Construction Plant News September 19

CONTENTS @CPN_mag

SEPTEMBER 2019 cpnonline.co.uk

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ljones@hamerville.co.uk

THIS ISSUE...

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REGULARS

SPECIAL REPORTS

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VIEWPOINT NEWS FLEET ADDITIONS NEW PRODUCTS

Construction Plant News, Regal House, Regal Way, Watford, Herts, WD24 4YF.

Genie: Factory Visit Riwal: Meet the Rental Hub

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FEATURES MATERIALS HANDLING EQUIPMENT 18 JCB Hydradig Rotating Handler 21 Manitou Rebranding 24 Liebherr:Visit to the Wheel Loader Production Site

28 Bell Equipment: ADTs On Site 30 GB Access: Hoists 32 Tufftruk’s New Tuffbelt Conveyors

ATTACHMENTS 34 Prodem Demolition Attachments 36 Bobcat’s Remote Control System 38 Miller: GT Series Quick Couplers 41 Attachments Round-Up

EXCAVATORS 44 Eagle Day Challenge

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VEHICLES 48 Vauxhall Vivaro Review

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CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 3

VIEWPOINT Editor LEE JONES

ljones@hamerville.co.uk Consultant Editor

PEOPLE LIKE US ven the most rudimentary much of our society at present. knowledge of the history Not only that but it is a life of our island will tell you that is also well rewarded that invention and financially, with the average resourcefulness are as intrinsic salary in the built environment to our national DNA as our now standing at £45,900 – well more celebrated reserve and above the national average. stiff upper lip. At the very apex That construction is one of the of those attributes think most rewarding sectors Lee Jones, Isambard Kingdom Brunel or financially and professionally Editor Tim Berners Lee to name just remains a well-kept secret to two, but over the fullness of many in the public at large, but time the list of luminaries that have defied an industry that generates more than perceived wisdom to light those paths £100bn annually is also one of the most never previously travelled reads like a roll diverse and important in the economy, and call of titans. it is that diversity that allows its workforce Of course, we who occupy the everyday to make use of a wealth of transferable are unlikely to reach such Olympian heights skills in retraining or changing career paths.

– but in all our working lives ideas still Of course, none of this is news to the matter. They are the currency on which people who already make their living in commerce trades and, in the pragmatic professions as varied as project manager, pursuits of bricks and mortar, are as crucial plant mechanic, or drone operator. The as any of the tools of the trades. One frustration is that a sector that needs at company that is ensuring that they are least 230,000 new recruits by 2020 has heard is Balfour Beatty, and the contractor been unable to convey that message to a is reaping the rewards as a result. Its My wider audience. The current shortage in Contribution initiative allows employees to construction plant operators, which is suggest efficiency savings and improvements projected to deteriorate still further, is via an online portal. Having been in place already leading some national hirers to set since 2015, it is claimed that the up their own dedicated training academies. programme has already saved the Not only is this good for the industry, but it organisation millions. That kind of return is will this ensure that they have a workforce not just a graphic reminder of the telling equipped with the skills and knowledge that contribution that the right talent can make is in tune with the needs of their business, to a company, but that it can be found at whilst equally allowing them to take every level of the business. advantage of the growing market for At a time when increasing our supplying operated plant to its contractor productivity levels has become a national customers – a meeting of commercial sense imperative people are more important than and social responsibility that should be ever. In the course of reporting on our pricking up the ears of their competitors. industry the editorial team at Construction Last month saw thousands of school Plant News are privileged to visit projects leavers receive their exam results, and make large and small, where using your initiative crucial decisions on the future direction of to find solutions is as routine as the their lives. In the weeks ahead many of operations of the excavators that are them will embark upon a university breaking ground. The level of expertise we education. Whatever qualifications they encounter and the people who, to put it ultimately achieve, the construction simply, are just rather good at their jobs is industry can be their home. always heartening, and a welcome antidote to the pessimism that seems to pervade so

