Aerial Work Platforms
AWP or aerial work platforms are designed and engineered to elevate employees and their gear to a particular height so as to carry out a job. The specific unit and manufacturer and kind of machinery all varies. Before aerial work platforms were developed, all tasks that need work at high levels had to be carried out with scaffolding. Therefore, the invention of aerial work platforms has increased the overall productivity of similar jobs and kept many employees safe.
The three main types of aerial work platforms are boomlifts, mechanical lifts and scissorlifts. These types of machinery are able to be operated with pneumatics, mechanically making use of a pinion and rack system or by hydraulics or with screws. These units may be self-propelled with controls located at the platform, they may be unpowered models needing an external force to move them or be mounted to a vehicle in order to be transported.
John L. Grove was an American industrialist and inventor who is widely credited to creating the aerial work platform. Nevertheless, in 1966, before JLG's very first model, a company known as Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift unit.
During the year 1967, after selling his previous business Grove Manufacturing, John L. Grove together with his wife decided to take a road trip. They decided 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 terrible incident led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product which can raise workers safely in the air for them to do construction and maintenance tasks in a better way.
When John returned home from his trip, he purchased a small metal fabrication company and formed a partnership with 2 friends. They immediately began designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new company was named JLG Industries Inc. They proudly released their first aerial work platform in 1970 with the aid of 20 workers.