Africa’s MEWP markets going green with Niftylift

Niftylift is seeing a growth in popularity across Africa. Lifting Africa discovered more about the product range and some of the benefits of going green.

Mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) manufacturer Niftylift’s trademark green machines are becoming a regular sight in many African markets. The company has a footprint in more than 60 countries worldwide. Specialising in compact, low-weight, articulating booms, Niftylift MEWPs offer maximum performance with minimal environmental impact, says Stephen Cross, managing director of Sky Operating Services (SOS), the official agent for Niftylift in Southern Africa.

“Decades of experience supplying the world’s rental industries have taught Niftylift the importance of performance, reliability, ease of maintenance and excellent after-sales support,” says Cross. “These values guide every aspect of the operation as it produces high-quality, innovative products that meet or exceed customer expectations.” It is a product range that has proven itself under robust African conditions. “We have been involved with Niftylift for a number of years and officially became the agent in 2016. Since then, the relationship has gone from strength to strength while the popularity of the products continues to grow in Southern Africa.” Niftylift’s product range offers working heights from 12m to over 28m and includes road-towable and drivable machines with two or four-wheel-drive and continuous-track options. Their low weight and compact dimensions allow them to operate in more locations and use less expensive site-to-site transportation options than their competitors, increasing utilisation while reducing transport costs and emissions. “The company is at the forefront of technology,” explains Cross. “Partnering with this reputable brand has allowed us to extend our own service offering on local shores, while at the same time offering Nifty a reliable technical back-up service.” SOS not only sells and rents Niftylift equipment but is also able to service, maintain and repair the products

Going Green

with representation in all the major cities in South Africa. “Our technicians have all been internationally trained and are able to offer world-class services to our customers. We carry a range of spares in-house, ensuring that downtime is kept to a minimum and are able to meet our clients' expectations regardless of where they are in the country or the region.”

Trailer Mount Range

One of the products that especially stands out says Cross, is Niftylift’s road towable trailer-mounted range that can be transported easily from site to site and set up quickly using manual or hydraulic outriggers. “These trailers are built to be as light and compact as possible and offer an excellent working envelope for their size,” he says. Not only do the easy-to-use proportional controls make operating them simple, but features such as telescopic booms, traction drive and hydraulic outriggers help maximise their effectiveness. Power options available on nifty trailer-mounted cherry pickers include Battery, Mains, Petrol, Diesel and ‘BiEnergy’ (e.g. Battery & Diesel), combining the benefits of two power sources on the same machine.

Diesel HeightRider Range

Niftylift Diesel booms are significantly lighter and more compact than their competitors yet still offer classleading outreach, according to Cross. “Their low weight also means Niftylift can use more efficient EU Stage V compliant engines without compromising traction or gradability. With these engines, Niftylift Diesel MEWPs use less fuel and produce fewer emissions, helping to reduce running costs and increase profitability.”

Hybrid HeightRider Range

The company was the world’s first MEWP manufacturer to offer a parallel-hybrid powertrain (introduced in 2007) and, in 2018, released its second-generation hybrid system, known as ‘Gen2 Hybrid’. The system incorporates EU Stage V Diesel engines, automatically boosted by an electric motor when extra power is needed. “This combination allows Niftylift to use smaller engines (compared to Diesel-only MEWPs) while maintaining power output and performance,” says Cross. “As a result, these hybrids use less fuel than diesel MEWPs, produce fewer emissions and have the added advantage of an electric-only mode for zeroemission operation.” There’s also an on-board ‘Diesel Re-Gen’ feature that automatically fast-charges the batteries and complete battery monitoring and protection system that monitors battery voltage, direct current in and out, and battery temperature. The system also protects against excessive deep battery discharge, so they remain healthy for longer, reducing running costs and increasing battery lifespan.

All-Electric HeightRider Range

The new zero-emission All-Electric MEWPS are clean, quiet and super-efficient, explains Cross. “They’re also compact, light and manoeuvrable while still delivering market-leading outreach. They include AGM maintenance-free batteries as standard and come with the same battery monitoring and protection system (and benefits) as the Gen2 Hybrid range.” He says what sets the all-electric range apart from traditional batterypowered MEWPs is the efficient all-electric drive train. With the advanced battery power system, the all-electric drive enables the batteries to work considerably longer on a single charge. “These machines will comfortably perform more than two working days on a single charge, and some will perform well over four!”

Self Drive & TrackDrive Ranges

According to Cross, combining the capabilities of trailer mounts and self-propelled MEWPs, the Self Drive and TrackDrive ranges are compact, lightweight and manoeuvrable. “Both can be driven from the platform while stowed and offer a low-weight option for working at height, even on sloping or uneven terrain. Self Drives use a powerful four-wheel-drive system for surefooted movement on-site, but it’s the TrackDrives, with their continuous tracks, that deliver maximum traction and gradeability.”

Niftylift Ltd,

sales@niftylift.com www.niftylift.com