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NICK JOHNSON

nick.johnson@constructionplant.info Managing Editor TERRY SMITH

tsmith@hamerville.co.uk Assistant Editor KIERAN NEE

pb@hamerville.co.uk Digital Assistant DAVID MOLLOY

dmolloy@hamerville.co.uk Group Advertisement Manager CRAIG JOWSEY

craig@hamerville.co.uk 07900248102 Advertisement Manager JACOB TATUM

jtatum@hamerville.co.uk 07825773737 Magazine Designer GEMMA WATSON Group Production Manager CAROL PADGETT Publisher BRYAN SHANNON Subscriptions Construction Plant News is a business magazine for plant professionals, contractors, materials extraction and processing companies, waste and recycling operations, as well as local authorities. If you are not on our circulation list and would like to subscribe email circulation@hamerville.co.uk To be removed from this magazine’s circulation please call 01923 237799 or email circulation@hamerville.co.uk.

Printed by Walstead Peterborough Published by HAMERVILLE MEDIA GROUP Regal House, Regal Way, Watford, Herts WD24 4YF. Tel: Watford (01923) 237799 Fax: (01923) 246901 Copyright © 2019

The publishers and editor do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors, nor do they accept responsibility for any errors of translation in the subject matter in this publication.

Total Average Net Distribution 9,180 1 July 2017 - 30 June 2018

CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 5

NEWS THE CEA LOOKS FORWARD TO NEW POLICE SUPPORT FOR THE CESAR NETWORK.

POLICE BACK UP Organisational and priority changes within the Metropolitan Police led to the suspension of the activities of the Plant and Agricultural National Intelligence Unit (PANIU) earlier this year. However the CEA has confirmed that it is looking forward to the formation of a new national police resource to co-ordinate the fight against plant theft and complement the work of the CESAR Network and that of the Combined Industries Theft Solutions group (CITS).

Rob Oliver, CEA: “We are

working closely with insurance representatives and key national policing leads with the objective of forming a new national police resource. This is providing us with the opportunity to ensure there is an alignment of the work of the police, the CESAR Network, CITS and others dedicated to combating plant theft in all its forms”.

Keith Dolbear, CESAR Review Committee, added: “Whilst the details concerning

the formation of a new dedicated police unit are being worked through, the industry can continue to call on the expertise of the CESAR team.

This includes the 24/7 “hotline” and the continuing links with police forces up and down the country. Support for the CESAR scheme, and its growing number of applications, has never been stronger”.

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DANGER ABOVE

LORRY DRIVERS WARNED OF PERILS OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES. New research from the Energy Networks Association reveals lorry drivers do not know how to avoid fatal injuries when working near overhead power lines. The research accompanies a newly launched film highlighting the dangers of overhead power lines and a call for workers to familiarise themselves with safety advice and call 105 if an incident occurs. On average, one person dies or is injured each month as a result of contact with overhead power lines. However, the ENA found that over 50 per cent of lorry drivers do not understand the proper safety requirements for working near overhead power lines.

i Watch the new Look Out Look Up! film WWW.RDR.LINK/CH002

CUT THE NOISE

NOISE INFRINGEMENTS ON RISE, ACCORDING TO REPORT.BUILDING SITES ON THE

The Building Safety Group has reported a 25 per cen t increase in the number of noise infringements occ urring on construction sites in 201 9. Some 17,000 people in the UK suffer deafness, ringing in the ears or other ear con ditions caused by excessive noise at work. Exposure to hig h noise levels can cause permanen t hearing damage for construction workers, wit hout the sufferer becom ing aware of the problem until it’s too late.

i To find out more

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WIDENING THE NET

£10M BOOST TO GET PEOPLE OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS INTO CONSTRUCTION. CITB will target more than 11,800 people to attract them into construction careers. Just 16 per cent of construction employees are female, and 7 per cent of ethnic minority, partly because construction firms rely on traditional recruitment methods such as word of mouth. Pathways Into Construction will attract people from underrepresented groups over the next three years with CITB’s investment.

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EMISSION BRIEF

MANUFACTURER OUTLINES ROADMAP TO STAGE V EMISSIONS STANDARDS COMPLIANCE.

THE RIGHT ROAD GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT TO INFRASTRUCTURE VITAL.

