29.04.2014

Socage to unveil new van mounts

Socage plans to enter the van mounted lift market with the launch of two new telescopic boom van mounted lifts - the VT series.

The company says that it has designed two models so far with 12 and 14 metre working heights. It plans to show the 12 metre model, the ForSte 12VT, at Apex in late June.

The new lift will have up to eight metres of outreach and a maximum capacity of 120kg. The 14 metre version, which will come later, will essentially be the same machine but with an articulated jib and thus the extra working height.

Controls are said to be very simple, with separate controllers for each of the main functions: ie boom up or down, telescope, slew and where fitted jib up or down.
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A Socage telescopic truck mounted lift

Vertikal Comment

These will be the first two van mounted lifts the company has built, and will require a new turret, boom and mounting interface. With the minimal domestic demand for this type of product, the company will have to look to export to Northern Europe, where it will face strong competition from companies such as Time/Versalift and others.

It also comes at a time when the focus on gross weight and cargo capacity is increasing, and fleet buyers -which make up most of the volume - are increasingly looking at customised and tailored products. Socage may well find that this market is not worth all the effort?