Lifting equipment rental company HBV ArbeitsbĆ¼hnenvermietung GmbH clearly made the right decision when it acquired the first GenieĀ® Sā¢-65 Trax self-propelled telescopic boom lift in Austria. Well-matched to a wide range of applications, HBV recommended its Genie S-65 Trax boom lift to a roofing company to help carry out roof repairs on an isolated mountain chalet. The high terrainability and gradeability of this particular Genie aerial work platform model were among several other indispensable factors that made the S-65 Trax boom lift so well suited to the challenging and delicate task.
A challenging environment and a tight time schedule
Situated beyond the bounds of current GPS navigation systems, and inaccessible for construction equipment by road or track, the steeply sloping environment and nature of the jobsite mandated the choice of a machine that could not only reach the site, but that could also provide the safe stability and long outreach needed to complete the delicate assignment. HBV's customers initially scheduled three days to complete the task.
The unusual constraints of a delicate assignment
Christoph Nussbacher, son of the owner Wilfred Nussbacher, responsible for sales and consulting at HBV, explains why he and his customer chose the Genie S-65 Trax self-propelled telescopic boom lift for the task. "Before repairs could begin, due to restricted access, the machine had to be unloaded in a meadow lower down the valley. Our customer needed a unit that could be driven directly up a 45-percent incline without damaging the landscape, and that would also be safe to drive on uneven ground." Due to the chalet's setting, for the roofing team there were also several other challenges to contend with. "The chalet was built into a hollow in the slope - a common practise here that serves as protection against winter winds, rain and snow," explains Christoph Nussbacher. "A fragile glass conservatory attached to the front of the building also demanded a machine equipped with a long boom that could extend far enough to reach the chalet's gables, in addition to requiring our customer's team to work with extra caution, " says Christoph Nussbacher.
Smooth precision lifting and long reach
Secured safely in position on the only sufficiently level area of ground providing access to the chalet's rooftop, the Genie S-65 Trax boom lift was set at a maximum boom length of 17.10 m, (56ft) to reach over the hollow and conservatory extension. As Christoph Nussbacher recounts, "Thanks to its innovative four point patented Genie Trax track drive and oscillating axle system, the S-65 Trax boom lift made easy work out of driving up the steep 45-percent mountain incline. It would have been impossible to handle conditions like this using a conventional machine on tyres." Effectively, when driving on inclined terrain, smooth machine movements help avoid jolting and sudden tilting, which besides making progress more comfortable and efficient, are also key safety factors. "Our customer notably remarked on how intuitive they found the machine to drive, and how smooth and precise they found the Genie S-65 Trax boom lift to operate." Saving time and money, the team made such good progress that they completed their assignment in two days instead of the three days it had initially planned.
Satisfied customers
"The Genie S-65 Trax boom lift has proved to be a very good investment, in fact, it's under such high demand all year round that you would be lucky to catch it in the yard," says Christoph Nussbacher. "'Everything's possible' is our company motto, and the combined benefits provided by the Genie S-65 Trax boom lift are indeed well-suited to our customers' needs and profitable for our business. On this assignment our customer was extremely satisfied about how easily and rapidly the Genie S-65 Trax boom lift enabled them to complete the task."