Aerial Work Platforms
Aerial work platforms or AWPs are designed and engineered to raise workers and their gear to a certain height in order to finish a job. The specific unit and manufacturer and kind of machinery all varies. Before aerial work platforms were made, all jobs needing work at high levels needed to be done with scaffolding. Thus, the invention of aerial work platforms has kept a lot of workers safe and increased the overall productivity of similar tasks.
The three key types of aerial work platforms are mechanical lifts, scissorlifts and boomlifts. These kinds of machinery are able to be operated with pneumatics, mechanically using a rack and pinion system or by hydraulics or with screws. These models may be self-propelled with controls situated at the platform, they may be unpowered units requiring an external force to move them or be mounted to a vehicle so as to be transported.
John L. Grove was an American inventor and industrialist who is widely credited to devising the aerial work platform. Nevertheless, in the year 1966, prior to the first model of JLG, a company known as Selma Manlift launched an aerial lift model.
During the year 1967, after selling his previous business Grove Manufacturing, John L. Grove along 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 saw 2 workers electrocuted while they were working on scaffolding. This terrible event led John Grove to discover an untapped market for a new product that could lift workers safely in the air for them to do construction and maintenance jobs in a better way.
Once 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 business was named JLG Industries Inc. They proudly released their first aerial work platform in the year 1920 with the aid of 20 employees.