The brainchild of a team of engineers with a shared background in designing rescue hoists and winches for helicopters, the Ronin Lift is a game-changer in the tower industry. It allows climbers to ascend to height quickly and safely, and it’s affordable enough to be in the hands of every at-height worker.
Ronin CEO Bryant Bertrand said his team “decided to embark on an adventure” in 2016 when they started to design an ascender available to every climber, regardless of skill level, and inclusive of all at height industries.
“Give Us 60 Seconds and We’ll Give You 90 Feet”
Released in 2018, the Ronin Lift is easy to use, lightweight (at less than 25 pounds), and can support a working load of 400 pounds. Features like powered reverse, a variable lift speed of up to two feet per second, a hands-free brake, and a hot-swappable battery pack make it ideal for tower climbers, arborists, utility workers, and other at-height professionals. The product was developed to the relevant ANSI standards in the U.S. and is certified to European standards. Watch how it works here.
Fighting the Fatigue Factor
Bertrand described how the Ronin Lift helps prevent accidents by fighting the root cause: Worker fatigue.
“In at-height industries, climbers are required to strap on a ton of fall protection equipment. Then they are asked to manually haul this equipment in addition to their own body weight up towers daily. This is physically tiring and increases worker fatigue. Studies have shown fatigue is the primary driver of mistakes and injuries. We’re looking at protection before the accident, and that is very different from the way the industry is currently operating with available PPE.”
As Bertrand sees it, since it helps prevent injuries, the Ronin Lift can improve career longevity and satisfaction for workers as they meet unprecedented demand – and build out the world’s wireless infrastructure one tower at a time.
“The Ascender For Everyone”
To accomplish that goal, the Ronin team wants to get its lift into as many hands as possible – and with a price point of less than $2,200, the product is affordable for companies of all sizes. According to Ronin, that is a fraction of the price of their nearest competition.
“Our price level is close to traditional fall protection equipment,” he said. “So that when you kit out your worker with a harness, helmet, and other manual climbing equipment, the Ronin Lift can be part of that kit. And that can’t be accomplished if it’s priced too high.”
The Ronin team wants companies to look at powered ascenders as essential equipment – and not a niche item that stays in a box with limited access by crews.
Access Equipment, Now
“We want to see guys using this daily,” Bertrand said. “If you’re climbing a 200-foot, 300-foot tower, you should be using one of these. There’s no reason not to be. I always say, ‘what’s the point of making access equipment that nobody has access to?’”
Ronin’s first customers were smaller and mid-sized businesses – a core the company continues to serve. After the launch period, the team has also found success with larger firms, such as SoCal Edison and Davey Tree. Ronin products have also been delivered to 24 countries around the world. Bertrand said it’s crucial to bring Ronin Lift technology to a wide range of clientele and to markets that previously didn’t consider powered ascenders a viable technology for their workforce.
Today’s Climbing Technology For Tomorrow’s Challenges
“We’re getting a lot of attention,” he noted. “The larger companies are now saying ‘why aren’t we doing that?’…Our customers know this is a technology that has a future, and they’ve invested the time to train their people on it.”
Ronin recognizes training is essential for powered ascenders to be widely adopted by the at-height industry. For this reason, they’ve partnered with SPRAT training houses, such as Safety One and Tower Safety, to provide certificated programs that incorporate the Ronin technology into industry-specific applications.
Safety & Efficiency
Ronin continues to innovate new features and accessories to provide more flexibility, increased safety, and industry-specific solutions. “We’ve taken customer feedback that will help guide us to produce a suite of products,” Bertrand said. “We’re developing additional products to fit niche industries.”
Add Accessories For Flexibility
Every customer’s operation is different. The team at Ronin understands this and presents custom solutions to meet the unique needs of at-height markets. Upon request, Ronin will design items that can be included in a custom kit. Items such as the 5000 lbs. ANSI-rated Tripod Mount for vault rescue/retrieval, the 5000 lbs. ANSI-rated Multipurpose Trailer Hitch Mount, and the discrete signal Wireless Remote are all available options. All available accessories along with items not listed such as but not limited to carabiners, slings and line launchers can be added. A custom ascender kit designed to meet the unique needs of the Tower industry.
Ronin sells its products through a network of distributors that keep stock on hand for quick delivery. For more information visit their website. Check out Ronin’s new catalog here.
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