Building Maintenance Units (BMU)

They are essentially a form of articulated crane that allows maintainers and cleaners to safely access the building façade. Depending on the design of the service area and the building façade, these units usually consist of a counterweighted base on rails supported by cast-in bolts, a telescopic boom arm (usually with articulation) and a suspended basket at the end of the boom for the operators.

When operated, the units are driven on the rails to the desired location at which point the boom is raised, extended and/or articulated until the basket is correctly positioned. The operator then lowers the basket (drops) allowing access to the required area of the building. During the drop process, lanyards are connected to sockets on the building façade and are then connected to the basket cable to limit the sideways movement of the basket.

Sophisticated controls interlock various operations of the machine to ensure safe use. Manual overrides allow safe recovery of equipment operators in the event of power or electronic failure.

In 2020, Andrew Engineering formed a Strategic Partnership with a world leading supplier of BMU equipment XS Platforms. Combining the experienced solutions of XS Platforms with the Local Engineering capability of Andrew Engineering has meant that the two companies can produce full turnkey solutions to meet industry needs.

The strategic partnership combines imported equipment with local manufacture giving customers better project visibility and ensuring risks associated with overseas supply chains are minimised.