UK-headquartered construction machinery major JCB has launched nine electric scissor lift models and announced a new JCB Access division, marking its entry into the powered access equipment sector.
The company said that by the end of this year the newly-announced JCB Access business will have 27 scissors, articulated booms and telescopic booms. JCB believes the powered access market, which generates an annual revenue of $8bn globally, is in excess of 130,000 units and plans to take a slice of the market with its foray into the sector.
JCB’s entry into the sector has been one of the most closely guarded secrets in the industry, despite being in the planning for two years. Many AWP industry experts have been taking up roles at the new division, with some top personnel from powered access giants making the move to the British company, such as Phil Graysmark, Genie’s former vice president of sales and marketing for the EMEAR region, who left the Terex AWP division after eight years towards the end of 2015.
Richard Butler, managing director of JCB Access, said customers had been asking JCB for years for powered access products and the move into the segment was customer driven.
“It was a logical extension; we had been busy growing our product range over the years in the construction and agriculture sectors but the noise escalated – a number of customers said, ‘you should be in this sector because it has so many synergies with products you already supply’. It was a no-brainier in reality, and we set about it,” Butler was quoted as saying by Access International, a publication of the powered access sector.
JCB said that all its powered access products will be produced in China under contract by a third party manufacturer.
By the end of 2017 JCB’s range of access platforms will include nine electric and three diesel scissor lifts from 4.6m to 13.8m, five articulating booms – four diesel and one electric – from 14.9m to 24.6m, and 10 diesel telescopic booms from 20.6m to 41.6m.
The scissor lifts weigh between 1.3t and 3.3t. The two smallest models have platforms 1.64m long by 0.76m wide, while all larger models use a 2.5m long platform. The largest S4550E model has a 2.64m long working area. The machines are rated for basket capacities from 227kg to a maximum of 550kg.
The electric scissors are powered by four 6V or 12V batteries, with hydraulic drive. Three diesel models will be introduced later this year, as well as other models, such as articulated booms, that will expand its range further. JCB’s LiveLink telematics system will be incorporated as standard on all booms and will be available as an option on the scissors.