Lift and Access has announced the new and innovative products that were Gold Winners in its Leadership in Lifting Equipment and Aerial Platforms (LLEAP) competition for 2013. This year’s LLEAP competition is the seventh edition in the long-standing series. It honors products that were introduced or upgraded between April 1, 2011, and February 28, 2013. LLEAP recognizes products that are new, innovative, and improve the mobile access and lifting industries.
The LLEAP competition considers entries in five categories:
Sixteen judges evaluated the entries. The panel included six members from the staff of Maximum Capacity Media (MCM) staff, which publishes Lift and Access, Crane & Rigging Hot Line, Industrial Lift & Hoist, Lift & Hoist International, and Scaffold & Access. The panel also included 10 experts who work in various aspects of the lifting, access, rental, construction equipment, and safety industries.
The panelists used their expertise to judge each LLEAP entry, based on:
• Innovation: Is this an innovative product?
• Influence: Will this influence the market in a positive way?
• Benefit: Will this product benefit the owner and/or operator?
• Leadership: Is the manufacturer a leader in the industry?
The product with the top average score in each category earned a Gold Award. The entry with the second-highest average score earned a Silver Award. The remaining entries in each category were named Finalists. In addition, one machine (aerial lift, material handler, or crane) and one support product were selected as Platinum Award winners for best all-around innovation.
Here, by category and in alphabetic order, are the three LLEAP Gold Winners for 2013.
Aerial Lifts
Genie ZX-135/70 Boom Lift
Improving upon the previous Z-135 articulating boom model, the new Genie ZX-135/70 has been significantly redesigned, with important improvements in reliability, performance, operator features, and serviceability. It is already in production and available for purchase in all markets worldwide.
The ZX-135/70 offers industry-leading versatility in the self-propelled 120- to 135-ft. size range. It offers 135-ft. maximum platform height, 69'9" horizontal outreach, and 75-ft. up-and-over clearance.
Its revolutionary new X-Chassis design, a Genie exclusive, provides a wider footprint and reduces occupied floor pressure by 30%. The axles extend to 17 ft. wide for operational stability, yet retract to 8 ft. for transportation without over-width highway permits. The robust, box-section axles pivot on vertical mounting pins, providing easy and reliable machine setup, with excellent hose and hard line protection throughout.
The extending jib is distinctive, providing exceptional access by telescoping from a retracted length of 12 ft. to an extended length of 20 ft. This design provides access to “up, over, and in” applications inaccessible by a traditional jib.
The platform controls have been updated with new toggle switches and a tactile membrane surface, as well as proportional Hall-effect joysticks for all major functions. The Hall-effect joysticks have fewer moving parts, and all adjustments are stored on one control card at the ground control station. The new tri-axis joystick controls the boom’s extension, retraction, raising, and lowering, as well as turntable rotation. A second tri-axis joystick controls jib raising, lowering, extension, and retraction, plus rotation of the work platform.
The self-supporting cable track has been strengthened with updated hose and cable runs that can support platform options such as a heavy-duty welder, welding leads, platform work lights, and air lines. To simplify maintenance, the ZX-135 features many easy-access service points, with hard lines for increased protection. New angle sensors feature larger resolution margins for improved calibration stability.
Judges' Comments
Material Handlers
Genie GTH-1544 Telehandler
Genie’s new 15,000-lb. capacity GTH-1544 telehandler is the largest model in the company’s line of telehandler products. It has been created to meet the growing need for durable, high-capacity mobile lifting in construction, oil and gas applications, mines, and ports.
Based on a proven Terex telehandler that was introduced in 2007 and built specifically to meet the demanding needs of the military, Genie’s new GTH-1544 adds features and benefits that hit the sweet spot for today’s rigorous job requirements. It offers 10,000-lb. capacity at its 44-ft. maximum lifting height, and 3,500-lb. capacity at its 27'3" maximum forward reach. No outriggers are required for operation. The machine’s operating weight is 33,686 lbs.
The new cab design provides ergonomic features and better comfort, including an optional fully-enclosed cab with full glass, defroster, wipers, heater, split door, window washer, and air conditioning. Other options include a rear-viewing video camera with a monitor inside the cab.
The side-mounted engine compartment permits excellent visibility and features easily removable panels that offer ground-level access to filters, belts, and other service points. If major engine work is needed, the engine can be taken out in less than two hours.
The hydraulic test ports are all grouped in a single spot in the engine compartment, clearly marked and referenced to schematics. The hydraulic oil filter can be replaced easily without leakage or contamination. Engine choices include Tier 4i-compliant models from Deutz (154 hp) or Perkins (147 hp), with 22,500 lbs. of drawbar pull. The two-speed hydrostatic transmission has shift-on-the-go capability and offers drive speeds to 18 mph. The outside turning radius is just 14'7".
Optional attachments include quick-attach carriages, several sizes of forks, a rubbish bucket, a 14-ft. truss boom, and a 7-ft. truss boom. Genie plans to release more attachments during 2013. Production will begin in the third quarter of 2013, with availability in ANSI and CSA markets.
Judges' Comments
OEM Features/Essential Components for OEMs
Genie Operator Protective Structure
Pioneering a unique standard for operator protection systems, Genie has introduced its Operator Protective Structure (OPS). The OPS is an optional device for installation on articulating or telescopic boom lifts. It provides secondary protection for operators in the event of contact with an overhead obstacle in certain applications.
“The Genie team is aware of incidents where operators made contact with overhead obstacles while operating aerials,” said Scott Krieger, senior product manager for booms and telehandlers. “Ultimately, the operator, in conjunction with the worksite supervisor, is responsible for identifying and avoiding overhead obstacles. But as a secondary measure, Genie is working both independently and with various partners to provide protective solutions for a variety of worksite conditions.” Based on of the concepts of other SAE operator protective standards, the Genie OPS can be attached to boom lifts with 6-ft. to 8-ft. platforms and allows excellent visibility. The tubular steel structure is designed to transfer the kinetic energy into surrounding structures while maintaining a protected area for the operator. It weighs just 36 lbs. and is bolted directly onto the boom lift’s work platform, without requiring platform modifications.
Judges' Comments
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