Paul Jensen, product marketing manager, Haulotte, talks about advances in diagnostics and communication tools, safety developments, reducing emissions, range extenders and more.
What do you see as some of the new trends in mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers (not just with your company’s products). What are customers particularly looking for?
Jensen: Our customers are looking for safe and reliable machines that have the lowest down times possible. Haulotte is supporting that need with a suite of digital products that are helping owners, operators, and technicians. The Haulotte Activ’Screen is leading the industry with diagnostic and configuration tools located right on the machine, no diagnostic tool required. Technicians are given plain text information about trouble codes as well as drawings locating the parts that are affected, and instructions on how to return the machine to service as quickly as possible.
Sherpal, Haulotte’s telematics solution, builds on the data presented on the Activ’Screen and transmits all the same machine status and diagnostics information to the cloud for easy access and analysis either on the MyHaulotte.com web platform or the customer’s own ERP. Fleet managers can quickly see the location and health of their connected machines, and plan for effective technician visits when needed. Haulotte digital tools keep operators informed about machine status, reduce downtime with onboard rapid diagnostic tools, and reduce TCO with effective fleet management and analysis tools.
What improvements are being made in the aerial industry in regard to safety, in your products and in the industry as a whole? Are there particular areas of safety you feel need to be addressed more, i.e., falls from height, electrocutions, entrapments, tools falling out of platforms, etc.?
Haulotte led the market in North America by making our Activ’Shield Bar a standard feature on rough terrain booms. We have now extended that level of safety to all slab booms, our jibbed mast, and our rough terrain scissor lifts.
In addition to helping prevent crushing accidents, we are now helping operators remember to connect their lanyard when they enter the platform basket with the new FASTN smart lanyard detector. This award winning, universal solution works like the seat belt reminder in a truck. If the lanyard is not connected correctly to the FASTN attachment point, a reminder alarm sounds when the operator begins to operate the machine. If the operator continues to use the machine without connecting a lanyard, the alarm becomes louder to draw attention from the job site. FASTN also records all the data that it collects and allows safety managers to download time and date stamped information to help create training and safety plans. FASTN is a new product that is currently in field trials with very positive feedback from operators.
How much have rental companies improved in regard to safety practices and training their customers in safety in recent years? How would you like to see improvement in this area?
Haulotte is working to help operators and technicians work as safely and independently as possible. All Haulotte machines now have a MyCompanion QR code located next to the lower control box that gives operators and technicians instant access to the most important information they need. When they click on the QR code, they are taken to the landing page for that specific machine with access to manuals and videos that they need to safely and effectively complete their job. In addition to the standard operator manual and spare parts catalog, there are videos showing how to operate the machine. A novice machine operator may forget certain steps during the training they receive at the rental store. Knowing there’s a video overview to reinforce that training makes operators more confident, more safe, and less likely to call the rental store to ask questions. For additional safety, the online dashboard will help the operator document a complete visual inspection of the machine before operation begins and weather conditions for the local area are shown, preventing the operator having to guess what the wind conditions are on the job site.
What are the main new developments in your company’s products?
Haulotte’s newest rough-terrain MEWP models are the safest, most efficient machines that we have ever built. The HA61 RTJ PRO rough terrain boom is the most recent update to an already popular machine. To reduce machine emissions and make maintenance more simple, a new 24 hp engine has been paired with a four wheel drive mechanical axle, eliminating 30 percent of the hydraulic hoses of the previous machine while still delivering all the rough terrain performance needed for today’s job sites. The dual zone platform weight capacity now includes a dual zone tilt allowance. When working in the restricted zone, the machine tilt capacity increases from 4 to 6 degrees, reducing the temptation to use unsafe practices like cribbing when working on slopes. Look for the new Dual Reach feature on additional machines as they are updated to our new design standards.
We continually ask manufacturers and rental companies about electric and hybrid aerial machines, and we find demand and acceptance is increasing each year, along with improved charging infrastructure on jobsites. Do you agree with this? What are your expectations for this market in the foreseeable future, particularly in rental?
Haulotte introduced the 100-percent electric Pulseo range of machines in 2018 and has continued to develop and push the state of the art. All machines in the Pulseo range have an optional detachable range extender to increase machine flexibility within the rental fleet. Machines can be sent out without the range extender when there is easy access to the electrical grid or a 100-percent electric machine is required on the job site. Adding the range extender to the machine increases the types and conditions of locations where the machine can be used and the small generator efficiently charges the machine battery pack as long as there is fuel available.
For even more flexibility, the same range extender can be installed on any boom or scissor lift in the Pulseo range, reducing the number required for an effective fleet. As our industry searches for the best answers to reduce emissions while efficiently getting work done, the Pulseo range is the most flexible and effective solution supporting construction and industrial companies as they continue to build our economy.
