Aerial Work Platforms
Aerial work platforms or AWPs are engineered and designed to elevate employees and their gear to a certain height in order to finish a task. The particular model and manufacturer and kind of machinery all varies. Before aerial work platforms were developed, all jobs needing work at high levels needed to be carried out with scaffolding. Therefore, the invention of aerial work platforms has kept a lot of employees safe and increased the overall productivity of similar jobs.
There are 3 main kinds of aerial work platforms. They are mechanical lifts, scissorlifts and boomlifts. These types of machines can be operated with pneumatics, mechanically using a rack and pinion system or with screws or by hydraulics. These units may be self-propelled with controls located at the platform, they may be unpowered units that require an external force to move them or be mounted to a vehicle so as to be transported.
The aerial work platform was devised by John L. Grove, an American inventor and industrialist. Nonetheless, during 1966, before the first model of JLG, a company called Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift model.
John L. Grove and his wife decided to take a road trip in the year 1967. This was after selling his previous company Grove Manufacturing. They opted to make a stop at Hoover Dam. While the couple was there, Grove unfortunately witnessed 2 workers electrocuted while they were working on scaffolding. This tragic incident led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product that could safely raise workers in the air for them to do maintenance and construction tasks in a better way.
Once John returned home from his trip, he bought a small metal fabrication company and formed a partnership with 2 friends. They immediately began designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new business was named JLG Industries Inc. They proudly released their first aerial work platform in the year 1920 with the aid of 20 employees.