Market growth: the evolution of the aerial lift industry
Published in: Arbor Age
Date: 10/1/2002
THE AERIAL LIFT MARKET HAS BEEN EVOLVING FOR DECADES. GROWING TO meet an increased range of customer needs, lift companies have utilized modern technology to develop safer, more efficient and more versatile lifts. Arbor Age magazine asked several lift manufacturers to discuss the evolution of their companies, products and the overall changing face of the aerial lift industry.
TIME MANUFACTURING CO.
Out of the need to provide an inexpensive, small, maneuverable, safe and dependable way for telephone lineman to perform tasks at varying heights above ground, Bill Blewett, owner of Cliff on Telephone Company in Clifton, Texas and Russell Howard, a young engineer associated with Clifton Machine Works developed in 1965 the first VERSALIFT unit. In 1967 Charles B. Turner, whose family was involved with Palo Pinto Telephone Company in Mineral Wells, Texas, saw the future potential of such an aerial device and approached Howard and Blewett with a partnership offer. Howard accepted and Blewett sold his interest to Turner to stay in the telephone business. Howard and Turner moved to Waco, Texas and officially formed TIME Manufacturing Company in 1968.
TIME Manufacturing introduced its first insulated unit, a 28-foot unit, in approximately 1972. In 1975 the company introduced 36-foot and 42-foot insulated units. Then in the mid-80s, it continued to expand the insulated unit into 50- and 55-foot tree trimming units. In 1987 TIME Manufacturing introduced the VM-50, which is two-man non-overcenter insulated unit.
“One of the most innovative things was when TIME designed and came out with a combination articulating and telescopic unit — it was both an elbow and a telescopic unit,” said Paul Rugh, special accounts manager at TIME Manufacturing. “No matter how low you were working, the elbow of the unit never protruded beyond the side of the body Whereas, if you were working fairly low with a typical 36- or 42-foot straight elbow unit, the elbow might have been sticking out in traffic. So that was an innovative design, and that was introduced in 1987.”
In 1994 TIME Manufacturing introduced a similar articulating and telescopic design, but with lighter construction designed to mount on a 15,000 GVW chassis. In the mid-90s, the company came out with an overcenter heavy-duty material handling unit. It had up to 2,000-pound capacity on the jib and winch.
Rugh also discussed some design changes and improved safety measures.
“Safety factors are controlled by ANSI, and all the manufacturers have to comply to that,” said Rugh. “But one of the things we’ve done is that all of our pins — cylinder pins, elbow pins and hinge pins — are double retention. If you picture a pin having a head on it like a nail, that goes through on one side of the elbow or joint. On the other side some people use a snap ring to hold the pin in place, some use a single bolt, we use two bolts. The importance of that is if a pin should snap or break, without the double retention there is nothing to keep it from backing out. But our units have this double redundancy.”
All operators do a daily and monthly walk-around check before operating the unit. They are supposed to look at critical fasteners and the obvious things. TIME Manufacturing makes it easier for them with a torque stripe on all critical fasteners. The torque stripe is a blue wax/paint material that runs from the bolt head across the nut and bolt. If that fastener has come loose, the operator will see that the torque stripe has separated. That is a sign that the operator needs to check that fastener.
According to Rugh, lift evolution has also changed over the years from the standpoint of lift design and the technology used for design purposes.
“We use a computer aided stress analysis,” said Rugh. “We enter the materials, length, weight, capacity and more into the computer and it shows if any areas are less than the safety margins call for.”
Rugh also pointed out that basket capacities have changed throughout the years. Ten to 15 years ago the standard basket capacity was 300 pounds, and the weight of the liner, the operator and any tools have to be subtracted from that. Today capacities have grown to as high as 450 pounds.
“The 15,000, 17,500 and 18,000 GVW chassis have become extremely popular, because they are still small trucks when compared to medium-duty trucks,” said Rugh. “So there are now a lot of 36- to 40-foot lifts on these units. Smaller, more compact units are one of the biggest trends in the lift market right now. It’s more environmentally friendly, it’s easier to get into alleys or back yards. It is less invasive to customers. They are also easier to get in and out of.”
TEREX TELELECT
Terex Telelect roots go back to 1945, when two men developed a machine to dig holes for utility poles. Since those beginnings Telelect has grown to serve multiple industries with its products.
Telelect’s aerial lift history has two stories. In 1969 Telelect first introduced an aerial product line called the Zip family consisting of a telescopic aerial, articulated aerial and a crane. Mobile Aerial Towers, Inc. introduced the first Hi-Ranger aerial device in 1950. Hi-Ranger aerial devices offered features such as the “straight-line” approach to a work area achieved with the introduction of a compensated boom. In 1992 Telelect acquired the Hi-Ranger product. With the addition of the Hi-Ranger products Terex Telelect’s history and experience base was increased.
