News
Teupen Platform solves access problem for the UK's only balloon manufacturer
The UK's only balloon manufacturer recently used a Teupen tracked
access platform to replace a total of 50 fluorescent lighting
tubes and associated starters throughout its large manufacturing
facility in Derbyshire.
Puffin Balloons of Chesterfield moved into new premises about
five years ago in order to cope with an increasing demand for
its premium quality latex balloons and at the time the light
fittings were installed using a conventional scissor platform.
However, when it became necessary to gain access to the fittings
for maintenance purposes it was realised that something special
was going to be required because now that the production machinery
is in place it is impossible to use a vertical lift platform.
Local company Ranger Rental, the hire division of Ranger Equipment,
was able to come to the rescue with one of its Teupen Leo 15GT
models which, thanks to its 3-piece articulating boom, carried
a technician up and across the machinery with ease.
According to Puffin Balloons' engineering director, "The
Teupen platform is an absolutely superb bit of kit and so we
took the opportunity to replace all the high level tubes and
starters, regardless of whether they were working or not. Hopefully,
we will now not need to use the platform again for at least another
five years!"
The Leo 15GT is one of the smallest models manufactured by Teupen
of Germany for which Ranger Equipment is the sole UK importer.
This machine offers a maximum working height and outreach of
14.90 m and 6.4 m respectively and, importantly, this impressive
outreach can be attained using an overall stabiliser width of
just 2.65 m, with no reduction in the unit's 200 kg safe working
load.
For the Puffin Balloons' production environment, an access platform
equipped with the optional 230v electric drive system was essential
to ensure quiet and emission-free operation.