
example, continue to rely on these products”.
He uses the JLG 1230ES as an example of the
type of product these endusers are demanding.
It has the ability to raise and lower in 12
seconds and features a five-inch turning radius
for goodmanoeuvrability in tightworkspaces.
TheFT70 andFT140 feature platform
heights of 7 ft and 14 ft, respectively, and
include new telescopingmasts that provide
clearancewhen required, allowingworkers
to stand in an enclosedplatform andmove
hands-free in a 360-degree range.
The newmodels consist of four
lightweight components for simple
assembly anddisassembly.When
disassembled theLiftPodfits in the back
of a pickup truck or van for easy portability
betweenwork sites.TheFT140 is powered
by a new 40V lithium-ionbattery system,
optional for FT70.
Skyjack also recognises the benefits of
verticalmasts and suggestswe could see
an addition to its range of twomodels:
the SJ12-2010 and the SJ16 –2012.
“Skyjack is continuing to addproducts
to further establish itself as a full line
provider of platforms,”saysMrConnolly.
“Due to their versatility,mast lifts are
becoming quite popular. If space or floor
loading is limited, there is nobetter option.
The list of applications has got bigger as
heights havemovedbeyond the traditional
12 ft,withmachines now offering platform
heights of 16 ft and 20 ft.”
MrConnolly adds,“There are very few
alternative options to amast lift.Theymay
A Genie GR-
26
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od FT14
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