Terex Telelect currently serves the tree care industry with a range of Telelect Hi-Ranger products to meet a range of applications. The product line is led by the XT series, which was introduced in 1996. Complementing models include the telescopic TL series Backyard unit, SC series, FC series and 6H series. These products cover working heights from the lowest height trees up to 105 feet. Typically the products are mounted on a truck, but Telelect offers aerial lifts that can be mounted on track units or skidders for remote or hard-to-reach applications.
According to Telelect, lifts have helped workers to complete their jobs in a safer and more efficient manner. Just the fact the equipment can get the person to the work site has helped to prevent injury. After ice storms people do not have to climb slippery trees or ladders. They stand in the bucket and get to the aerial work site to clear broken branches. In wind-damaged areas they do not have to crawl over and around ground debris. In addition, the equipment has become more versatile, with extended maintenance intervals.
Tree trimming operations continue to be improved, but probably the most notable enhancement over the years was the introduction of insulted booms for line clearance work.
Recent Telelect enhancements include single stick controls that allow precise boom control with one handle as well as transverse lifts that mount behind the cab, ahead of the chip dump box. The transverse lifts provide additional height, allowing a larger work zone to minimize repositioning the truck for increased efficiency.
MOBILE TOOL INTERNATIONAL
Mobile Tool International (MTI) a Westminster, Colo., lift manufacturer, has business roots throughout the country dating back to 1954. The origins of the company stem from formation in 1954 of a California firm named Telsta, a manufacturer of specialty truck-mounted lifts primarily for the telephone industry. Telsta products have evolved over the years and primarily focus on the telecommunications industry. General Cable bought Telsta, the company then acquired Holan, a manufacturer of insulated material handling aerial lifts for electric utility construction and maintenance. Penn Central acquired General Cable in 1981 then became American Premier Underwriters. In the 1990s the company changed its name to Mobile Tool International. MTI then purchased AmenQuip, a California company that manufactures trailer-mounted aerial and scissor lifts. Then MTI bought TECO, a Fort Wayne, Ind., manufacturer of insulated lifts and digger derricks. In February 1999, MTI acquired the assets of TECO and formed a new, wholly o wned subsidiary, MTI Insulated Products. (MTIIP).
TECO’s history began in 1975 when a team of TECO employees began the production of the VANGUARD, and it became the forerunner of a complete line of aerial lifts. More than 70 models of personnel platforms were introduced during the first 20 years of the business. These included models with overcenter and non-overcenter capabilities, telescoping booms, heavy-duty material handling features and tree trimming capabilities.
MTI is constantly developing new products. For example, in 2000 the company introduced TRAX 40 a track-mounted aerial lift that provides 40-foot working height and moves on tracks over 30-degree slopes and rough terrain.
“Products today continue to evolve to match the jobs for which they are used,” said Al Rocke, national sales manager and director of product support at MTI. “Products are better in terms of quality, performance and functionality, because we use more sophisticated 3-D solid modeling equipment to design new products.”
POLECAT INDUSTRIES INC.
Wayne Gwilliam, president of Polecat Industries Inc., was in the landscape and tree care business for 20 years before he started Polecat in 1994.
“A competitor of mine had developed this three-wheeled red machine,” said Gwifliam. “He created a niche lift that would compliment a bucket truck or climbers. It wasn’t going to replace them, but it was a compliment.”
Gwilliam went into business with that individual and then bought him out. Polecat lifts are lightweight to prevent damage to turf, and they can be towed at highway speeds by a pick-up truck. Gwilliam points out that being towable is one of Polecat’s benefits.
“If you have a bucket truck, you have to have a driver with a commercial drivers license,” he said. “That is difficult to get and it is costing companies more for those employees. With this you don’t have to have a high-paid driver. You also don’t have the maintenance and insurance of a full vehicle.”
Once at the job site, the Polecat provides the advantage of a self-propelled one-man operation. Polecats can also access areas that traditional lifts can’t get to.
The Polecat has evolved over the years with improved simplicity of operation for the operator. On the small units one single joystick controls everything. That keeps one hand free for the operator and reduces fatigue. The number of moving wear parts has also been reduced. Polecat also improved its metal preparation, paint preparation and paint finish. The company has continually added safety features to the lifts as well as an added outer rail. The inner rail becomes the handrail and the outer rail provides hand protection.
Polecat recently introduced the PC40. It has the capabilities of a small bucket truck and the ability to access a narrow area. The PC40 features one pistol grip controller that controls drive, steering, lower boom, upper boom and jib.
“The lifts that we build are part of a trend in the equipment manufacturing industry toward smaller, towable equipment,” said Gwilliam. “Big isn’t always better. When you need big, you need big. But you don’t always need big.
“I don’t want to give anyone the impression that we’re competing with bucket trucks or bad-mouthing bucket trucks. Bucket trucks are the mainstay of a tree care company’s operation, and even our big unit is going to be a compliment to those bucket trucks.”
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