Socage goes green for APEX

Among the three new models to be shown by Italian manufacturer Socage at APEX is the A314 NAT (Natural Aerial Transport), which Socage believes to be the first all electric compact platform. It employs the company's A314, 13.2m working height boom, which offers a 6.5m outreach and a 225kg capacity.

The A314 NAT is installed on an Italian manufactured Ecomile FAAM truck, which is equipped with a 96V AC electric motor a LI-PO lithium-ion battery of 150Ah. The new model has a range of around 100km on a single charge when used in a normal operating cycle, the truck has a maximum of 80 km/h.

The A314 NAT has been developed to work quietly and without fuel emission making it particularly suitable for use indoor and in built up areas. The compact size of the model - 4.4m long - also helps with manoeuvrability in these environments.

For agility in confined spaces the boom of the A314 NAT has continual rotation, which reduces downtime when repositioning and the aluminium work basket rotates +/-90deg for increased flexibility.

Also using the A314 boom is Socage's new ultra compact machine. The A314 UP (Urban Platform) has similar characteristic to the A314 NAT except it is mounted on a conventionally propelled Piaggio Porter chassis, which is 4.430m long and 1.58m wide in transport mode.

Designed to appeal to the Northern and Eastern European markets Socage will also show the new T320 mounted on a 3.5t GVW Nissan Cabstar. T320 is the 20m working height version of Socage's range of T3 machines which currently include T315, T316 and T318.

T320 has a 11m outreach and load capacity of 225kg. With the extendable front outriggers its stabilisation system can be configured in three ways: "within the mirrors" - keeping the footprint narrow, with one front crossbeam open or with both open. These options are designed to make it easy to use the machines in busy streets.

Socage will also be showing the new TJ35 in its final version - first shown at GIS in Piacenza in May - it has 35m working height and 30m outreach and mounted on a modified Mercedes Axor 1829 4x2. ( 3900

TJ35 is the forerunner of some improvements that Socage says it will implement on other models of TJ series which includes multifunction remote control for emergency from the ground and the remote radio-control for the stabilisation procedures.

Fiorenzo Flisi, CEO of Socage srl said,"We continue the process of expansion and consolidation of our product range started immediately after the acquisition of the company in 2009. In addition to the news that we will present in Maastricht, there will be other surprises before the end of 2011."