Our products
The Rail
The aluminium rail forms the basis of the system. It is installed over the whole length of the building and stays firmly mounted. It is made from aluminium because that is cheap, lightweight and easy to handle. The rail is maintenance-free over the life time and suitable even for harsh environments such as heating by strong sunlight, cold in icy regions or corrosion in moist areas.
Rail segments of 6m are joined together with connecting profiles and rivets. With this junction, the strength of the rail over the whole length is equivalent to a 22mm steel-rope and can carry about 12 tons. All elements are also from aluminium, therefore no electrochemical corrosion is possible.
To fix the rail to a building, special spring clamps are used. Spring clamps make the complete system flexible. In an average distance of 3m a spring clamp is needed (this is nearly the double distance of connections for ladders).
To use the rail different climbing gear is available. All devices are mobile and able to be fixed very quickly on the rail. With these choices the user can climb as he wants:
HighStep Easy and Protector
The mechanical base model consists of two pedals, also called „steppers”, for the left and right foot. Climbing is conducted in a similar way as with normal climbing irons. HighStep Easy maximizes the safety standard because the pedals are connected to the rail and also the feet. To slip off, making a misstep or drop off the rail is impossible. The bonding holds the whole foot of the user on its pedal (safeness). During the whole climbing procedure the user stands absolutely uprightly on his pedals which will have the same effect as a platform for resting. The user is also able to vary his stepping height each step he makes (ergonomics). Several comparable studies at the ETH Zurich (Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) which are specialized in ergonomics have approved that HighStep Easy is able to reduce the physical strain strongly in comparison with any ladder system.
The HighStep Protector is combined with the HighStep Easy. This device is an independent fall arrester with which the user is connected to the rail redundantly. So if there is an accident the HighStep Protector will hold the user at the rail. This fall protection device is also very easy to attach to the rail, but cannot be removed unintended. The Protector follows the movement automatically while the user is climbing in upright position; there is no need to lean back. In case of too fast movements a safety pawl automatically engages in the rail and reliably prevents from falling.
With the additional motion blockade HighStep Protector is an anchor point on the rail, because after engaging this blockade, it is firmly fixed to the rail. In case of an accident a rescuing device can be attached to it and used for the rescue.
HighStep Lift
HighStep Lift is the full automatic variant for climbing. The special design of the device makes it transportable. That means that one person can carry the full Lift! With this feature, not each building needs to be equipped with a Lift. Only a group of engineers need to have just one device and carry it to the building to ascent. The Lift can be fixed to the rail as quickly as the HighStep Easy, and shows the same safety advantages like tightly and redundant connection to the rail etc. For sure it is of outstanding ergonomics, as Lifts are.
The Lift has a maximum of 150kg load and will be remotely controllable which allows a group of users to ascent one by one.
Since it is battery operated, the Lift will be usable on masts in the field where normally no 220V-power-supply is available. The capacity of one battery package lasts for 30 masts of 50m height (in total 1000 meters of height) with a load of 100kg. Battery packages can be changed easily so there is no restriction regarding maximum stepping height.
