Rent aerial work platforms and construction machinery in La Chaux-de-Fonds

La Chaux-de-Fonds works under two conditions that make themselves felt on every site: an industry that calculates in a few micrometres, and a climate that compresses building work into a short season. Anyone looking to rent aerial work platforms and construction machinery here therefore chooses not only by height and capacity, but by drive system, tyres, cleanliness of the machine and the timing of the assignment. Luibl hires out mobile elevating work platforms, telehandlers, excavators and forklifts to industrial service providers, building services and ventilation companies, facade and painting firms, construction companies and municipal depots in the city and in the Neuchatel Jura. Which model fits follows from the conditions at the place of work: access route, room height, floor loading, free standing area and the operator's own requirements.

Production in watchmaking and microtechnology runs in areas where temperature, humidity and particle levels are monitored and recorded. A machine that drives in there becomes part of that system — it must introduce neither exhaust fumes nor abraded material nor dust. In practice that means: electric drive, non-marking tyres, a cleaned chassis and an agreed route through the area. Which points are required is laid down by the operator, not by the hire company; obtain the clearance before ordering the machine and tell us the requirements arising from it.

Typical tasks involve the building services above the production floor: ventilation and air conditioning units, filter changes, service lines, lighting, ceiling structures, fire protection systems. Electric scissor lifts cover 6.30 to 33.00 m working height and carry 227 to 1,000 kg — enough reserve for tools, spare parts and measuring equipment. Where there is barely any space between machines, control cabinets and racking, mast lifts with 10.00 to 12.65 m and 200 kg platform capacity are often the only design that still gets down the aisle.

If the platform has to reach the ceiling across an installed production line, electric articulating boom lifts with 10.89 to 28.00 m working height bring it to the workplace from the side; in high-bay areas, high-rack scissor lifts with 18.50 to 33.00 m and 450 to 1,000 kg are the appropriate class. Plan the assignment around the production breaks: maintenance windows in precision manufacturing are short, and a machine that is already in position, set up and handed over with instruction wastes none of them.

The town lies at around 1,000 metres, and the frost period lasts longer than on the Swiss Plateau. That shifts construction planning noticeably: external work on facades, roofs and windows is squeezed into a window between late spring and autumn in which all trades reach for the same machines at the same time. Anyone who reports the period early is more likely to get the machine that suits the area. Winter is left for work inside the building — one more reason to separate interior and exterior stages deliberately.

The second factor is the town's layout. The grid pattern with its long, parallel streets and uniform facade lines is protected as World Heritage; requirements regarding material, colour and detail should therefore be settled early. For the choice of machine, what counts above all is the length of those frontages: a machine that can be repositioned along the facade without having to be set up on outriggers each time saves more time than any extra metre of height. On a surfaced area, scissor lifts are the most efficient choice for this; the diesel versions range from 9.70 to 34.00 m and carry up to 1,134 kg. Where front gardens, flights of steps or planting prevent direct access, spider lifts with 13.00 to 39.50 m work from the second row. Frost, wet and lying snow change the bearing capacity of the set-up area; the limits that apply to inclination, wind and imposed load depend on the machine and are documented in the operating manual.

Class	Working height	Platform capacity
Scissor lifts, electric	6.30 – 33.00 m	227 – 1,000 kg
Scissor lifts, diesel	9.70 – 34.00 m	363 – 1,134 kg
High-rack scissor lifts	18.50 – 33.00 m	450 – 1,000 kg
Articulating boom lifts	10.89 – 48.15 m	150 – 450 kg
Telescopic boom lifts	14.00 – 56.90 m	227 – 454 kg
Mast lifts	10.00 – 12.65 m	200 kg
Spider lifts	13.00 – 39.50 m	200 – 400 kg

Alongside the equipment for working at height, a site in the Jura needs the machines at ground level. Telehandlers in rigid form lift 1.25 to 25 t to between 4.30 and 18.80 m and bring material across existing buildings, walls and embankments to the point of installation; where the area is too narrow for repositioning, the roto version with 15.42 to 38.90 m and 4 to 8 t provides the reach from a fixed position. For production and storage halls, electric telehandlers from 5.85 to 30.00 m are available.

