Manitou will launch its new Indian-built slab electric scissor lift range this spring.
The concept machines were first seen on the company’s stand at Exon 2023 in Bangalore/Bengaluru, India last December. But at that stage no details were available.
Manitou scissors at Excon in December
The initial line of ‘SE’ slab electric scissors, designed and built at the company’s plant in India, will initially include three models, a 19ft compact, 26ft narrow and wider 32ft with working heights of 7.8, 10 and 11.8 metres. Platform capacities are 230kg on the narrow machines and 350kg on the wider model while all units use low maintenance, AC electric wheel motor drive and will include integrated diagnostics with a colour display screen, standard 900mm roll out deck extension and full height swing gate entrance.
The new 19ft SE 0808
The 19ft compact SE0808 has an overall width of 815mm, as does the 26ft SE1008, while the 32ft SE1212 is 1.17 metre wide. Overall lengths are 1.85, 2.42 and 2.43 metres respectively, while overall weights are 1,500kg, 2,200kg and 2,880kg. The full specifications can be found below.
The company said: “This 100 percent homemade designed range will be manufactured in our India based plant, where other Manitou group machines are produced such as backhoe loaders, telehandlers and skid steers for the Asian, African and South American markets.”
Vertikal Comment
Manitou first dipped its toe into the powered access market in 1993 with the launch of a basic electric boom lift, the 100AE and has grown steadily to become a significant participant in the boom lift and mast boom market.
While it has participated in the scissor lift market since 2010 with badged units from Genie see: More Genie scissors for Manitou and: Manitou and Genie sign supply agreement, it has not taken the scissor lift market too seriously, or attempted to manufacture its own products - until now.
The deal with Genie focused largely on compact Rough Terrain scissors, but Manitou clearly believes that now is the time to move towards becoming more of a full line manufacturer. Its new slab electrics take it into by far the largest aerial lift market sector in terms of units.
However, this market is hotly contested by Chinese built models, most of which are produced on large highly automated high volume production lines, making it very hard for manufacturers with lower volumes, and traditional assembly lines to compete. Although JCB, which also builds its scissor lifts in India does appear to be making some progress.
Manitou has a policy, particularly in the access market, of persistence pushing on until it succeeds in a market. So, watch this space.
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