In High Demand: Reach Up, Over and Out with Articulated Boom Lifts

On the job site, days are measured by productivity. With a greater need for versatility when working at height, there is a strong demand for articulated boom lifts right now for articulated boom lifts right now.

This type of boom lift is the most easily recognizable because of the boom’s distinctive shape. Multiple pivot points (referred to as joints or knuckles) on the boom sections provide operators with up, over and out capabilities. Offering a larger work envelope, this design's distinct advantage over telescopic boom lifts is that its extra reach can achieve difficult positioning over and around obstacles at height, providing access to hard-to-reach places.

 

Applications for Articulating Models

While articulated boom lifts' traditional applications are well-established in industrial construction and maintenance, we are witnessing a dynamic shift in the industry. These versatile machines are now finding their place in congested work zones, urban areas, city centers and space-restricted facilities like warehouses, where they are crucial for accessing multiple angles and heights. These boom lifts are also often used in bridge-building and repair work near busy highways and intersections. 

We also see increased use of these machines on concrete job sites as a staple in tilt-up wall construction. These walls are typically set in place using a crane, and operators in a boom lift are positioned to remove bracing when needed. Articulated boom lifts can also secure extra anchors when attaching walls together, where applicable.

There has been a notable shift in the steel erection industry's preference. The industry traditionally favored straight booms over articulated booms due to their simple controls and high capacity. However, the industry is now embracing articulated boom lifts for interior building work, such as between ceiling beams or adjacent floors. This shift is significant as steel joists and X-beams used in steel buildings are typically only a few feet apart, and articulated boom lifts enable equipment operators to access small, challenging spaces that were previously inaccessible. 

The advancement of electrification opens up new horizons for using hybrid and/or electric articulated boom lifts in environmentally sensitive work zones, including data centers, hospitals and laboratories, where IC (internal combustion) machines are not permitted. This shift towards more sustainable equipment meets regulatory requirements and aligns with the growing global focus on environmental conservation.

Driving Market Demand

Despite regional differences, common themes driving the high demand for articulated boom lifts focus on productivity and enabling equipment users to do more with less — in tighter spaces, under stringent time and budget demands and in a minimally disruptive manner to the environment.

The 60- to 80-ft size classes are the largest volume of these machines in the market. These models offer the right mix of up-and-over capability and outward reach to work that fits typical building construction, usually between 3-10 stories high (the average is six stories). For example, on a 33-ft-high warehouse, a 60-ft articulated boom allows operators to go up 30-ft and out 30-ft to get the height and radius needed to get work done. On a 4-5 story facility, the outer envelope of an 80-ft articulated boom lift enables operators to access those higher heights without needing a heavier machine.

With these trends in play, we anticipate the demand for articulated boom lifts to remain high for the foreseeable future. There is plenty of work to do, and despite signs that the economy is normalizing to pre-pandemic levels, there are no signs of it slowing down.

 

JLG’s Articulated Offering

JLG^® articulating boom lifts are field-proven to produce the most productive day possible. Our articulating boom lifts provide performance and reliability, whether on slab or off, on concrete or rough terrain. These models feature larger work envelopes, enhanced capacities and industry-leading reach heights with exceptional terrainability and gradeability.

The 450AJ HC3 boom lift is the most recent addition to JLG’s articulated product line. It also features the HC3 product line’s three capacity zones — 660- / 750- / 1,000-lb (299.37 / 340.19 / 453.59 kg) — giving it the ability to carry up to three occupants and tools to height in every zone. The 450AJ is the smallest model in JLG’s HC3 articulated boom lift line-up, joining three other larger machines — the 600AJ and 800AJ models.

To meet market demand for electric and/or hybrid units, JLG currently offers several boom lift models in its product line up today with electric or optional electric power. Specific articulating boom lift models include the H340AJ, E300AJP, E400AJPN and E450AJ models. These machines are proven to produce reduced emissions and offer a quieter work area, providing our customers and users with environmentally friendly, energy-efficient products that reduce carbon footprints and noise pollution while keeping productivity on job sites high. JLG electric articulating boom lifts also require fewer scheduled services because they depend less on hydraulic oils.

To increase productivity at greater heights, JLG’s range of Ultra Series^® boom lifts (our machines that reach 12+ stories — 120-ft and higher) are designed for job sites that demand customers work higher and reach further. Articulated boom lifts in this line include the 1250AJP and 1500AJP models, which are well-suited for use in steel mills and chemical plants, airports, convention centers, shipyards and heavy construction applications.

In addition to our articulated boom lift models, JLG offers a full suite of options and accessories that enhance productivity, safety and efficiency.

Working Above or Outside the Platform

When the job site requires access into tight spaces at height, the JLG Mid-Rail Deck is a step that sits on the platform mid-rail and allows an operator to gain 15- to 18-in off the floor of a lift platform and thread a machine between joists.

