Aerial Work Platforms
The AWP or aerial work platform is a machinery designed and engineered to elevate employees and tools to a particular height for the completion of tasks. The kind of machinery varies with the specific brand and model. Before aerial work platforms were made, all jobs which require work at high levels had to be carried out with scaffolding. Thus, the invention of aerial work platforms has kept many employees safe and increased the overall productivity of similar tasks.
The three main types of aerial work platforms are scissor lifts, boomlifts and mechanical lifts. These machinery are able to be operated with pneumatics, mechanically via a rack and pinion system or with screws or by hydraulics. These models may be self-propelled with controls located at the platform, they may be unpowered models which need an external force to move them or be mounted to a vehicle so as to be transported.
The aerial work platform was developed by John L. Grove, an American inventor and industrialist. Nevertheless, during 1966, before JLG's first unit, a company known as Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift model.
In 1967, after selling his previous business Grove Manufacturing, John L. Grove along with his wife decided to take a road trip. They opted to make a stop at Hoover Dam. While the couple was there, Grove unfortunately witnessed 2 employees electrocuted while they were working on scaffolding. This tragic event led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product which can safely lift workers in the air for them to perform construction and maintenance tasks in a better way.
John bought a small metal fabrication business and formed a partnership with 2 friends, when he returned home from his vacation. The small company soon began designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new company was named JLG Industries Inc. They proudly launched their very first aerial work platform in 1970 with the aid of 20 employees.