Aerial Work Platforms
AWP or aerial work platforms are designed and engineered to raise employees and their gear to a certain height in order to complete a job. The particular unit and manufacturer and kind of machinery all varies. Before aerial work platforms were made, all tasks requiring work at high levels needed to be carried out with scaffolding. Therefore, the invention of aerial work platforms has increased the overall productivity of similar jobs and kept numerous employees safe.
There are 3 key types of aerial work platforms. They are mechanical lifts, scissorlifts and boomlifts. These machinery are able to be operated with pneumatics, mechanically utilizing a pinion and rack system or with screws or by hydraulics. These models may be self-propelled with controls at the platform, they may be unpowered models which need an external force to move them or be mounted to a vehicle in order to be transported.
The aerial work platform was created by John L. Grove, an American inventor and industrialist. However, in 1966, before the very first unit of JLG, a company called Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift model.
John L. Grove together with his wife decided to take a road trip in 1967. This was after selling his previous business Grove Manufacturing. They decided to 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 lift workers safely in the air for them to do maintenance and construction jobs in a better way.
Once John returned home from his vacation, he bought a small metal fabrication company and formed a partnership with 2 friends. They soon started designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new business was named JLG Industries Inc. They proudly launched their very first aerial work platform in 1970 with the aid of 20 employees.