GENIE® ZX™-135/70 PROVIDES HIGH PRECISION ACCESS ON HISTORICAL TOWER GATE PAINT JOB, AUSTRIA

This Summer, Schwanenstadt- based rental company Obermair Transporte-Erdbau GmbH, System Lift Partner, recommended a Genie® ZX™-135/70 articulating boom lift to help painting specialist Daniel Zauner and his team repair the belfry and restore the paintwork of the southern, “lower situated” tower of the walled mediaeval town of Vöcklabruck in Upper Austria.

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Built by the Germano-Romans in the 12th century, Vöcklabruck is still referred to as “the gateway to the Salt Chamber”; a name that dates back to the nearby salt mines exploited by the Hapsburg dynasty five hundred years ago. During this time, the history of Vöcklabruck marks close ties with emperor Maximilian I, who reinforced the entry to the town with two tower gates. In addition to a similar edifice on the opposite side of the square, to this day, the 36-m (118-ft)  tall so called “lower” gate tower, featuring the emperor’s coat of arms and a 15th century fresco, is one of the only means of access to the town’s historic central square.

The challenges of tight access on a tough timeline

To adapt to the unusual nature of the site, the job mandated the choice of a machine providing sufficient working height and outreach to access the tower’s front and side facades  adjoining other buildings, but also narrow enough to pass the tight 2.60metre (8 ft 6in) entrance to paint the tower’s back facade inside the square. In addition to the constraints inherent to the jobsite itself, a bad weather forecast made it crucial for the team to complete the task within a tight three-day window - including time for the paint to dry thoroughly, before the onset of heavy rain.

 “On this particular application, besides the height and outreach required to perform the task, the machine’s dimensions were essential to ensure access through the tower’s tight entrance.

“Efficiency was also a key factor, as we had to complete the job in three days” says Ernst Hadinger, aerial work platform manager for Obermair.

Long reach, fast set-up, and compact dimensions were crucial

Effectively, in addition to its compact dimensions and narrow 2.49 m (8ft 2in) machine width, the Genie ZX-135/70 boom lift combines new features designed to enhance efficiency and productivity. As demonstrated in this particular application, the unit’s patented Genie® XChassis™system/design, with axles that extend and retract to and from stowed position rapidly, made machine set-up faster and easier. The Genie® Fast Mast™ system, that provides the ability to retract or extend the boom from full height to below grade, and from below grade to full height with the secondary boom fully raised, also helped operators boost productivity and save precious time.

Transported on-site on a standard-width trailer, and following familiarization with the machine, the team was soon ready to begin. Offering the benefit of a maximum working height of 43 m (141 ft) and a horizontal reach of up to 21.3 m (70 ft), the articulating ZX-135/70 boom lift provided the painters the flexibility they needed to perform their task with confidence and ease. The machine’s compact dimensions were an added benefit that enabled traffic to circulate during operation.

By the second day, after successfully finishing work accessible from the front of the building, the team prepared the machine to drive through the tower gate entrance to complete work on the façade facing the square.

Smooth positioning with fast jib extension - ideal for painting applications

To perform its high-precision task successfully, the painting team relied on the ZX-135/70 boom lift to provide the extremely smooth positioning and flexibility of movement they needed. Offering precisely these features, the machine’s new platform control panel equipped with toggle switches, a tactile surface membrane and hall-effect joysticks, provided  the easy handling and excellent switching capabilities required for the job.

In addition to the height, long reach and up-and-over clearance the painters relied on, the machine’s standard self-erecting jib, that extends from 3.7 m (12 ft) to up to 6.1 m (20 ft), enabled  the team to proceed comfortably at a good steady pace.

An intricate task performed to perfection

“In addition to being extremely narrow, the tower entrance was also low and built on a curve,” notes Ernst.

“At this stage it was crucial to pass the gate rapidly to avoid blocking traffic to and from the town centre. With one man at the wheel and a second controlling the traffic, we managed the entire process within minutes perfectly smoothly. In all aspects of this task, the ZX-135/70 boom lift provided an ideal solution that would have been impossible to handle using a truck mounted boom, or other similar types of equipment,” says Ernst.

On day three,  Vöcklabruck’s “lower” tower gate stood restored to its initial splendour in the freshly painted traditional red and white colours of the Austrian flag, as scheduled.

About the Genie ZX-135/70 articulating boom lift

As the successor to the company’s popular Z™-135 boom lift, the ZX-135/70 boom lift provides a maximum working height of 43 m (141 ft), a horizontal reach of up to 21.3 m (70ft) and a compact machine width of 2.49 m (8ft 2in), combined with its design features - such as the redesigned Genie XChassis and Genie FastMast - to help make work faster and easier. The base assembly of the ZX-135/70 boom lift features solid box section axles that pivot smoothly out on vertical mounting pins from 2.49 m (8 ft) to up to a width of 5.03 m (16.5 ft) to adapt to a wide range of job site needs. When extended, the axles allow for a wider footprint that reduces floor pressure by 30 percent compared to the previous machine model.

Complete with 160° platform rotation, 360° continuous turntable rotation for fast easy positioning, the ZX-135/70 boom lift offers four-wheel (coordinated), front-wheel, rear-wheel, and crab steering modes for enhanced jobsite manoeuvrability.

All machine adjustments are recorded and stored centrally on a single control card at the ground control station. Built to perform productively and reliably in the long-term, the ZX-135/70 boom lift also offers easier access for maintenance via multiple service points. Including new, high quality hose and hard line protections throughout, this newly designed model notably includes strengthened, self-supporting cable tracks and hose and cable runs capable of supporting platform options such as the heavy duty welder, weld leads, platform work lights and/or air lines.