Saltec develops mini-mast climber for Japanese customer

Spain's Saltec has developed a special compact mast climbing work platforms for Japanese rental company Nihon Kasetsu.

The PW-6/12 units, which the company has been developing for over a year, are no more than 0.7 m wide, meaning that the mast climbers can be used in very narrow streets or alleyways for refurbishment projects.

Mr Angel Ibanez, Saltec's sales manager, told Access International that ten of the Torgar mini mast climbers have just been supplied to Nihon Kasetsu, which is a renter of mast climbing work platforms, formwork and scaffolding employing around 200 people.

Mr Ibanez said the mast climber can be erected by hand and is available in two versions: a single mast unit with 1000 kg capacity and 7 m platform length, and a 2.4 t capacity version on twin masts with a 24.6 m long platform.

Saltec has been delivering its medium duty PW-18/35 models to the Japanese customer for the past two years.

Mr Ibanez told AI that the deliveries to Japan were one example of a new export strategy adopted by the company since the crash in Spain's construction market.

Over the past two years the company has readjusted its production capacity for the new market conditions and has targeted export markets including North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

He told Access International that the deliveries to the Japanese market had been the companies most demanding challenge; "It took us more than one year to make all the required modifications on our machines to comply with the local regulations...As a small company we are really proud about it, especially because our distributor there is carrying out very interesting projects not only in the construction sector but also in industry."

Although Mr Ibanez said he remained downbeat about prospects for the Spanish market, he said Saltec was happy with the way it had boosted its export sales.

Saltec, based in Zaragoza, makes a range of hoists, transport platforms and mast climbing work platforms as well as portable concrete mixing equipment. It markets its equipment under the Torgar brand. The company will exhibit at the Bauma China exhibition in Shanghai in November.