Skyjack has chosen the UK for the launch of its new range of battery-powered booms.
According to the Canadian manufacturer, which has a subsidiary in Wales, the new booms offer operational carbon savings of up to 42 percent. Noise emissions are under 70dB, excluding alarms, while the machines are also 92 percent recyclable by weight. The number of hydraulic connections is also halved, and bio-degradable hydraulic oil is available as an option.
The first two models in this series are in the SJ45 AJE+ and the SJ60 AJE+, covering the14m /45ft and 18m / 60ft articulating boom categories. They offer 15.7m and 20.1m working heights and are suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. Both models have an all-electric, axle-based drive system for better traction. However, it has the same hydraulic steering and the oscillating axle as Skyjack’s diesel rough terrain booms.
As a later entrant to the electric boom market, Skyjack has been able to put its own stamp on these products. “We wanted to provide as much uptime as possible without sacrificing performance,” said Mark Trowman, product development and project manager EAME, Skyjack Europe.
To this end, Skyjack’s eBooms can offer up to 454kg platform capacities or 300kg for the full working envelope. “Where some of our competitors have reduced this capacity, we have maintained it,” adds Trowman.
Furthermore, Skyjack opted for AGM batteries rather than lithium. “AGM gives us less of a headache than lithium,” said Trowman. “A lot of our customers tell me they are very happy with AGM and there is a trend of them going back to AGM at the moment.”
The batteries still support a full day’s operation and can be recharged from 20 percent to 80 percent in nine hours. A complete recharge takes 15 hours. For booms, this equates less than three hours, as a boom lift typically elevates workers then remains in place for long spells. The SJ60 AJE+ can work for 2.7 hours on a full charge, while its little brother can work for over three hours.
“We carried out an evaluation to see how they were utilised, and MEWPs are very different to dumpers or other construction equipment,” said Trowman. “We have enough data to see how much time our diesel booms are operating for. People are often amazed at how short the time is that the machine is actually functioning.”
https://www.skyjack.com
