Rising to the challenge
June 1st 2009 When the need for powered access arises, the positioning and construction of buildings to be cleaned can present difficulties.The Spiderlift Company's MD Steve Hadfield gives advice on solutions
Modern buildings, such as shopping malls and offices with statement glazing and creative interiors,may look the part but can create real headaches for those tasked with keeping them clean. Features such as galleries, lift columns, high atriums, suspended walkways – even the 30ft potted fig tree in the client's reception area – can all present obstacles in mobilising access equipment for internal work at height.
Cleaning contractors often face a 'Catch 22' situation. Modern boom platforms, with multi-dimensional positioning, will offer substantial working heights (100ft/30m+) and the ability to weave around obstacles. But the machine may then exceed permissible floor loadings, risking damage to high value flooring.The chassis may also be too wide to access tight space or single width doorways, meaning the platform cannot even get to the required work site. Cleaning contractors can be left frustrated by the limitations of powered lifts, unable to go those last few feet to reach more difficult nooks and crannies.
High of the spider
Offering dynamic aerial positioning capabilities as well as low floor loadings and narrow chassis,Teupen spiderlifts are designed to overcome the challenges of cleaning at height. With their load-dispersing, non-marking tracked chassis, it's claimed Teupen Leo spiderlifts exert one of the lowest surface loads of any MEWP for their size. All Leo spiderlifts, from 15m up to 50m working height (w/h), stay well within the 5kN/m2 maximum design load for interior flooring used in current architectural design. The Leo 25T (25m w/h), for example, exerts a surface load of less than 1.54 kN/m2. The Leo 50GT (50m w/h), believed to be the world's largest tracked spiderlift, manages to keep surface load to just 3.8 kN/m2.
Don't crack under pressure
Broad bearing pads on the Leo's four spider-like stabiliser legs ensure ground bearing pressure is safely diffused, to avoid cracked or chipped tiles that can result from the use of wheeled platforms. Patented height and width adjustment of the Teupen tracked undercarriage allows the platform to be staged on slopes, uneven ground or even straddling steps.The machines can also be remotely driven up steps, using 'floating' support to provide a tracking base without any need to fix to internal structures. Teupen spiderlifts also provide narrow transit widths for their size, to access tight doorways and gangways.The Leo 18GT folds to just 780mm wide, impressive for a 17.9m w/h boom lift.
In addition to these 'go-anywhere' capabilities on the ground, Teupen Leos unravel an excellent outreach of boom lift in relation to platform height.The Leo30, for example, gives 15.7m maximum outreach at up to 30m working height. Precise, smooth positioning from the easy-to-use controls inspires plenty of confidence when manoeuvring close to high value finishes. The basket can be rotated to lead with its narrow edge, clinching those few extra feet to areas that other platforms may miss. More articles from Ranger Equipment Ltd: | 
