charging infrastructure or finding a product inoperable on site with flat batteries. This is a philosophy we will continue to expand upon in the non-powered range of products.”
Battery-free There are benefits for hirers in using manually-powered MEWPs, particularly around the fact that they have no batteries on board.
“For hirers with large fleets of electric scissors, they are looking at thousands of pounds in charging costs and it all adds up,” said Metal & Modular’s Brown. “We are hearing about sub-contractors being charged for electricity on site now, so from the end user perspective manual machines are more attractive.” Lee Crosse, strategic executive officer for Metal & Modular, adds: “We’re starting to see some hirers take the same approach to batteries being charged on machines as we do with diesel tanks being filled. If powered access platforms come back off hire and the batteries are not at least half full, these hire companies will issue a surcharge to that customer. So, for contractors they have to pay to charge on site and get charged again if the machines go back to the hirer without sufficient charge.”
In applications like data centres, the client simply does not want to hire large numbers of battery-powered platforms. “With battery- powered machines a site can have banks of machines charging overnight as the site can be working 12-hour shifts,” said Rogers. “When you have 40 or 50 machines per level with several levels to a site, there is always going to be a rush to the charging stations when the shift has ended.”
From a hirer’s perspective, the shift to lithium is also bringing its own challenges. “I was talking to a major hire company and discussed the problems with charging and storing lithium batteries,” added Rogers. “They have issues with charging stations requiring ventilation and computer control to shut off charging. The whole thing is becoming very complicated. The drive to using lithium batteries over lead acid is certainly going to bring a whole new set of challenges.”
This is echoed by Metal & Modular: “Thermal runaway is the biggest problem
with lithium batteries as those fires are very difficult to put out,” said Brown. “The water required to keep those battery fires under control is going to lead to water damage as well. In fact, water can short out other lithium batteries and cause them to ignite, we saw this during floods in Florida with electric cars.”
Jonathan Dawson, MD of Power Towers.
Maintenance made easy For hirers and end users, the simplicity of manually powered machines is also attractive. “These machines are competitively priced compared to electric scissors, then you have the additional savings on top, such as lower maintenance costs and no charging costs,” said Brown.
fleets of electric scissors, they are looking at thousands of pounds in charging costs and it all adds up
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Dawson from Power Towers added a note of caution, saying that non-powered access is still largely competing with podiums and scaffold rather than powered machines: “There are many instances where non- powered products can be used as an alternative to powered machinery, but it is important to understand the target markets are quite different.
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“But the step from a mechanical low level access system to a non-powered access platform without the need for charging, servicing and greater technical knowledge that comes with electric/hydraulic driven equipment is an easier step to make for the user/operator.”
Pop-Up agrees it has to be an applications- based approach. “PDI for hire companies is easy compared to a powered push-around lift – even more so than a self-propelled machine, and the maintenance schedule is pretty light,” said Rogers. “You are not having to deal with checking batteries and a whole raft of the pre-use checks, so some hirers’ customers like them as there is
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nothing to do in terms of weekly or daily maintenance. However, it’s horses for courses, and sometimes a hydraulic scissor is the only machine that can do the job.”
Other options Skyjack has found other ways of minimising the use of hydraulics and preventing leaks. Its SJ12 E and SJ16 E mast lists are direct drive machines, meaning they use an electric motor rather than hydraulics for driving. “This reduces hydraulic connections by up to 70% and improves duty cycle by 30%, leading to an overall lower carbon footprint with less charging and power consumption requirements,” said Malcolm Early, VP of marketing.
Otherwise, in order to catch leaks, MEWP manufacturers have traditionally offered a ‘diaper’ accessory to try and absorb fluids before they hit the floor. However, Skyjack has gone one step further with its Ecotray attachment. “While it has the same general purpose as the diaper, it is less cumbersome and does not restrict key lift functionality like pothole protection, static strap use, access to the emergency stop, emergency lowering and base controls among others,” said Early. “Ecotray also protects against leaks from drive motors and steering cylinders, unlike other systems that focus on the main hydraulic tray.” n
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