Genie Launches Six New Scissor Lifts, Optimized for Quality and a Low Total Cost of Ownership
Genie announces an all-new, future-focused design for its core slab scissor lift product line that further improves performance and lowers the total cost of ownership. The next generation Genie scissor lifts are the GSTM-1932, GS-2632, GS-3232, GS-2646, GS-3246, and GS-4046 scissor lifts.
“Genie’s Next-Generation scissor lifts are redefining the standard for slab scissor lifts and moving this classic MEWP category into the future,” said Christian Dube, senior global product manager. “Our priority when redesigning these lifts was to drive lower cost of ownership, improve serviceability, and enhance the user experience — all while delivering the quality that our customers and the industry expect from Genie.”
Enhanced quality and low total cost of ownership
The most noticeable change with the next-generation slab scissor lifts is the curved linkage design. This departure from industry standard reduces machine weight, allowing Genie to use right-sized components — including batteries, drive motors and other electrical components — which have a lower replacement part cost. Genie benchmarked its new lifts against competitors’ machines, and its own E-Drive scissors.
Other intentional design changes also improve quality and add to cost savings. These changes are the result of an extensive analysis at the beginning of Genie’s design process to identify opportunities to eliminate rust, limit the opportunity for damage, and reduce wear and tear. For example:
· It’s common for water to pool at the top of machine chassis, resulting in rust. Genie designed its new chassis to mitigate stagnant water in these areas.
· Extension decks can be damaged or bent during use; Genie added reinforcement steel in targeted locations to reduce damage.
· During loading and unloading, operators occasionally mis-fork the side pockets, causing damage to the chassis and swing out trays. Genie added steel around these side pockets to reduce the chance for damage to the chassis.
“On their own, each individual update is an incremental improvement. But, when considered together as a system, and across the product line, the result is a family of machines that add value by reducing costs while improving performance and serviceability,” Dube said.
Modernized design improves serviceability
Throughout the redesign, Genie focused on increasing service parts commonality and consistency of the component layout across the product line. Overall, there are fewer serviceable components than with previous generations; of the components that remain, at least 70 percent have commonality across the product line. This simplifies machine fleet management and should increase uptime. Fleet management is further improved by incorporating a consistent parts layout in easy-to-access locations; a win for service technicians who work on multiple models.
The most common maintenance item when managing a fleet of slab scissor lifts is the batteries, which were an area of focus for Genie. One example of how Genie is delivering on service parts commonality is through an update that uses just two battery part numbers across the entire slab scissor lift product line. Furthermore, in response to customer feedback and regional preferences, the units are available with commonly used high-quality FLA batteries as standard for customers in North America, and standard maintenance-free AGM batteries for customers in other regions around the world. Lithium-ion will be available as an option globally. Finally, Genie developed Battery Guard as an option to help protect owners’ investment recognizing that battery theft is a common problem.
Re-imagined for an enhanced user experience
On the jobsite, operators will enjoy a completely re-designed platform that improves productivity and comfort when working at height. On the popular GS-1932, standard fixed guard rails allow users to drive through most common doors without the need to pause and fold guardrails down. The platform is 20 percent larger, offering more room for two people to work comfortably indoors. Across the range, operators will notice other subtle details that enhance comfort at height. When talking with customers, one of the common critiques of products available in the market today is the “flex” that occurs when standing on an extension deck. Genie solved this problem by reinforcing the extension deck across the range, giving the extension deck more structure.
The new Smart Link platform controller is completely redesigned to be 30-percent lighter than the previous version and incorporates a more ergonomic design. Also, because the controller is modular, parts of it controller can be replaced without requiring replacement of the whole – another example of reducing parts replacement cost. The control system also has been updated to align to a new ISO standard (ISO 21455:2020).
Lastly, in keeping with regional preferences, Genie Lift Tools Spill Guard hydraulic oil containment system will be standard on next-generation scissors offered in North America. Spill Guard is an option for the rest of the world.
For more information, visit www.genielift.com