Knuckle Boom Picker

[Millicent]

Thereare about five types of aerial work platforms (AWPs) and mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), and each has its advantages and disadvantages. The knuckle boom lift, also known as the articulating man lift, is one of the most popular types of AWPs, and it offers immense flexibility and versatility.

Once in the air, a knuckle boom crane can extend and bend. It has a work platform rather than a bucket, which gives workers extra room to perform their job tasks. The lift also comes with a turntable at the base that allows the boom to swivel. This allows the operator to shift the platform to different areas of a worksite. As a result of these features, the knuckle boom lift can be used in many different types of jobs.

Knuckle boom lifts are commonly used by businesses in the oil, forestry, and construction industries. They usually fit through standard doorways and are easy to maneuver around hazards. Plus, knuckle lifts make it simple to access overhead work from aisles or other congested work areas.

A knuckle lift has a jointed boom arm; other types of aerial work platforms do not have a jointed boom arm. Furthermore, perhaps the biggest difference between knuckle lifts and other types of lifts is that a knuckle boom truck can bend toward the middle of the boom arm.

Unlike other aerial lifts, a knuckle boom lift can be maneuvered horizontally and vertically and rotated 360. As such, a knuckle lift offers greater maneuverability in contrast to other types of lifts.

While the maneuverability of a knuckle boom lift makes it a top choice in work areas where space is limited, the lift tends to offer a lower weight capacity than telescoping boom lifts. So, to determine if a knuckle lift is the right choice, you should evaluate all of the lift options at your disposal. This allows you to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of different types of lifts and find the right one based on your work requirements.

Thanks to their design, knuckle boom cranes offer superb control as well. They are easy to operate and highly maneuverable, even in tight spaces. Plus, they can easily switch from one task to another.

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Looking for a cherry picker? Then you're in need of a piece of equipment with a hydraulic boom and a platform at the end to raise and lower people. Our engine powered boom lifts, known to some as cherry pickers, give you the reach and power necessary for the best outdoor performance. Boom lift specifications vary widely, so it's important to understand the needs of a particular job before specing out your equipment. Both articulating boom lifts and telescopic boom lifts can tackle tough jobs. A telescopic boom lets you reach farther with more capacity, putting you right where you need to be as simply and efficiently as possible. But, if the job requires you to get up and over objects, you need an articulating boom lift.

A knuckle boom is called a knuckle boom because of the articulating joints on the boom of the lift or crane. These joints look like knuckles on fingers that bend rather than move in and out like the arm of a telescopic boom.

A knuckle boom, also known as an articulating boom, has a lift arm with multiple sections separated by joints, or knuckles. The arm can move the work platform over and around obstacles due to these joints that can fold the arm out and in.

Boom lifts have a hydraulic arm stemming from a grounded base and can have a variety of accessories connected to the end of the lift arm. Boom lifts are known for being able to reach both vertically and horizontally.

There are both knuckle boom lifts and knuckle boom cranes. A lift and a crane both serve very different purposes. A boom lift does not have the same lifting strength as a crane, and a crane is not suitable for lifting workers.

Knuckle boom lifts have a bucket or work platform at the end of the lift arm that is used for raising employees up to work areas in high or hard-to-reach places. Knuckle boom lifts fall under the category of aerial lifts, or Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs). They are especially versatile for working in tight areas and their small base allows them to easily be used for indoor work as well.

Knuckle boom lifts are interchangeable with the term articulating boom lifts. This means that the arm can bend and move both vertically and horizontally. A telescopic boom lift, also known as a straight boom lift, has an arm that can only move straight outward and inward like a handheld telescope does. These two different styles of booms are not the same and in fact, are completely different.

Knuckle boom cranes, also called knuckle boom trucks, have some kind of hook or hoist line and winch on the end of the lift arm. The base of knuckle boom cranes is usually a truck or fixed base that is larger and heavier than the small mobile base of most knuckle boom lifts. This means they are also most commonly used for outdoor work and not for indoor work.