For service lines and civil engineering, the fleet of excavators covers 1.8 to 30 t operating weight; between the building line and the carriageway it is above all the small end that counts. For materials handling in depots and stores, electric forklifts and high-lift stackers with 2.70 to 5.50 m lift height complete the range; forklifts are available from 3 to 16 t.

Swiss law applies to assignments in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The Ordinance on the Prevention of Accidents and Occupational Diseases (VUV) determines which obligations fall on the operator of a work device; enforcement and supervision lie with SUVA, the directives of the Federal Coordination Commission for Occupational Safety (EKAS) flesh out the requirements, and above it all stand the Labour Act and its associated ordinances. The recurring inspection of mobile elevating work platforms follows SN EN 280.

The roles are separate: Luibl provides the inspection certificate, CE documentation and operating manual; the hirer draws up the risk assessment, instructs the operator, determines the protective equipment and keeps a rescue plan for the platform ready. The visual and functional check belongs to the start of work, not to the handover. In microtechnology a second level is added: the plant's own requirements on access, cleanliness, escorting and work permits. These are stricter and take precedence in case of doubt — allow time for them in your planning.

Transport runs from our Passau site; the distance is around 750 kilometres. The final stage leads from the Swiss Plateau up over the slopes of the Jura into the high valley — gradient, hairpin bends and weather determine there what can be scheduled in which season. In the town itself, access is predictable thanks to the grid layout; more critical are courtyards, works entrances and the question of where a low-loader may stop. For assignments inside production buildings we need the route within the building: gate width and gate height, clearance heights, floor loading and whether a ramp or a goods lift lies on the way. If your project is spread over several locations, for example additionally in the Biel or Bern area, delivery, machine changes and collection all run through one contact person.

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Which aerial work platform is allowed into an air-conditioned production area?

That is decided by the operator of the area. Electrically driven machines with non-marking tyres, a cleaned chassis and a defined route are usual, often with an escort. Tell us the points from your work permit and we will tell you which models bring those features with them. Access and assessment of the area remain with the plant.

How does a platform get between machines and control cabinets?

Through its design, not through its height. Mast lifts with 10.00 to 12.65 m working height and 200 kg platform capacity are narrow enough for service aisles and keep a small footprint. If there is not enough room to the side and the workplace lies above an installation, electric articulating boom lifts with 10.89 to 28.00 m take the platform across it from the side. To make the selection we need the aisle width, the room height and the distance.

When should machines for external work at altitude be reserved?

As early as possible, and before the season. The long frost period pushes facade, roof and window work into a short window between late spring and autumn in which several trades ask for the same machine types. Anyone who reports the period, working height and ground conditions early is more likely to get a suitable machine. Interior work, conversely, can be moved into the cold season.

What does the heritage protection of the town layout mean for the choice of machine?

Little for the machine, a great deal for the planning. What is protected is the layout and appearance, not the site set-up — requirements on material, colour and detail come out of the permit procedure and should be settled before scheduling. What is relevant in practice is the length of the facade runs: a machine that can be repositioned along the frontage works through it more quickly.

Can aerial work platforms be used in frost and snow?

Yes, with preparation. What has to be checked is the condition of the set-up area — frozen, softened or snow-covered ground bears differently than in summer — the gradient, roof avalanches above the workplace and the short hours of daylight. Operating limits for wind, inclination and imposed snow load depend on the machine and are stated in the operating manual.

Which design suits your job? The overview Rent a lifting platform – all platform types at a glance explains scissor lifts, articulating and telescopic boom lifts, mast, spider and truck-mounted lifts and shows what the rental price depends on.