UK launch and dealer appointment for ‘the next generation’ of material lifts

A new range of material lifts and accessories was launched at the Executive Hire Show in Coventry in the UK on 14 February. The manufacturer of the ToughLift® Material Lifts has also appointed Access Platform Sales Ltd. as the exclusive distributor for the UK and Ireland for the 4 machines, range of load handling attachments and other accessories, and for spare parts.

APS managing director Steve Couling said: “For some time we have been looking for a new range of material lifts to add to our portfolio, but the ones we looked at were poor quality and there was little to no support from the manufacturer.”

“We therefore sought an experienced manufacturer to develop the ToughLift® Material Lifts. The first units arrived in January and have been exhaustively tested in real world environments, and have performed well beyond our expectations. The quality and attention to detail of these machines, along with numerous innovative features has really impressed us.”

The 4 models are the ML-10, ML-15, ML-20, and ML-25 with maximum lift heights of 3.49, 4.98, 6.46, and 7.94 metres respectively, and when stowed for transport they are just 81 centimetres wide and 76 centimetres long.

The 4 machines have been carefully designed to be low maintenance with a low whole life cost. They include a fully anodised mast making it both corrosion and abrasion resistant, but still fully recyclable at the end of the life of the machine. All the steel fabrications are first e-coated and then powder coated offering maximum corrosion resistance. The ends of the steel sections are also fitted with silicone rubber end caps to prevent corrosion inside the section.

All joints across the machines have been designed so that they do not wear over time by welding tubes through the steel sections and then adding self-lubricating bushes.

Fixings used across the machine are stainless-steel as are the retaining pins used to secure the Standard Forks or Boom to the mast and to lock the front legs, and loading wheels and handles in position. All retaining pins are fitted with large robust easy to pull rings.

Other key features include hard-wearing aluminium mast pulley wheels with sealed bearings, an extra wide first pulley which improves the laying of the cable on the winch drum, a cable guard where the operator stands behind the mast which includes the main operational and safety decal, and a hoisting and winching anchor mounted on top of the mast. There is also a spirit level mounted on the chassis to aid the operator to level the machine before raising the mast, loading wheels and transport wheels with sealed bearings, and a document holder with an Instruction Handbook and QR code decal to scan to open the Instruction Handbook on the toughlift.co website.

The material lifts and accessories have been designed to comply with the safety requirements of the European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 (UK). All machines and accessories are supplied with an EC and a UKCA Declaration of Conformity.

Models and accessories are fitted with serial plates which assist the rental company or end user in tracking and traceability for LOLER thorough examinations which for machines are every 12 months and for load handling attachments 6-monthly. Machines also come with a 1-year parts and back to the dealer’s base labour warranty.

Load handling attachments which fit onto the Standard Forks include a Pipe Cradle for the safe lifting of cylindrical shaped objects such as tubes, pipes, and ducting, and a Load Platform which fills the gap between the Standard Forks making it ideal for lifting several smaller items. The adjustable Extension Forks accessory adds an extra 16.1, 39.9, or 63.1 centimetres to the length of the Standard Forks.

There is also a Boom attachment which enables the material lift to operate as a small crane and a Rough Terrain Wheel Kit makes moving the machine around sites much easier, especially where the floor is uneven and, or covered in building debris.

Each machine ships with a comprehensive Maintenance Manual which includes periodical maintenance and checks, troubleshooting, repair procedures, and exploded drawings and parts lists.

Maintenance accessories include a cable coupler which allows for the quick and easy replacement of worn cables and a mast safety brake release tool enables engineers and technicians to release the safety brake in the mast assembly.

Engineers and technicians can also benefit from a 1-day Technical Training Course which can either be held at a dealer’s premises or at the rental company.

ML-10 and ML-15 machines started landing in the UK in January, and APS has already undertaken several demonstrations and received some significant orders. The larger ML-20 and ML-25 models start landing in early May and come with a major innovation which solves a long-standing problem with larger material lifts; when they are carrying a significant load the mast columns do not lift in sequence. The manufacturer of the ToughLift® Material Lifts recognised this issue and has added an additional mechanism to the mast to prevent it. The mechanism also prevents the lifting columns sliding if an operator or driver forgets to engage the carriage lock when the machine is laid back horizontally for transport.