Compared to other cranes, knuckle boom cranes are rather versatile cranes that are especially effective on sites where there are overhead obstructions. They have far fewer travel limitations compared to loader and mobile cranes, making them ideal for outdoor work. However, they are not as powerful and can only move medium sized objects such as construction materials, HVAC units, and generators.

Picker cranes are usually much smaller than knuckle boom cranes, but this depends on the make and the model. They are not the same, although some models of picker cranes look and function similarly to a knuckle boom crane and some come mounted on a truck. Picker cranes also have telescopic boom models, which are completely different from knuckle boom cranes, which have an articulating boom.

Knuckle boom lifts are commonly used by businesses in the oil, forestry, and construction industries. Common uses of this boom lift include electrical and piping repairs, exterior cleaning jobs, and maintenance projects.

A knuckle boom lift is often used for working in tight or elevated spaces. The lift gives workers the ability to lift themselves and their tools and work materials up and over with unprecedented precision. Once in the air, a knuckle boom crane can extend and bend to the left and right and not just up and down.

Knuckle boom trucks are commonly used for lifting heavy small to medium sized objects. This could include construction materials, tree removal, and installing AC units. They are great for using at smaller workplaces outdoors.

When it comes to the manufacturing, maintaining, and operating knuckle boom lifts, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) directly mentions the standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). It is important to note that all lifts are considered aerial lifts by OSHA with the exception of scissor lifts, which OSHA considers to be scaffolding.

ANSI standards state that a Safe Use Plan must be established for each specific MEWP. This plan should include a worksite assessment to identify hazards, evaluate risk, create control measures, and communicate results with the employees. The requirements of a safe use plan also can include:

One of the most important things to ensure your safety and the safety of those around you is to be trained. Understanding the heavy machinery you are operating and procedures for safe work operations will be the difference that prevents workplace injury and death.

Here at Hard Hat Training, we offer knuckle boom training for both types of knuckle booms. We have Knuckle Boom Truck Training for knuckle boom crane operators, and Aerial Lift/MEWP training for knuckle boom lift operators.

Our training comes in four formats: online, onsite, training kit, and competent person. Depending on what works best for you and your company, any of these formats will give you the certification you need for working with knuckle booms.

Knuckle boom cranes, also known as articulating cranes, loader cranes, picker cranes and folding boom cranes, bring versatility and flexibility to the market. Before the knuckle boom, stiff boom cranes were the primary player in the North American crane market. Today, knuckle boom cranes are proven in the market and continue to increase in popularity. Countless new applications and industries are developing using such diverse equipment. So, how do the two versions differ, and what is my best option? These are questions we will address today.

While both crane variations are used to lift and move materials or products, they accomplish this quite differently. A stiff boom crane can only lift materials up and down using a hydraulic winch. While a knuckle boom can also be fitted with a winch to do the same as a stiff boom crane, having more articulating points, it operates more like a human arm, allowing the crane to pick in an optimum method.

Knuckle boom trucks are more suitable for jobs that require reaching challenging workspaces, while stick boom trucks are ideal for reaching high elevations and holding loads in place. Consider the following overviews to better understand which type of boom truck is right for your business.

Unlike traditional straight booms, this type of vehicle has two booms. With a main boom and an outer boom, knuckle boom trucks allow the boom to articulate and hinge. The section of the equipment where it bends is the joint or knuckle, giving it its name.

Thanks to its capability to bend, the crane on this type of truck can access tough-to-reach work areas, giving it a unique advantage over other cranes. With a knuckle boom, you can perform critical jobs for various industries that require lifting, loading and unloading.

There are a variety of different attachments available for these booms, making them highly versatile. This kind of boom truck is typically lighter and more compact than a conventional crane. Since there is often additional space for carrying loads in the truck bed, a knuckle boom truck is a handy piece of equipment for many different types of jobs.

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