Six of 10 companies that earned recognition for innovative new products in Lift and Access magazine’s 2016 Leadership in Lifting Equipment and Aerial Platforms (LLEAP) competition chose to accept their trophies at the recent ConExpo-Con/Agg trade show in Las Vegas, Nev.
Each of the winners earned the highest or second-highest score in their category from a panel of 15 judges that included the editors of Lift and Access, Crane Hot Line, and Lift & Hoist International, as well equipment professionals who work in the field with aerial platforms, telehandlers, and cranes every day.
The highest-scoring product in each of the competition’s five categories earned a Gold Award; the second-highest-scoring product in each category earned a Silver Award.
Companies who chose to accept a glass trophy in their booths at ConExpo to commemorate their LLEAP achievement included:
Elliott Equipment Co., which earned the Silver Award in the Aerial Lifts category for its E 190 E-Line truck-mounted aerial lift. The model earned judges’ praise for its 190-ft. platform height with 1,200-lb. platform capacity, 30,000-lb. material-handling capacity, integral stainless-steel grounding lugs, electrically isolating fiberglass yoke, and its E-Z crib outriggers, along with many other features. Pictured above, Elliott president Jim Glazer, right, accepts the LLEAP trophy from Lift and Access editor Mike Larson.
Skyjack, which earned the Gold Award in the Material Handler category for its TH Series of telehandlers. TH Series telehandlers with capacities of up to 10,000 lbs. use a 74-hp. diesel engine to deliver the same performance as their predecessors, which used engines in the 100-hp. range. As a result, the TH Series telehandlers do the same job, but with significantly simpler and less-costly exhaust after-treatment. In addition, Skyjack’s TH Series models offer simplified rear-axle stabilization, hydraulic systems, outriggers, controls, engine servicing, and electronics. Pictured above, Lift and Access publisher Pat Sharkey, left, presents the LLEAP trophy to Skyjack president and CEO Brad Boehler.
Magni, which earned the Silver Award in the Material Handler category for its RTH family of rotating telehandlers. The 12 models in the family offer maximum capacities from 11,000 to 13,200 lbs. and maximum tip heights from 57 to 127 ft. (Magni has since unveiled its largest model in the family, the RTH 6.46, which can set loads at a height of 150 ft.) The RTH telehandlers’ ability to rotate continuously and to do the work of a forklift, aerial work platform, and a crane earned praise from the judges. But additional features like a fully pressurized and climate-controlled cab, the machine’s ability to custom-create a capacity chart for infinitely variable outrigger positions, and a full-color touchscreen that helps simplify operation were also vital. Pictured above, Magni president and CEO Riccardo Magni, third from left, accepts the LLEAP trophy from Lift and Access publisher Pat Sharkey, as three key officers of Paramount Equipment, Magni’s master distributor and importer for the 23 most eastern states in the U.S., look on.
Manitowoc Cranes, which earned the Gold Award in the Cranes category for its Grove GRT 8100 rough-terrain crane. The GRT 8100 scored big with its 154-ft., five-section, telescoping, formed boom, which is both longer and lighter than its predecessor. The boom gives a 160-ft. maximum tip height, which can be increased to 252 ft. by adding a lattice jib, and the GRT 8100 out-lifts competitive cranes by 16% at full radius, 13% in the mid range, and 27% close in. Judges also awarded points because it was the only crane in its class whose attachments include a 33- to 56-ft. hydraulic luffing jib. Its new jib-stowage system cuts jib setup and takedown time by 60%. With all of that capability, it still can be transported at less than 93,306 lbs. Above, Lift and Access publisher Pat Sharkey (left) presents the LLEAP trophy to Mike Miller (center), who managed the GRT 8100 project, and Paul Cutchall, Manitowoc’s product manager for rough-terrain cranes.
Kubota Engine America, whose innovative WG series spark-ignited engines deliver diesel-like performance and life without the expense and difficulties of the diesel after-treatment needed to meet current clean-air standards. Kubota created the WG engines by converting diesel-engine architecture into spark-ignited units that can run on gasoline, propane, natural gas, or dual fuels. Kubota is the only engine manufacturer offering a full range of engines below 100 hp. that includes matching compression-ignited and spark-ignited models. The choice gives OEMs the option of choosing either diesel or gas power without having to drastically redesign a machine’s engine compartment. The spark-ignited models deliver power, torque, and life similar to their diesel counterparts while running at the same low rpms. Above, from left, Yasukazu Kamada, executive officer and general manager of Kubota’s engine division, holds the LLEAP trophy, accompanied by Rob Shailes, manager of strategic business development, and Toshiyuki Taneda, general manager of engine engineering.
Bailey Specialty Cranes & Aerials, whose collision-avoidance system earned the Gold Award in the Aftermarket Support Products & Services category. The laser-controlled system works on boom lifts and scissor lifts. Its key features include protection fields that adjust as the lift extends and retracts, ruggedness that meets the IP67 outdoor protection standard, availability for all brands of lifts, adjustable protection fields, and the ability to be retrofitted in the field. Its laser array field scanner can be programmed to scan a specific area, then sound an alarm or stop machine operation when anything enters the protected area. The scanned area can reach above the operator’s head and warn or stop operation before contact. Above, Bailey president and CEO Jeff Bailey, right, accepts the LLEAP trophy from Lift and Access editor Mike Larson.
The four LLEAP winners that chose to accept their awards at venues other than ConExpo include:
JLG, which earned the Gold Award in Aerial Lifts for its 1500 AJP 150-ft. articulating boom lift, which features a 2.6-million-cu.-ft. working envelope, 60-ft. up-and-over height, and 77-ft. horizontal reach, as well as 600-lb. unrestricted platform capacity and 1,000-lb. restricted capacity.
Creative Lifting Services, the exclusive U.S. importer of the Vicario V1989 self-erecting crane, which can run on single-phase 240V power and has an 89-ft. jib, hook heights to 78 ft. with the jib horizontal or 109 ft. with it luffed, 4,851-lb. maximum capacity, and 1,874-lb capacity at the jib tip. It is self-contained and can be towed by a semi-truck tractor over public roads with its counterweights on. One key feature is that the counterweights rotate forward for stowing in order to provide lighter axle loadings.
MEC Aerial Work Platforms, whose Proactive Platform Safety System (PSSS) took the Gold Award in the OEM Features or Essential Components category. The patent-pending PSSS system is designed to pro-actively stop lift operation before its operator becomes entrapped. The system’s enabling switch is on each control handle instead of being a footswitch, and it uses two sensors mounted on the platform’s upper guard rail to provide a cone of electronic protection above the operator. The sensors sound an increasingly intense alarm as an object moves into the protected area. The alarm deactivates when platform movement stops. When the control handles are pushed forward, they cause the platform to lower, moving away from entrapment.
Bigfoot Crane Company, which earned the Silver Award in Aftermarket Support Products and Services for the Navis WSM 410 Anemometer. The Navis WSM W410XM/BAT is an all-in-one sensor that mounts magnetically to an aerial lift, crane, or other equipment in seconds. It delivers real-time readouts of wind speed and temperature through a free app for smart phones and tablets. It is particularly useful where immediate and ongoing monitoring of wind speed is needed. Its long-range technology lets safety officers, equipment managers, and others monitor wind speed and temperature from up to 4,625 ft. away.
The 2017 LLEAP competition is now open for products that were—or that will be— introduced to North American between June 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017. The deadline for entering products in the 2017 LLEAP competition is June 15, 2017.
For more information, visit www.liftandaccess.com/LLEAP.
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