The Use of Vehicle Mounted Access Platforms

In the construction place, the use of access platforms plays a major role in increasing the efficiency and safety for the entire team. Vehicle mounted access platforms are one type of access platform which speed up the working process while keeping construction team members safe.

Vehicle mounted access platforms are usually in the form of cherry pickers or scissor lifts. These types of vehicle mounted platform give the ability to reach high places that would otherwise not be accessible. These lifts are meant as a temporary access to a high or hard to reach area whether for maintenance or construction purposes.

The two types of platforms are cherry pickers and scissor lifts. Cherry pickers are access platforms that are elevated by extended cranes with a small platform at the end. Cherry picker type access platforms are commonly used by electric companies to fix transformers and electric posts that are high in elevation.

Scissor lifts, on the other hand, are slightly larger platforms lifted by scissor type hydraulics to lift them.

When comparing the two, there is no "better" machine. Each type of vehicle mounted access platform has its own strengths and can be used for very different things dependant on the situation you are trying to address.

Cherry pickers, for example, have a higher reach. Because of the type of crane the cherry picker uses, the platform is able to reach higher than a scissor lift can. Also, the cherry picker type is more manoeuvrable, allowing the crew member on the platform to reach several places without adjusting the vehicle mount. There are, of course, limitations with cherry pickers. They are not as stable as scissor lifts and the platform area is smaller than a scissor lift. This makes the cherry picker a specialised machine for wiring and electrical repairs in elevated areas such as electric posts. Other similarly technical tasks in high places that don't require a lot of equipment to accomplish are ideal for the cherry picker.

Scissor lifts offer a more stable area for working in elevated areas. Scissor lifts are best used for work that needs a lot of space and equipment to be done. For example, painting a certain area of a wall would benefit from a scissor lift as opposed to a cherry picker because of the amount of space a scissor lift has. This, of course, would depend on the elevation of that area. Scissor lifts are also popular in large venues in order to change ceiling mounts or lights. In the construction area, it's good to have a scissor lift for mounting ceiling fixtures. Another use for scissor lifts would be for window glass transportation and/or installation and other large fixtures that may be elevated.

Compared to cherry pickers, scissor lifts are more stable and can handle more equipment for larger scale installations. Scissor lifts, however, are limited in their elevation. Most scissor lifts only have a reach of a couple stories at most, making it difficult to reach any fixtures higher than that.

The cherry picker or scissor lift vehicle mounted access platform usually requires just one crew member to operate and are either pneumatic or hydraulic.