VERTICALMASTS
15
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
access
INTERNATIONAL
competewith other low level access in some
applications but none of them can offer the
versatility thatmast lifts can.”
This includes cost and rates,platformheight,
narrowdimensions, lowweight andfloor loads,
tight turning radius andplatform capacity.
Genie’s latestmastwas theRunaboutGR-
26J,which launched in late 2012. It joined
the existingCEGR-26J andGR-20Jwhich
launched in the thirdquarter of 2010.
Customers like theRunaboutwith jib
models because of the access that is achieved
with a smallmachine, saysMsEngstrom.The
GR-26JCEmodel offers aworkingheight
of 9.85m andup and over clearance of 6.70
m and aworking outreach of 3.25m. It is a
two-personmachine or one person for outdoor
usage in theCEmarket,with 200 kg forCE
models and 227 kg forANSI/CSAmodels.
“We are currently researchingnewproducts
tomeet the evolvingneeds of owners andusers
of our equipment.”
One of those areas is floor loadings, addsMs
Engstrom,“As building construction evolves
and changes,users are asking for detailed
floor loadingdata to ensure safe usage.Genie
provides this critical information in operators’
manual and is available on ourwebsite.”
Further to that,new applications are being
found,“One areawhere verticalmast products
are often requested is indata centreswhich
house computer andnetwork servers.
“These facilities oftenhave subfloorswith
sensitive cabling and equipment underneath.
Users in these facilities oftenneed access
through tight aisleways and around corners for
regularmaintenance and facilitieswork.”
Retail focus
Haulotte’s latest products are the 8 and 10m
workingheightmastswith jib, the Star 8 and
Star 10 launched in 2005.The 6mworking
height Star 6Pwithpicking traywas launched
in 2009,while the 6mStar 6,without jib,was
launched in 2004.
The company is not reporting any new
products yet but echoes the view of other
manufacturers in the sectorwhen it comes
toperceived trends.They include a rise in
industrial andmaintenance applications,
those being cleaning,warehousing, lighting,
plumbing and air-conditioning.
Retail use is also on the up, such as stock
picking, inventory taking anddecoration. (See
the box story about Bravi in this feature for
more on this subject).
Inside, secondphase interior construction
is also a growing area saysHaulotte, for
electricity, lighting,plumbing, air-conditioning
and insulation.Alongwith indoor events like
those taking place in exhibitions and television
studios.
Outside,maintenance and second-phase
construction onprepared ground, like painting,
signfixing and lighting are additional trends.
At JLG there is a continual focus onways to
improve portability and reduceweightwithout
sacrificing rigidity and stability.At the same
time,“we study industry trends anddesign
products thatwill safely address these trends.”
MrMarzicola points to three trends
influencing the verticalmastmarket: operator
safety,operator ergonomics andnoise
abatement. “While it’s not a trendper se,we
also focus on our customers’priorities, such as
A Skyjack SJ12 in an industrial setting.
Haulotte’s Star 10model carrying out classic
warehousing duties.
The latestmodel fromDingli is theAMWP11.5-8100.
Itwas launched12months ago.
It is has an11.2mworkingheightwith active
potholeprotection, an industry fi
rst claims the
manufacturer. “
Weareworking ona14mdrivable
verticalmast now andwewill keep theactivepothole
protectionandmake longer horiz
ontal reach,”
says
HarryChen at Dingli.
In futuremastswill becomemore compactwith
agreater higherworkingheight.Mr Chen adds that
morewill be seenon construction sites, particularly
on themost developedmarkets of Europe.
With theexceptionof Power Tower’
s fi
rst product,
the self-namedPower Tower, all its products
aremast based. Theseare theNano launched in
2007, theNanoSP range and theEco range,which
consists of thePecolift, launched in2013 and the
Ecolift launched late2014.
The company usesAbsorption G
lassMat
batteries (
AG
M)
inall its products,meaning longer
life and z
erobatterymaintenance andnohealthand
safety implications or potential pitfalls fromacid
batteries, it says.
Applications are the sameaswouldbe
undertakenusing apodium or low level scaffold
or steps, says the company. Power Towers sells
worldwide,with largemarkets being theUK,
Europe,MiddleEast andAsia.
FROM CHINA
ECO LIFTING
