Standing Up To Tough Terrain

The Eazi Group has launched the new JLG 530LRT scissor lift into the local southern Africa market. Available for both rental and sale divisions, it is the highest of all JLG’s rough terrain scissor lifts with a working height of 18.15 m, and its design focus is centred on superior terrainability for almost any job site, writes Munesu Shoko. The Eazi Group is the first to market with the new JLG 530LRT rough terrain scissor lift in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a radical upgrade of the old generation 500RTS, with a multitude of feature upgrades targeting better productivity, cost savings, and durability. Out of all the JLG rough terrain scissors, the 530LRT is the highest with a working height of 18.15 m, according to Brett Fleming, CEO of the Eazi Group. The first unit arrived just in time for Electra Mining Africa 2016 in September and has since been out on rental through its rental division, where it is said to have surpassed expectations, prompting Eazi to place more orders amid increased demand.

Key to this new offering is its superior terrainability and comfortable navigation on almost any job site due to its four-wheel drive and standard oscillating axle. Axle oscillation absorbs the impact of rough terrain that inherently causes excessive body swaying and machine instability. “An oscillating front axle and superior grade climbing ability gives the JLG 530LRT the edge in rough terrain,” says Fleming. “This is complemented by its 31,5 cm ground clearance, making it ideal on rocky and muddy sites.”

Ideal for a range of applications such as cladding, fire pipe installation, and electrical installation, fuel consumption was another key focus for JLG when developing the 530LRT. In low rpm, for example, when the machine is just idling while in a working position, it consumes about 1.5 l of diesel per hour. In high rpm, when driving from one position to another, it uses about 7.6 l of fuel per hour. A key factor in the machine’s sound fuel economy is the new Kubota D1305 engine delivering 21.7 kW at 3,000 rpm. It comes with a variable engine control which cuts customer fuel consumption and operating costs.

Focus on Productivity

Several features on the JLG 530LRT are geared towards improving productivity. It drives up productivity by going higher and handling more workers and materials in one shot. “The 530LRT, out of all the JLG scissors, takes you to the highest working level with a working height of 18.15 m. You will also get more people and materials to the work area with a massive 680 kg platform capacity and an optional 7.2 m MegaDeck extension,” says Fleming. This feature is beneficial for applications such as painting where you can have approximately three people, together with the necessary material, working at height.

The 530LRT can also drive at a height of 9.75 m. “As soon as you need to change position from full height, you will only have to come down to 9.75 m and the machine can drive in that position without any need to go any further down. This translates into massive productivity gains,” says Fleming.

For increased productivity, the machine also comes with a big platform gate that swings open for easy loading of materials. Unlike previous models, you don’t have to load material over the top of the scissor rails; the whole gate opens up, and this is said to be an industry first.

The new 530LRT also comes with a diesel-low indicator which warns the operator when the fuel is running low, avoiding unnecessary stoppages due to the machine running out of fuel. This prevents downtime for the customer and enhances productivity.

Durability and Ease of Service

“With the JLG 530LRT in your fleet, you have a rough terrain scissor lift that not only gives you more height and capacity, but durability as well,” says Fleming. It is outfitted with steel hoods for added durability and impact resistance. “The machine scissor pack is also built with a thicker steel material, giving the actual platform a lot more stability, making it a great rental or end-user machine,” says Fleming.

The machine also comes with a steel control box, moving away from the plastic one used in older generations. This provides better durability, especially for rental fleets where machines are subjected to different operators.

With uptime in mind, service times and the need for maintenance are reduced due to improved durability and better access to all key components. Preventative maintenance and downtime are facts of life for any piece of equipment. The JLG 530LRT is designed to reduce these costs and optimise machine uptime. For example, the machine’s engine hood opens wide, and the engine swing-out tray for ease of access to key components makes troubleshooting quicker, reducing service time. This is complemented by an on-board self-diagnostic testing function which reduces troubleshooting time and identifies potential problems. Meanwhile, set-up time is quick with the optional one-touch levelling jacks.

Key Specifications

** • Model:** JLG 530LRT
• Working height: 18.15 m
• Platform capacity (inc dual extension): 680 kg
• Capacity on optional deck extension: 230 kg
• Platform size: 1.91 m x 4.06 m
• Engine: Kubota D1305
• Engine capacity: 21.7 kW

Solutions for Struggling Industries

There is a general consensus that mining and construction are not enjoying the best of times in South Africa. However, Fleming reasons that it is in these difficult times that industries seek innovative and cost-saving solutions to help them execute jobs faster, improve productivity, and reduce operating costs. He believes that the Eazi Group, with its range of JLG access platforms, Maeda mini cranes, Power Towers, and the Magni range of telehandlers, is a one-stop shop for all work-at-height and material handling solutions.

“Times are tough. Our business is solutions-based and our products save customers money and improve productivity in difficult times. From that point we have seen a lot more interest, specifically in the mining sector,” says Fleming. “In mining, we have machines working on a range of applications such as maintenance jobs on processing plants; mechanical, electrical and instrumentation work; and working on large equipment such as draglines, face shovels and dump trucks. We see a large uptake in these applications, and that’s positive for us.”

While construction has always been the prime target market, Fleming says the company has embarked on a drive to explore new markets, including mining, entertainment, and light and heavy industrial sectors.

The company also recently embarked on a massive fleet replacement and growth programme. “We recently placed a large order with JLG in the region of R90 million, mostly for our rental division, but there is also a portion for the sales business,” says Fleming. He notes that the order is mostly for larger machines though demand exists for a combination of sizes across the range. “We embarked on a fleet replacement programme to keep the rental fleet up to date and have disposed of some older units,” says Fleming.

Source: Article written by Munesu Shoko, featured in Capital Equipment News.