"Because of great strides made over the years in construction engineering, the work-at-height solutions industry always needed to stay on its toes, which it has indeed done. Besides advances made in more traditional work-at-height devices, it is the telescopic boom lifts that have been stealing the limelight," says Brett Fleming, CEO of Eazi Access Rental.
"Ten years ago it was considered a rare achievement when they could reach heights of up to 41 metres in South Africa - that is now history with the new JLG 1850 representing a greater leap in construction engineering support."
According to Fleming, recent years have shown an increased demand from customers in the construction, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation, building maintenance and structural steel industries to work more safely and effectively at much greater heights.
"With land in prime metropolitan areas being expensive and sought after, the most has to be made of these sites. As a result, sports facilities, office blocks, residential complexes and other buildings are all becoming bigger and certainly taller," says Fleming.
While many sectors in the work-at-height industries still make use of traditional products such as scaffolding, mast climbers and bosun's chairs, more and more are starting to realise the benefits of telescopic boom lifts, and especially those that can reach greater heights, and do so safely. Not only is the new JLG 1850 a safer work-at-height solution, but it also offers greater productivity.
"It's not just about how high one can go, but how much workable reach can be attained. When you have to work around different angles and crowded job sites, you need the right piece of equipment that gets you straight to the source. The gradeability of the JLG 1850 further allows one to drive it at a steeper angle, and with its bigger fuel tank, operators can work longer, which in turn increases productivity, providing a winning combination for customers," says Fleming.
According to Fleming the new boom lift reaches more applications at unprecedented heights, moving aerial work platforms into applications previously reserved for truck-mounted booms. The JLG 1850 also has a maximum platform capacity of 226.80kg, and the boom extends from ground to full height in less than five minutes, making it quicker to get to height than standard work-at-height methods.
A telescopic jib extends and retracts to provide additional reach, up-and-over capability, and the ability to telescope into and around structures in a variety of applications, including steel erection and energy-related construction (such as petrochemical, power generation, and wind plants). The new boom lift further features an enhanced LCD display on the platform which provides a graphic display of the operator's position within the work envelope, thus assisting in positioning.
