Aerial Work Platforms
AWP or aerial work platforms are designed and engineered to raise employees and their tools to a certain height so as to finish a job. The specific unit and manufacturer and kind of machinery all varies. Before aerial work platforms were made, all jobs which need work at high levels needed to be carried out with scaffolding. Hence, the invention of aerial work platforms has increased the overall productivity of similar jobs and kept many employees safe.
There are 3 main kinds of aerial work platforms. They are boomlifts, mechanical lifts and scissorlifts. These machines can be operated with pneumatics, mechanically using a rack and pinion system or by hydraulics or with screws. These models 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 in order to be transported.
The aerial work platform was developed by John L. Grove, an American inventor and industrialist. Nonetheless, in the year 1966, prior to the first model of JLG, a company referred to as Selma Manlift introduced an aerial lift model.
In the year 1967, after selling his previous company Grove Manufacturing, John L. Grove along with his wife decided to take a road trip. They opted to stop at Hoover Dam. While the couple was there, Grove unfortunately witnessed 2 employees electrocuted while they were working on scaffolding. This tragic incident led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product that can safely raise workers in the air for them to do maintenance and construction jobs in a better way.
Once John returned home from his trip, he purchased a small metal fabrication business and formed a partnership with 2 friends. They soon began designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new company was called JLG Industries Inc. They proudly launched their very first aerial work platform during 1970 with the aid of 20 workers.