MAST CLIMBERS
54
ACCESS, LIFT&HANDLERS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2015
market, we are looking atmodels to bridge the
difference inpayloadwe currently have between
the single and twinmastmodels. “In the past
years, AlimakHek has suppliedmultiple heavy
lifting solutions inEurope and theMiddle East.
These unitswere all assembled frommainly
standardparts of theHekMedium range. The
non-standardparts have been rather similar on
most projects and thereforewe are looking at
standardizing these parts asmuch as possible.
Thiswill have a positive effect on the production
lead time and level of investment.”
In the lower capacity range,models are
expanding indeveloped and emergingmarkets.
“Inmost emergingmarkets, thesemodels
are the startingpoint for vertical transportation.
Because of a lower investment level, it is a
preferred approach to develop thesemarkets.
Depending onhow the growthwill develop and
how fast it will go, somemarketswill change for
medium and/or heavy segment,” the company
says. “In the developedmarketswe also see
a positive growth for the lower capacity range.
Thesemodels are replacing some of themedium
andheavymodels because the payload and
dimensions of the lower capacitymodels are
sufficient for some of themarket requirements.”
In the bigger ranges, there is continued
demand for higher capacitymodels. In some
cases twice or three times themaximum that
canbe offered at themoment. Olguin adds, “The
size of thismarket segment is however not big
enough formanufacturers to develop a standard
machine.”
InAlimakHek’smodular range, transport
platforms andmast climbingplatforms use
the samemast anddrive unit. This can keep
investment low.With this range already inplace,
the company is now focusing on “standalone”
machines in these product ranges. “It is the
aim to bring the best possiblemachine for the
owner anduser to themarket based on the
specific needs for thatmodel,”Olguin says.
“Thesemachineswill all have the best ratios of
technical performance andprice.”
Hoist plans
For Alimak, a new line of hoistswere introduced
during the last yearwith features requested in
these emergingmarkets.
The first introductionwasmade at Bauma
2013 andmoremodels have followed. They
operate on theScando450 and650mast
sections giving compatibilitywithprevious and
existingproduct lines. This is a competitive
rangewith a low cost of ownership, Alimak says.
“The construction industry is looking for
solutions for high capacities andbig volumes
on a regular basis,”Olguin says. “The demand
is on a project-to-project basis and the volumes
are still low. Going forward it is likelywewill see
these bigmodelsmore often.”
However, a trend in the industry sees
operators going for the cheapest price– and
this canbe a challenge. “This oftenmeans
neglecting sufficient design standards and
criteria,” saysOlguin. “Different areas of the
world are also applyingdifferent standards and
regulations. To offer units thatmeet the same
standards and canbe compared as equal is
therefore at times a challenge.”
He adds, “Customers are asking for green
solutions aremore frequent.We already have
efficient components but these demandswill be
enforced evenmore in the coming years.”
Compact carriers
In2012, ReechCraft launched thePowerMast.
And this year, the companywill launch a
completely brandnewunit, but we’ll all have to
wait untilWorld of Concrete to seewhat exactly
it is, president JasonSolhjem tells
ALH
.
ThePowerMast, however, offers a1,500-
pound loadwith twinmasts.
“As far asmast climbers go, thePowerMast
is extremely small and compact, where even a
120-foot system can fit in the back of a compact
pickup or van,” Solhjem says. “The small size
provides a large list of applications.”
Solhjem says hewill continue to extend the
capabilities of thePowerMast by adding options
and accessories and expanding into awider
variety of access applications. “All new features
will bemodular, portable, light and compact,
andwill broaden the core capabilities.”
He adds, “Our primarymarket focus is on
lower capacitymachines. Themarket is ripe
for exploiting the benefits ofmast climbers
that are right sized for smaller scale access
challenges. Due to our small scale, we are able
to fit anywhere traditional scaffolding can fit and,
actually,many places it can’t. Therefore, we are
findingmany new applications every day.
“Despite the length of time on themarket,
people still are quite unaware of whatmast
climbers offer andhow they are used. Increased
training and exposure from the industry leaders,
alongwith amore viable economywill help the
industry along.”
■
Alimak Hek sayswithin the light/medium
market, it is looking atmodels to bridge
the difference in payload it currently has
between the single and twinmastmodels.
Pictured here is a twinmastmodel.
AReechCraft PowerMast climbs a
beachfront building in the U.S. to clean
windows.
A custom hydraulic 12-foot extension on a
KlimerLite, pictured here, provided access
for install of cables on the IndianRiver
Bridge inDelaware.
