One size does not always fit all. Industry niches and complex tender specifications increasingly require manufacturers to ignore stock products and adapt to customer demands in order to stay competitive. TIME has been developing customized access solutions for more than 50 years including the production of hydraulic lift elevators, road-rail access platform vehicles and custom storage solutions.
Elevators
Originally developed by TIME Manufacturing Company in Texas, the hydraulic lift elevator is a prime example of the high level of customization available on Versalift aerial access platforms. The hydraulic lift elevator is located directly below the turret and provides stepless elevation for smooth repositioning, extra working height and extra clearance for access up and over obstacles.
“The smooth vertical repositioning using the lift elevator is particularly helpful and safe for live line maintenance applications as it allows linesmen to reach vertically located transmission lines using just the elevator,” says Per Torp, CEO of TIME International.
The Versalift lift elevator is available in a modular design in 3 different sizes that can be combined with an array of Versalift access platforms and vehicles.
Road-rail technology
Maintenance of overhead electrical lines on railroads is a niche sector in the access industry with few industry players involved. TIME has developed tailor-made access platform vehicles with road-rail drive in close cooperation with the German road-rail technology specialist Zagro for more than 10 years. Today, several of these units are busy maintaining overhead electrical lines on railroads, light rails, tramways and metros in Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic.
The default chassis for a road-rail Versalift access platform vehicle is a Mercedes-Benz Unimog U400 chassis with a custom road-rail system that fixes the chassis to the rails while the wheels provide the propulsion. On top of this basic framework, most Versalift access platforms and multiple cage configurations are available depending on the specific job requirements.
“We have broad experience developing custom road-rail access platform vehicles and understand the comprehensive attention to detail required and all the potential pitfalls of such a project. The sector is very customer driven, and the demand specifications are very different depending on the project, and as such we have no stock rail-road access platform vehicle but instead develop custom solutions for all clients,” says Per Torp, CEO of TIME International.
8 Versalift access platforms with rail-road technology is currently under construction for Hungary.
Storage
After years of daily use in all four seasons, traditional storage cabinets gradually deteriorate. Invented in 2003 by TIME International, TIME Smartbox is an innovative cabinet concept using a sandwich construction of fiberglass and foam that is far superior to conventional cabinet materials including metal and wood. TIME Smartbox is built to withstand harsh conditions, is clear of condensation and available in many shapes and sizes from a small box on a pickup to a workshop module on a truck with adequate standing height.