Self-leveling boom changes the landscape
By Rob Blackstien
JLG Industries Inc. has released the JLG 670SJ self-leveling boom which uses the company’s patented self-leveling technology to automatically adapt to terrain on slopes up to 10 degrees in any direction — while driving with full functionality at 67-ft. platform height, the highest in its class.
“We are extremely excited to bring this transformational innovation to market,” says Robert Messina, senior vice president of global product development and product management, JLG.
The technology within this boom will tweak the lift chassis to align with the ground conditions — the inverse of the usual situation in which the ground conditions must be altered to use the machine. As a result, users can navigate uneven terrain while driving at height and go from job to job without having to lower the boom — a much more productive means of tackling these types of projects.
“On the underside of the machine, you can see that it has four independent axles, each controlled by its own smart hydraulic cylinders. These enable each wheel to separately follow the contour of the terrain and stay in constant contact with the ground. This not only allows the machine to continuously and seamlessly self-level, but it does so without requiring operator inputs,” says Shashank Bhatia, vice president of engineering for MEWPS, JLG.
