Aerial platform trucks and their hydraulic lifting mechanism
Cherry picker trucks are celebrated for their advanced hydraulic lifting systems. These systems play a critical role in the truck's functionality, influencing its operational efficiency, reliability, engine maintenance costs, and safety standards. The hydraulic valve lifters in cherry picker trucks offer four key advantages:
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Noise and Vibration Reduction: The hydraulic system lessens noise and vibration, enabling the arm to operate with greater precision and quietness. This is essential for delicate tasks requiring high accuracy.
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Enhanced Engine Performance: By maintaining consistent valve timing and lift, hydraulic lifters improve combustion efficiency, which boosts power output and fuel efficiency.
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Self-Adjustment Capability: The self-adjusting nature of hydraulic lifters ensures a smoother, more stable idle for the cherry picker arm, enhancing the operator's comfort during use.
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Even Load Distribution: The hydraulic system spreads the load uniformly across the boom, avoiding excessive pressure on any single part, which minimizes wear and tear.
Telescopic vs. articulated arms
Truck mounted aerial platforms are equipped with either a telescopic or an articulated arm, each suited for different tasks.
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Telescopic Arms: These are ideal for direct access tasks, such as CCTV maintenance or street lighting work, due to their ability to extend directly towards the work area.
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Articulated Arms: Designed to navigate around obstacles, these arms are versatile, able to swivel in any direction, making them perfect for bridge work or tree pruning.
While telescopic arms generally offer greater working heights, articulated arms are advantageous for indoor operations due to their flexibility.
Working heights and loads of truck-mounted aerial work platforms
The working height of truck-mounted cherry pickers varies, with some models reaching up to 12 meters, ideal for street lighting tasks, and others extending up to 90 meters for specialized high-altitude construction work. An important feature of these trucks is their payload capacity, which increases with their reach. This capacity allows for up to three operators, along with necessary equipment and materials, in the basket. Payload capacities range from 120kg in models without stabilizers to over 530kg.
Safety Reminder
It is crucial to never exceed the maximum payload of a cherry picker truck, even by a small margin. Overloading can risk tipping the basket, restrict movement, and increase the likelihood of injuries or falls. Safety is paramount, and adherence to payload limits is a key aspect of responsible cherry picker operation.