Aerial Work Platforms
Aerial work platforms or AWPs are engineered and designed to raise workers and their gear to a particular height in order to finish a task. The particular unit and manufacturer and type of machine all varies. Before aerial work platforms were made, all jobs which need work at high levels had to be carried out with scaffolding. Hence, the invention of aerial work platforms has kept many employees safe and increased the overall productivity of similar jobs.
There are 3 key types of aerial work platforms. They are mechanical lifts, scissorlifts and boomlifts. These machines are able to be operated with pneumatics, mechanically utilizing 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 units which need an external force to move them or be mounted to a vehicle so as 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 model of JLG, a company called Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift unit.
During 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 saw 2 employees electrocuted while they were working on scaffolding. This terrible incident led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product that could lift employees safely in the air for them to perform construction and maintenance tasks in a better way.
Once John returned home from his trip, he bought a small metal fabrication business and formed a partnership along with 2 friends. They immediately started designing ideas for the aerial work platform. The new business was called JLG Industries Inc. They proudly released their first aerial work platform during 1970 with the aid of 20 workers.