Co.me.t launches the X Van

Italy-based manufacturer Co.me.t is introducing a van mount with an articulated boom that rests between the cab and the box, when not in use.

Close in design to an articulated loader crane, the X Van platform has a working height of 12 m and lateral outreach of 4.5 m, while the basket offers a 200 kg capacity. Rotation is limited to 180 degrees so that it cannot work over the cab.

The platform is powered hydraulically, with no electric options, including load limiting devices. All the manufacturer’s models up to 31 m working height are produced this way, after which an electronic is offered as an option.

“Many manufacturers go for electronics, some of them go for both, we decided to go for only hydraulic up to 31 m. We don’t really want to depend on electronics, especially as far as the load limiting devices are concerned, so we go for purely hydraulic power which is very easy and simple for the operator. And if you go for very cheap electronics you can have problems, as we have seen,” said Co.me.t’s Simone Gislimberti.

“And it means the technicians at our dealers have less problems because nothing can break - the machine is perfectly safe throughout the whole working area without a limiting device. Also, we are trying to produce machines that fit with all market requirements from Europe to the Africa,” adds Mr Gislimberti.

All models, however, including the X Van, comply with EN280 Mobile Elevating Work Platforms standards. So a small number of X Van units have been produced but it is still at testing stage.

“We manufacture the platform and then install it and the box on the chassis. It is useful for the export market to ship the platform in kit configuration and then the box can also be made locally, to keep the price level low,” explains Mr Gislimberti.

The X Van can be installed on a 3.5 tonne to 6 tonne vans, “So in Europe we use a lot of 3.5 tonne vans and in Africa and the Middle East, for example, they go for 5 tonnes. But the chassis itself is more or less the same.”

Although more models with increased working heights are likely to follow to create a range, there will not be more than two or three. Interestingly, the X Van was originally designed for mounting on pick-up trucks, as well railway carriages. So far about 20 pick-up mounted machines have been sold, and it is hoped the number of sales of van mounts will increase from five to 10 this year.

“This is a new idea, so we estimate some sales of course, but we are competing against the traditional van lift, so we need to double the effort to break into the market with it. I think the big sales will be in the pick-ups,” concludes Mr Gislimberti.