5 minute read
Bobcat Telehandler T40.180SLP
‘FIRST’ BOBCAT TELEHANDLER PLAYS VITAL SAFETY ROLE AT WHITEMOUNTAIN QUARRY
The health and safety of employees plays a vital role at Whitemountain’s Ballystockart Quarry at Comber in County Down which is why the company has invested in its first Bobcat telehandler, a T40.180SLP model from Northern Excavators, as Plant & Civil Engineer’s David Stokes has been finding out.
With nearly 18 m lift height and a maximum capacity of 4 tonnes, the Bobcat T40.180SLP has been fitted with a remote controlled man basket to enable the team at the quarry to perform a variety of tasks that involve working at height. In many cases the telehandler will be utilised on work that would otherwise have required climbing a ladder. Its compact stabilisers, frame levelling and boom positioning system also contributes significantly to the safety of the men. In addition, the Bobcat T40.180SLP was supplied with a sweeper which will help keep roads and paths around the quarry debris free. “Up until now, we had two machines on hire to assist us, but the new Bobcat has easily replaced those and is proving to be an excellent fit for purpose machine,” says Quarry Manager Pat O’Connor who is a strong advocate of good health and safety, having worked in the industry for over 20 years. “The support we have received from Northern Excavators has been outstanding. They were able to come to the quarry to offer some initial training for our men on how to safely use the Bobcat telehandler, and that has been reinforced by bringing in a specialised trainer to ensure all the correct procedures are properly carried out. With men working from the basket up to 18 metres in height, you cannot afford to take any unnecessary risks. “The machine has a quality, well designed cab that provides the operator with excellent all round visibility; he can even see through the roof of the cab so he knows what’s happening directly above the machine. There’s also a grill on the front windscreen for added protection, in addition to a 360 degree camera and ample mirrors.” Adds Pat, who is Vice-Chairman of the Northern Ireland branch of the Institute of Quarrying, and hopes to become Chairman in 2022: “As the operators become more familiar with the machine we may well add other extra health and safety features that will help them in their work around the quarry, depending on what our men recommend; we always take on board their views and suggestions. Their safety is our top priority.”
User Friendly
As the team at Whitemountain are discovering, the Bobcat telehandler is a highly user-friendly machine, with simple, intuitive controls like the single, fully electroproportional joystick for all boom movements such as lift, tilt and telescopic, the front/ neutral/rear auxiliary controls and machine setting controls, giving the operator the highest possible accuracy and, crucially, safety when lifting the man basket. This Bobcat joystick is safer too, as the operator always has one hand on the steering wheel. One step access to the spacious and comfortable cab and forward/reverse controls on the joystick all come as standard. The operator can also configure his machine to suit to his habits with controls on the steering wheel lever, or both steering wheel and joystick; the controls are well identified, backlit and logically positioned, while the adjustable
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steering wheel, simplified display screen and semi-automatic wheel alignment, amongst other features, add to the ease of use. The easy and intuitive dashboard gives operators all the information they need: job hours, travel or engine speed, boom angle, frame levelling angle, auxiliary hydraulic flow setting, and much more. It also features an ECO mode that allows you to maintain hydraulic performance without using the engine’s full power, so you work with lower rpm, less noise and lower fuel consumption. For extra safety and comfort, the Bobcat work lights are positioned on the top of the cab – two in front and one at the rear – to provide good visibility while working on dull or dark winter afternoons such as we are experiencing at the moment.
Steering Modes
The Bobcat telehandler is equipped with three different steering modes - two-wheel steering mode for road driving and high speed use, four-wheel steering mode when your job requires a small turning radius in confined spaces, or crab-steer mode for lateral approaches and work alongside walls. The operator can easily change steering modes to adapt to his job. Semi-automatic wheel alignment provides automated assistance to the operator, ensuring that the wheels are always aligned when changing between the three steering modes. Wheel re-alignment can also be made manually. The automatic parking brake function provides an additional level of safety in everyday operations. It is automatically engaged at low engine revs or engine turned off, making operations simpler and faster for an operator who is concentrating on his job. The Bobcat Boom Positioning System (BPS) gives you a side-shift movement so you can put the load – such as the man basket Pat earlier spoke about - exactly in the right place. But unlike conventional side-shift carriages, the built-in frame BPS design means you suffer no loss of lifting capacity. There’s no need to re-position the machine, you get up to 1350 mm side-shift at 18 m lifting height.
Safe & Stable
Meanwhile, easy-to-use compact stabilisers ensure that you can use the machine’s full capabilities in the most confined working areas. In addition to safe working practice, stabilisers give you a big advantage when you need to get close to a building without losing reach – and when the telehandler is operating on uneven terrain such as in the quarry or on a slope, the operator can
adjust the frame level to horizontal. Easy and safe to use, the frame angle is displayed on the screen and the frame-level angle range and speed are managed automatically. All things considered, it is easy to see why Whitemountain opted for the Bobcat T40.180SLP; with so many built in state-ofthe-art safety features, it is ideal for their purposes. The machine will clearly become an increasingly valuable asset around the quarry.
