New Climbing Device Gives a Lift to Tower Industry

Carson City NV, May 28, 2008 -- National Grid in the UK led the way, but tower companies throughout the world are already lining up like, well, power poles for the PowerQuick battery-operated ascender, a tool many companies consider the newest innovation in climbing safety in recent years.

While the mere mention of a powered climbing device conjures images of Spiderman, to companies like National Grid in the UK the PowerQuick Powered ascender is serious business and has become indispensable to the crews for tower access.

The PowerQuick reduces the physical strain of climbing and increases worker safety, but a major advantage is its versatility, said Richard Brooks, UK distributor for the product. With the remote control it can be operated from the machine or the ground, which allows the safety officer to get the climber down if there’s an emergency. They also use the remote to lift lines and equipment to the tower workers above which saves a lot of time and energy.

The PowerQuick Powered Personal Ascender was developed under a US Defense Advance Research Project Agency DARPA contract for military Special Forces to allow them to scale buildings quickly and safely at rates around three feet per second.

“Fast is snazzy, but for commercial applications that speed isn’t safe, so we developed a slower, beefier model to meet industry needs,” said Cathy Jacobson, CEO of PowerQuick, Inc. of Carson City NV. “We engineered a special design for the tower industries unique needs. Now a person can safely go hundreds of feet by just pulling a trigger.”

The PowerQuick works like a personal elevator. To climb simply attach the unit directly to the climbing rope, then attach the ascender to the climbing harness, pull the trigger and up you go. Unlike standard winches, the PowerQuick system actually moves along the length of the rope instead of collecting the rope around a capstan. The PQ-500 is rated for 500 pounds so it can lift personnel and /or equipment for work access or rescue. It .also has a remote control and works with standard climbing equipment and static kernmantle rope.

“Several companies have tried, but none have been able to develop a technology that incorporates all the operational and safety elements necessary for safe use in military and commercial applications, said Jacobson. “After three years, nearly $3 million in military development funds and more than $100,000 in international patent fees, this is the first product of its kind to be successfully deployed in the climbing industry. The difference is most people built a capstan to climb a rope, then tried to add safety elements. We worked with industry and regulatory agencies to determine what the safety and performance requirements were first, and then designed the ascender to incorporate all the elements in an integrated system. We test the ascender to a safety factor of 5 which exceeds all of the standards. While the PowerQuick looks simple, a lot of innovative technology went into the design. Customers like National Grid and other tower companies have been instrumental in working with us on operational improvements and accessories that increase performance and versatility.”

From more information on the PowerQuick ascender, or to locate a distributor, visit their web page at www.powerquickinc.com.

Contact Information

Cathryn Jacobson

CEO

PowerQuick, Inc.

Contact via E-mail