HighStep system
The HighStep system is a rail-based method to reach high workplaces with various portable climbing devices .
history
Wilhelm Maurer , the Swiss engineer and inventor of Pacojet , started developing the HighStep system when he fell off the ladder while picking cherries in 2003 . He concluded that ladder climbing is neither safe nor ergonomic. Together with a group of engineers, he began to rethink the method of climbing. The resulting principle is based on a two- component solution . Instead of a ladder, a rail is mounted directly on the structure . The appropriate climbing device is then attached to the rail as required.
The newly founded HighStep Systems AG took over product development in 2007 . Andreas Maurer is its first CEO . In the years that followed, new climbing devices were developed and the existing climbing devices were optimized ( HighStep Easy , HighStep Protector , HighStep Lift ). The track always remained unchanged. The system is suitable for many different structures that can be climbed on: high-voltage masts , light and cell phone masts , wind turbines , buildings , shafts and chimneys .
In 2013, the SVA Zurich (Swiss Social Insurance Institution) financed the installation of a HighStep rail to enable a crane operator who was previously unable to work due to a shoulder operation to climb again.
System components
HighStep is a modular system that consists of an aluminum rail permanently installed on the structure and portable climbing devices. These are brought along for use and can simply be hooked into the rail if necessary. Consisting of aluminum in the extrusion process produced rail has an open U-shape. It is 60 mm deep and 110 mm wide. Recesses, which are used to transfer power from the climbing device to the rail, are 2.5 cm apart.
Two pedals ( HighStep Easy ) and a fall protection device ( HighStep Protector ) are used for mechanical self- ascent . They are the personal climbing and protective equipment of the user and are brought by him to the place of use. The user's feet are fixed to the pedals by means of a binding. A clamp surrounds the rail profile. This ensures that the user is securely and firmly connected to the rail. The climbing device is guided along the rail using three guide rollers. If the user loads the footplate, the device is held on the rail by two brake shoes . If the user lifts a heel , a slight twisting movement occurs, which causes the brake shoes to detach from the rail. At this moment the pedal can move freely up or down along the rail. The guide rollers are used as soon as the user raises or lowers his foot parallel to the rail. At the point where the step is to be ended, the heel is lowered again. The brake shoes are pressed back onto the rail via the swivel joint. If the rail is wet, slippery or smeared, an additional latch is used: The pedal then lowers until the latch falls into the next recess in the rail.
The HighStep Protector is an accompanying fall protection device that is certified according to the latest PPE directive EN 353-1: 2014. The protector clasps the rail and runs on it with the help of rollers. In order to attach the protector to the rail or to detach it from it, two-hand operation is necessary for safety reasons . A safety bar on the rail prevents the device from being attached twisted. A double pawl is connected directly to an energy absorber and a carabiner via a swivel joint in the support body. The double pawl locks into the recesses in the rail as long as the snap hook and energy absorber point downwards. If you pull this combination upwards, the double latch is released from the rail via the rotary axis and the device can be moved freely. During the ascent or descent, the protector runs along the rail in the direction of movement of the user. If the downward movement is too fast (for example in the event of a fall), the double pawl automatically falls back into the rail by spring force, thus preventing free fall. If the double latch is locked to the rail with a lever, the protector also represents a fixed anchor point in accordance with EN 795.
The HighStep Lift serves as a fully automatic climbing device . It is the world's first portable elevator and can be brought to the place of use without any additional transport system. It consists of two main parts: the lift column and the battery platform. Four swivel castors enclose the rail from behind. The lift can be operated with two travel buttons (created as a dead man's switch ), or used with a remote control for material and empty transports. When the movement is activated, four toothed wheels run in the recesses of the rail and enable automatic up and down movement. Four independent motors provide the drive . The energy is provided by lithium batteries located in the battery platform. Safety is guaranteed by an independent latch system that automatically connects the lift to the rail in the idle state and in an emergency .
Certificates and awards
- Aluminum Award 2006 (Category "Building and Construction")
- Finalist Swiss Technology Award 2008
- CTI (Commission for Technology and Innovation - Swiss Confederation) StartUp Label 2009
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Business newspaper : HighStep Systems AG. In: UnternehmerZeitung. Retrieved June 8, 2016 .
- ↑ Joachim Berger: New ideas - innovative products. (PDF) In: DGUV Forum - specialist journal for prevention, rehabilitation and compensation. 2012, accessed June 8, 2016 .
- ↑ Michael Fischer: Return to professional life thanks to Zurich technology. In: Swiss Radio and Television (SRF). October 24, 2013, accessed June 8, 2016 .
- ^ Edith Müller: climbing stairs on a ladder . In: Handelszeitung Special Aluminum . June 12, 2006.
- ^ Swiss Economic Forum: HighStep Systems. In: old.swiss-innovation.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016 .
- ↑ Overview - Highstep Systems - ctistartup.ch. In: CTI (Commission for Technology and Innovation). Retrieved June 8, 2016 .