Truck mount news from APEX

The APEX aerial platform exhibition in September 2011 is perfectly timed for a recovery in the access equipment market after several years of low investment by rental companies and end users.

Major rental companies and contractors have been extending the lives of their fleets, but machine replacement will become an economic necessity for many buyers over the coming 12 months.

At the same time as demand starts to return in developed access markets in Western Europe and North America, APEX will also attract buyers from the fast growing new access markets such as the Middle East, Eastern and central Europe and countries like India and Brazil.

Many manufacturers are waiting until APEX to reveal important new launches and already we are starting to get an intimation of what may be on show.

In particular we are starting to find out a bit more about what the truck mount manufacturers may have on show.

Bronto Skylift, has revealed that it will be showing a new 50m truck mounted platform at APEX. The new machine is reported to have, "unrivalled outreach performance," but the company is keeping other details under wraps until the exhibition.

Italian manufacturer, Multitel Pagliero is celebrating 100 years in business this year. Renzo Pagliero managing director of the family run and owned company says that alongside the new machines already shown: the HX 195 19.5m working height machine mounted on a 3.5t chassis and the 29m working height MX290 mounted on a 7.5t model - at least two more new machines will be launched this year with at least one on show at APEX.

Another Italian manufacturer with a number of launches rolling out this year is Socage, for APEX we can look forward to a 20m working height A314 boom mounted on an all electric vehicle from TAAM and Italian electric vehicle specialist.

At the Samoter exhibition in Verona Mr Severino Zatti, Palazzani's sales manager told Access International that he hoped to show one of the company's new truck mounted machines at APEX the first 32m machine will mark return for the company to the truck mounted sector.

Oil & Steel will show the Snake 2311 Compact REL for the first time and Imer will have its new range of truck mounts on show.

You can see first hand the winner from this year's International Awards for Powered Access in the product of the year in the truck mounted category- CTE's B-Lift 20:13.

Ruthmann will show its range of machines from the smaller TBR 200 20m working height to the giant 58m working height T580 including the new T330.

Isoli will have two new machines in the 3.5t class, both designed with compact footprint and rapid set up.

We will keep you abreast of APEX news as it becomes available.

Tony Kenter, managing director of IPI, said, "This APEX show is selling fast. The global access market shows a high interest in booking stand space and APEX 2011 promises to be a very successful event. The outside area is sold out and with still almost eight months to go - inside there are only a few stands left."

The 2011 show also takes place in a year with no major European exhibition - Bauma was last year and Intermat returns in 2012.

The show will again be supported by IPAF (International Powered Access Federation). Tim Whiteman, IPAF's managing director, said, "APEX 2011 will be one of the most important events for the industry. IPAF is going to be present and will again organise a series of meetings during and around the show for its worldwide membership."