From Prototype to Perfection — Galen Equipment's Scissor Lift R&D Journey

How did Galen Equipment, born from Galen Group’s 20-year engineering heritage, shape Turkey’s domestic scissor lift — or manlift — manufacturing scene?

Some achievements don’t emerge from a single decision. They come from years of accumulated experience, designs questioned over and over again, and field-tested knowledge built layer by layer. That is precisely the story of how Galen Equipment developed its scissor lift — known across many markets as a manlift or personnel lifting platform.

It All Started in Kazan

In 2004, Galen Group was founded in Kazan, Ankara, entering the industry as a manufacturer of buckets and accessories for construction machinery. Shaped by dozens of engineers and production specialists across a 16,000 m² manufacturing campus, this foundation built not just a factory — but an engineering culture. Manufacturing discipline, material knowledge, and the ability to understand field realities became Galen Group’s most valuable assets.

Over the years, as the company reached thousands of customers in Turkey and international markets, one question began to surface: what else could this accumulated knowledge become?

The R&D Decision: A Bold Step Taken in 2021

In 2021, Galen Group made a new strategic decision. Aerial work platforms — particularly scissor lifts (manlifts) and vertical mast platforms — represented a rapidly growing segment in Turkey, yet one with very little domestic production to meet the demand. The market either relied on imported products or inadequate local alternatives. For a company with 20 years of engineering expertise, this gap was a strategic invitation.

The R&D process began — but this was no desktop concept. Using the existing production infrastructure and specialist team in Kazan, the engineering crew rolled up their sleeves and faced real engineering problems head on.

“At Galen Equipment, innovation is not merely a destination to be reached — it is the foundation of our engineering philosophy and working culture. Our R&D team conducted an intense, disciplined, and data-driven process with a single goal: to develop a scissor lift that stands apart in its class.”

Five Prototypes, Five Lessons

Rather than focusing on a single design from the outset, the development process involved the staged creation of five distinct prototypes. Each one was revisited based on field feedback, test results, and engineering analysis — a cyclical process that pushed the scissor lift design further forward at every stage.

PROTOTYPE 1

Structural Concept

Core structural concept validated. Engineering data collected on load-bearing capacity and platform geometry.

PROTOTYPE 2

Stability Systems

Stability systems revised. Structural improvements made to address vibration and load distribution issues observed in field tests.

PROTOTYPE 3

Safety Systems

Safety systems optimised. Comprehensive testing of load sensors, platform locking mechanisms, and emergency stop circuits.

PROTOTYPE 4

Durability & Longevity

Durability testing intensified across various field conditions. Material selections re-evaluated for long-term performance.

PROTOTYPE 5

Final Design

Final design confirmed. Full compliance with CE marking and EN 280 European standard achieved. A true turning point for Galen Equipment.

A New Chapter in Akyurt: The Production Facility

As the R&D process matured, building the right infrastructure for serial production became a necessity. Galen Group made a dedicated new investment in Akyurt, Ankara: a modern scissor lift manufacturing facility spanning 5,000 m² of closed area, designed to meet European industrial and safety standards.

This facility was not merely a physical structure — it became the space where the Galen Equipment brand established its independent identity. Decades of manufacturing experience from the Kazan campus came together in Akyurt with next-generation equipment, a skilled engineering team, and a purpose-built production line.

In 2025, serial production of scissor lifts — manlifts — and vertical mast platforms officially began at this facility. Galen Equipment had arrived on the scene as a CE-certified domestic manufacturer of aerial work platforms in Turkey.

The End Result: A Scissor Lift That Goes Beyond Its Class

The fruit of five prototypes and four years of R&D, the ES1012 and other Galen scissor lifts — manlifts trusted by professionals — stand ahead of many alternatives in their class through structural durability, optimised stability systems, and performance validated by detailed field testing. Full compliance with CE marking and the EN 280 standard makes these personnel lifting platforms suitable not only for Turkey, but for European and global markets with confidence.

Galen Equipment’s first export was itself proof of this quality: two ES1012 scissor lifts shipped to Malta, representing the brand’s first step onto the international stage.

We Are Designing the Access Solutions of the Future

Every scissor lift that leaves Galen Equipment today is the tangible result of that long R&D journey that began in Kazan — of field-earned experience and a commitment to continuous improvement. When the engineering heritage of the 16,000 m² Kazan campus meets the dynamism of the modern Akyurt production facility, the result is not just a machine. It is an expression of trust, innovation, and the power of local manufacturing.

Because at Galen Equipment, we don’t just manufacture manlifts and scissor lifts — we design the access solutions of the future.