When projects require a worker to exit the platform, JLG's Bolt-On External Fall Arrest System utilizes a cable that allows an operator to leave the platform and move freely without detaching the safety harness, so he or she is constantly tethered to the platform. This is especially helpful for iron workers, who are often first on a job site and have few options to tie off.

Promoting Protection at Height

Standard on every JLG articulated boom lift, SkyGuard SkyLine^® is designed to prevent an operator from being forced into the control panel. When the SkyGuard sensor is activated, the system stops all boom lift functions and then momentarily reverses most functions used when the system was activated.

For protection from caught-in, or caught-between, injuries without losing visibility, JLG’s SkySense^® enhanced detection system for boom lifts provides operators with an added level of awareness of their immediate surroundings. When a machine is in use, strategically placed sensors establish warning zones and stop distances in the machine’s direction of motion. As the machine approaches the zone limits, audible alerts notify the operator.

Other Helpers at Height

Another concern in steel erection projects is having enough power to do the job without the risk of dangerous leads hanging over machine rails, potentially entangling with anything below. That’s where two JLG accessories, SkyPower^® and SkyWelder^®, offer value.

The JLG SkyPower system delivers the power needed to conveniently operate other JLG accessories, including SkyWelder and SkyCutter^® packages. With the SkyPower system, a 7,500W generator with a power cable to the machine platform offers flexibility for needs at height. The system saves time and money by removing the need to move and reposition a generator and saving on fuel costs. SkyWelder eliminates leads hanging over the rails and eliminates the unnecessary cost of having a stand-alone welder and power supply. Flux core wire feed capability is available. The 280-amp Miller^® CSTTM 280 welder includes a platform-mounted amperage adjustment and provides power to accommodate stick and TIG welding applications.

Working in all Conditions

Construction projects must continue, including work during night hours or inclement weather. JLG’s optional night and cold-weather packages help workers better handle these challenges.

JLG’s Nite Bright^® package, available as an aftermarket option, is suited for environments with low lighting conditions, like mines, tunnels and nighttime applications, and includes 40-watt lights to illuminate the work site and the area around the chassis.

The JLG Cold Weather Kit includes a battery blanket, hydraulic tank heater, block heater and glow plugs (diesel only). A choice of -30- or -40-degree hydraulic oil is available separately.

Monitoring and Maintaining

The runtime of battery-powered articulated boom lifts depends on the application, regardless of the articulated boom lift model brand or size. Customers seek lifts that can operate for a full work shift without needing to stop for a recharge, regardless of the terrain or the number of duty cycles completed by the operators. Using advanced technologies to monitor and track battery health, like the JLG^® Advanced Battery Monitoring System, allows users to be more productive and efficient in managing their electric articulated boom lifts. This app provides concise, actionable data, like knowing how much charge remains in a machine’s battery pack and what can be done with it, that fleet managers can use to ensure fewer worksite interruptions and improve project completion times. 

It’s important to monitor the battery life on electric articulated boom lifts and how the entire unit functions, adding an additional layer of protection. Advancements in telematics technology like JLG’s new ClearSky Smart Fleet™ system, the industry’s first true, two-way fleet management and communication IoT platform, that standardizes connectivity, digitizes daily processes, generates new opportunities and increases value. Equipment owners and operators can increase their articulated boom lifts’ productivity through time-saving features, such as pressing a button to locate a specific machine on a crowded job site; receiving immediate input on battery or fuel level, ignition status and more; performing diagnostics remotely; immediately accessing product manuals, articles and information on their specific machine models; and managing their entire fleet from a single screen, no matter where they are.

Changes Coming Soon to the Articulated Boom Lift Market

At JLG, we continually work with our customers to understand their equipment needs and continue to evaluate and evolve our entire product portfolio, including our articulated boom lift offering, to ensure we meet market demand and deliver innovations that solve customers’ needs.

We anticipate the electrification of articulating boom lifts to accelerate significantly in the coming years. One challenge in adopting electric equipment is figuring out how to charge these machines on-site, especially in the early stages of construction or in remote locations where power is not readily available. As battery technology advances and costs become more affordable, many OEMs, including JLG, are transitioning to lithium-ion battery sources. These batteries offer longer runtimes and reduced charging times, leading to increased utilization of these machines throughout the workday.

Other changes coming to the articulated boom lift market include the need for higher-capacity models, lighter-weight models, and features that allow these machines to work in varying ground conditions, from greenfield and brownfield construction sites to industrial projects and work on concrete slabs. There is also a desire for more simplified controls and machine operation.

For more information on the market outlook for articulating booms, check out An In-Depth Look at Articulating Boom Lifts.

To understand the current demand for articulating boom lifts, read Market Update: A Look at Why Demand is High for Articulated Boom Lifts.

Learn more about JLG’s line of articulated models here.