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MARCH 2014
ACCESS, LIFT & HANDLERS
increasing levels of return.”
Another company making changes and
introducing updated and new models is JLG
Industries, Inc. JLG has upgraded its T32E
Toucan mast boom lift with a “ground-up”
redesign. The unit is now designed with 80
percent fewer hoses and fittings than its
predecessor, thus allowing the T32E less
maintenance and fewer leak points. The T32E
also includes a direct electric drive instead
of a hydraulic drive, for more efficient use.
Duty cycles are improved, allowing for greater
operator productivity.
The Toucan series delivers greater access
in a multitude of ways, according to Jeff Frod,
JLG global product director. The unit features
a highly responsive and durable mast design
that requires less time for set up. It also
moves easier, with a tight turning radius that
maneuvers more easily in narrow aisles and
confined spaces, he says. “And it services
easier, with quick access to major system
components.”
One of the biggest innovations in the vertical
mast line for JLG has been the company’s move
to offer direct brushless AC electric drive.
“Two major advantages are nearly 80 percent
reduction in the number of hoses on the
machines, and about a third of the hydraulic
fluid, from about 45 liters to 15 liters,” says
Ford. “This is significant from an environmental
standpoint and a leak standpoint.”
Trends and updates
Increasing platform height is a recent trend,
according to Paul Kreutzwiser, Skyjack senior
product manager. Skyjack will be unveiling a
new machine at ConExpo, but Kreutzwiser was
keen to keep quiet. “I realize many journalists
and customers are eager to learn more right
now, but we are holding off sharing any details
about the new lift until the launch at ConExpo.”
According to Kreutzwiser, all kinds of trades
and maintenance personnel use vertical mast
machines and they can typically be found
in multi-story buildings during all phases
of construction and even in completed
buildings. The various applications include
HVAC, plumbing, and fire sprinkler technicians,
drywallers (plaster), painters, electricians and
maintenance personnel.
“The 12-foot platform height was the staple
in the class for some time but the 16-foot lift
has gained traction in all markets giving the end
user a working height up to 21 feet, offering
a very versatile access solution,” Kreutzwiser
says. “Extra height and versatility on the job is
one reason for this tread, another driver is that
rental companies can use a machine like this
to backfill for the more popular small, narrow
scissors like the 15-foot and 19-foot lifts.”
Skyjack’s SJ12, with a platform height of
12 feet and weight of 1,720 pounds, and the
SJ16, that has a platform height of almost 16
feet and weight of 2,130 pounds, provide users
with the most flexibility in a compact design,
Kreutzwiser says. The SJ12 and the SJ16 both
have a zero inside turning radius, a 20-inch
traversing platform for extended reach, a sliding
access panel that allows for easy access to all
components and a capacity up to 500 pounds.
To ease maintenance issues, Kreutzwiser notes,
both vertical mast lift machines are built using
Skyjack’s standard color-coded and numbered
wiring system.
Snorkel story
While Snorkel has no immediate plans to add to
its vertical mast line, it says compactness and
reach were also on its mind when it enhanced
its M1230E mast with a roll-out deck extension.
This optional extra provides additional reach
without the need to move the machine.
Recently, contractors at a new shopping mall
invested in a Snorkel vertical mast lift to provide
safe and efficient working at height.
AiroControl is installing ventilation systems at
the $140 million Kings Avenue Mall in Cyprus.
The company required a light weight aerial lift
with a 19 foot, 8 inch platform height and the
solution was a Snorkel SPM20 self-propelled
mast lift.
The Snorkel SPM20 is a narrow, self-propelled
mast lift that is ideal for use in warehouses,
offices, retail and other facilities maintenance
applications. This lightweight machine is
designed to be easy-to-use for one person
and has a safe working load of 330 pounds.
The entire unit is less than 30 inches wide.
Furthermore, Snorkel says, the SPM20’s skid
steer provides a zero inside turning radius,
making it ideal for indoor work in confined
spaces. Completely electrically-powered, the
SPM20 is quiet, clean, environmentally friendly
and has very low running costs.
Kings Avenue is a new landmark mall in
Paphos, a coastal city about 31 mileswest
of Limassol, the largest port in Cyprus. The
1.1 million square foot complex houses 115
shops, banks, leisure facilities and restaurants,
with 1,250 underground parking spaces. The
mall contractor purchased the machine from
Snorkel’s long-standing distributor in Cyprus,
Mak Atermonas.
Marios Kyriacou, Technical Director of Mak
Atermonas, said: “We are delighted to supply a
A Snorkel SPM20 at work
on Cyprus shopping mall.
JLG will unveil this new
Toucan unit at ConExpo.
VERTICAL MASTS
JLG’s FS60 LiftPod aerial work platform.
