The Changing Face Of The Scissor Lift Market

The majority of self-propelled scissor lifts have been electric powered since the market began to take off in the late 1970s, gathering pace in the mid 1980s. With almost 90 percent of all scissor lifts already battery powered we take a look at the remaining 10 to 15 percent of the market that remains diesel powered – mostly full size Rough Terrain models. This, along with a look at some of the latest new product launches in the rest of the scissor lift market.

Wind safety developments

A serious wind farm accident in 2008 led to a decade long process of safety improvements in the sector and offers a casebook example of how to build an understanding of safety between all those involved. Will North spoke to two of those leading the efforts, Klaus Meissner and Ton Klijn, who explain the resources available to ensure safe lifting on wind farms.

Rising winds

As a new generation of larger, higher, wind turbines become commonplace around the world, wind farm developers will need to look at employing larger lattice and telescopic crawler cranes to install them. Will north reports.

Edilgru MH 1000-30/32

Edilgru is an Italian manufacturer of self-erecting tower cranes. CGM Models of Italy has produced this 1:50 scale model which is substantially made of high-quality plastic, rather than being diecast. It comes in an Edilgru branded box, but there are no instructions included, which is a pity as they would be helpful.

Bringing Battersea Back To Life

London’s iconic art deco style coal-fired Battersea Power Station was constructed in various stages between 1929 and the mid-1950s. By 1983 however the entire site was decommissioned to be left empty and decaying on the south bank of the River Thames until 2013 when work was approved to begin a long-term restoration and transformation project set to cost £9 billion.

The higher hundreds

In the second of a two-part report, Will North looks at All Terrain cranes between 130 and 180 tonnes. While some models in this class target taxi crane work, it also marks the point where five-axle carriers become standard with most models designed for project work.

Spiders gaining traction

The results from our survey of the tree care sector in last month’s issue of cranes & Access highlighted how spider lifts are the platform of choice for arborists. In the following pages we take a look at the latest spider lift products and features on the market to see why they are proving so popular. We also speak with CMC's UK distributor Tracked Spider Sales and UK rental company Spiderlift.

Unconventional power

Conventional fuels may be the energy source of yesterday, and renewables the innovation of the present, but tomorrow’s fuel could well be fusion power. The name of ITeR, originally the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, puns on the latin ‘The Way'. The project is supported by the european union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the united States. The global joint venture partners clearly believe fusion power is the way forward.

XCMG XGC220T

The XCMG XGC220T is a telescopic crawler crane with a capacity of 220 tonnes. This model by Yagao comes in an XCMG branded box and includes an instruction sheet printed in Chinese and English.

Luke Reddish - CPA Lifting Technician of the Year

This year’s CPA Stars of the Future ‘Lifting Technician of the Year’ award was won by Luke Reddish, 28, of Wolffkran - one of the first crane companies to adopt the new Lifting Technician Trailblazer Apprenticeship. Wolffkran’s Samuel Slocombe was also highly commended.

New hoist developments

In recent years contractors and developers on some high-rise projects have looked to reduce the number of traditional rack and pinion hoists on the outside of the building during construction. This might be due to the actual space available, cladding installation considerations or other reasons. One solution has been to install a hoist within the building’s lift shaft moving up as each floor is completed. However the traditional solution - a ‘traction jump lift‘ hoist - employs a similar mechanism to the elevators used in the completed building, in that they employ cables and a headstock beam, along with a travelling counterbalance counterweight.

Increasingly remote

The operation of machinery via remote controls has typically intended to allow operators to place themselves in the most beneficial position, in terms of safety and view of the work. With the advent of radio remote controls, operators are no longer confined to a stationary control point whether that be at the end of a trailing lead, in a cab, a platform, or at the side of a machine. More recently however it has also begun to take on a slightly wider meaning and purpose.

Hoists on the up

We covered mastclimbers and hoists in our March issue but given the level of material we had on mastclimbers we barely touched on hoists. This feature plans to readdress the balance a little. We look at what is or might drive uptake of both products, before focusing on a number of new hoists and product developments in what is a relatively mature and well-developed sector. We will also take a look at some interesting projects and applications, including an update on the massive Battersea Power Station redevelopment site.

American exceptionalism

In our last issue, we looked in detail at what it takes for cranes to travel easily on European roads. Manufacturers strive to include as much counterweight as possible within 12 tonne axle loads – 16.5 tonnes in some markets – while working within national permit restrictions, taking note of tighter restrictions in some major cities. While this may be a point of irritation for crane owners and designers, it is nothing compared to the challenges facing their North America counterparts. Will North reports.

