Aerial Work Platforms
AWP or aerial work platforms are engineered and designed to elevate employees and their tools to a certain height in order to finish a job. The specific unit and manufacturer and type of machinery all varies. Before aerial work platforms were made, all tasks requiring work at high levels had to be carried out with scaffolding. Thus, the invention of aerial work platforms has increased the overall productivity of similar jobs and kept many workers safe.
There are 3 main types of aerial work platforms. They are scissor lifts, boomlifts and mechanical lifts. These types of equipment are able to be operated with pneumatics, mechanically making use of a rack and pinion system or with screws or by hydraulics. These models may be self-propelled with controls at the platform, they may be unpowered models that require 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 developing the aerial work platform. Nonetheless, during 1966, prior to JLG's very first model, a company referred to as Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift unit.
During the year 1967, after selling his previous business Grove Manufacturing, John L. Grove and his wife decided to take a road trip. They opted to stop at Hoover Dam. While the couple was there, Grove unfortunately witnessed 2 workers electrocuted while they were working on scaffolding. This tragic incident led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product that could safely lift workers in the air for them to perform construction and maintenance jobs in a better way.
John bought a small metal fabrication business and formed a partnership along with 2 friends, when he returned home from his trip. The small business soon started designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new business was called JLG Industries Inc. They proudly launched their very first aerial work platform during 1970 with the aid of 20 workers.