The changing face of rental software

With rental software companies constantly developing new solutions, updates and improvements it could be well worthwhile arranging a review with your current provider or even scoping out the market to see what else is available. We sat down with some of the leading providers from around the world to investigate underutilised features and solutions built into their systems, that companies in our industry all too often fail to take advantage of.

Taxi drivers

The 100 to 180 tonne class of All Terrain cranes covers both taxi cranes capable of taking on multiple daily jobs, through to larger more project oriented cranes. it also marks the point where four axle carriers give way to five axle cranes. in the first of two articles, Will north looks at the choice available in the 100 to 120 tonne class and talks to the leading manufacturers about the considerations driving their latest developments.

Cattaneo CM 221

Cattaneo is an Italian manufacturer of self-erecting tower cranes, its CM 221 has a maximum capacity of 1.8 tonnes at 8.9 metres radius. The maximum jib length is 22 metres with a tip capacity of 600kg.

Spread the word spread the load

Every year since 2006 we have focused on the importance of spreading outrigger or wheel point loads by using good quality outrigger mats or tracking and setting outriggers correctly for the work to be done. That first feature came a year after we began reporting crane and aerial lift accidents on Vertikal.net. During that time, it became apparent that the vast majority of incidents resulting in serious injuries or fatalities were related to overturning, mostly due to a failure to spread outrigger loads with proper mats or cribbing, along with poor outrigger set up. Most companies now appreciate the importance of setting up properly, and mat usage is commonplace, but overturns remain a major problem.

Big truck mounts come of age

In recent years much of the new product development in the truck mounted platform market has been concentrated on models mounted on 3.5 to 7.5 tonne chassis where there has been considerable innovation and market growth. it is now the turn of the very largest machines.

New man in the driving seat

In June, Ainscough Crane Hire appointed Peter Gibbs as chief executive, two months after he had stepped in as interim chief executive after the sudden departure of Jeremy Fry. Fry had lasted barely a year in the position after taking over from Janet Entwistle who also left at very short notice.

Ready for take-off?

When you think of disruptive technology within our industry it probably doesn’t get any bigger than the use of virtual reality (VR) for operator training.

The Swiss army knife

An endless array of attachments can transform a telehandler into a machine with the versatility of a Swiss army knife. Not only do they increase productivity and safety, but they also reduce the number of different machines needed on a job. The following are just a few that are available on the market.

Comansa has updated its 11LC range of flat top tower cranes

Comansa updates the 11LC flat top range Spanish tower crane manufacturer comansa has updated its 11lc range of flat top tower cranes and will shortly incorporate similar changes into its 16lc line. The company will also introduce a six tonne version of its eight tonne 11lc150, taking the 11lc range to five models with capacities of five, six or eight tonnes with jib lengths up to 65 metres and jib tip capacities of 1,700kg, or 1,870 with Powerlift.

Where have all the mini crawlers gone?

in recent years, both small telescopic spider cranes and the increasingly popular larger articulated models have become a mainstream alternative to larger cranes for a growing range of applications. one closely associated crane type that seems to have suffered from this rise in popularity is the mini crawler crane.

New Rosenbauer rescue platform

Fire and recovery vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer has added a new 27 metre l27a-XS 3.0 ladder platform to its XS (Extra Small) range. Joining a 32 and 42 metre model in the range, the new platform is mounted on a two axle Mercedes atego 1527 F chassis and features a five section ladder boom topped by a 4.35 metre jib.

Hybrid machines the future or an interim solution?

When it comes to hybrid aerial work platforms there is still some confusion as to what exactly is meant. Most take the view that a hybrid is neither a diesel nor a battery powered machine.

Dingli buys into Teupen

Chinese aerial lift manufacturer Dingli has acquired a 24 percent stake in German spider lift manufacturer Teupen. The investment follows Dingli’s purchase of a 20 percent stake in Magni Telehandlers in 2016 and a 25 percent stake in Mec aerial Work Platforms in 2017.

CEO change at Manitowoc

“Tariffs may not be the best solution”

26m Ommelift insulated hybrid spider

Ommelift has launched the new 26.5 metre 2650 iRX 46kV insulated hybrid spider lift. Shown as a prototype at the utility expo in Kentucky, last year, it has a category c level insulation rating with each lift element insulated with Waco fibre glass sections.

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