The CPA has identified the infrastructure sector as a main driver of growth and vital to the fortunes of the construction industry in the next few years. Total construction output would fall by 1.7 per cent in 2019 and experience no growth up until 2021 without the delivery of major infrastructure projects. High-profile projects such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel, High Speed Rail and Hinkley Point C are expected to drive activity in the infrastructure sector as well as the new fiveyear regulatory periods in the water and sewerage, rail and roads sub-sectors.

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New European Commission rules impose stricter emissions targets for non-road machinery used in industrial applications. Atlas Copco Power Technique has published a free e-guide that explains the impact of new European Commission emissions standards legislation on non-road machinery such as compressors, generators, pumps and light-towers.

i To read the guide,

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DANGER ZONE

WORKPLACE FATALITIES STILL WORRYINGLY HIGH SAY HSE. The Health and Safety Executive has released its annual report on workplace fatality figures for 2018/2019 with some worrying findings. Annual data for work-related fatal injuries revealed that 147 workers were fatally injured between April 2018 and March 2019 – a figure branded 'worryingly high' by HSE Chair, Martin Temple. Since 1981, there has been a long-term reduction in the number of fatalities at work, but the 2018/2019 period bucked this trend.

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UP TO THE CHALLENGE

DELIVERING THE WORLD’S LARGEST CRANE. Unveiled at the Port of Ghent in November 2018, Sarens SGC-250, the largest crane in the world, required a transport solution for delivery to the Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant site in Somerset. For this logistical challenge, the Collett team were appointed to undertake all vessel discharge procedures, heavy lift services and heavy transport operations to deliver the massive structure in modular form.

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‘VAT’S THE PLAN

CONSTRUCTION BUSINESSES WARNED TO BE PREPARED FOR VAT CHANGES. Construction businesses should ensure they are prepared for a dramatic change in the collection and charging of VAT, warns accountancy firm HWB, as new arrangements are due to come into effect from the start of next month. Under the arrangements, a supplier or subcontractor will not charge VAT on those services falling within the definition of “construction operations”. The main contractor will, instead, effectively charge the VAT to itself and recover it as Input Tax, under a process known as the VAT Domestic Reverse Charge.

Meanwhile, the National Federation of Builders (NFB) has written to Sajid Javid MP, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, asking for the 1 October 2019 introduction to be delayed until April 2020.

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NEWS DIGGING UP THE PAST

VINTAGE DIGGER TURNS HEADS AT AUCTION. An early 1960s Hymac 480 tracked excavator stole the show at a recent Euro Auctions plant sale, eventually selling for £16,500 – more than four times the initial valuation. “We knew that this was a special little machine” explained Jonnie Keys, Euro Auctions’ Operations Manager. “However, we didn’t bank on the international interest in this machine, which was staggering.”

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SHARE YOUR STOCK

NEW APP STARTUP BRINGS THE SHARING ECONOMY TO CONSTRUCTION PLANT AND TOOL HIRE. A new app startup, Shareplant allows users to rent a wide range of idle construction equipment and tools directly from owners. The startup allows equipment owners to earn extra money and offset equipment running costs during downtime and gaps between jobs, while offering renters a seamless way to browse a wide range of available self-drive or operated specialist equipment on a single app, with up-to-the-minute information about availability and without having to contact or search multiple providers.

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GOOD YEAR

SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR MANUFACTURER. In 2018,Yanmar made the strategic decision to expand its presence in the UK and sales continue to increase throughout the region. “Expanding our presence in the UK has had a hugely positive effect,” explained Andreas Hactergal,Yanmar. “We are already planning additional investment and expansion over the coming years.”

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WASTE WATCHERS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY URGED TO CUT PLASTIC WASTE.

Recent research has shown that the construction industry accounts for almost a quarter (23 per cent) of all the plastic consumed in the UK. Every year, 40 per cent of construction’s plastic is sent to landfill, amounting to 20,000 tonnes – the same as two Eiffel Towers.

Some of the ways plastic is being reused already within the construction industry include plastic roads, plastic concrete and even roofing tiles made from nappies.

i For further information on IPAF

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WHEELING & DEALING CONSTRUCTION PLANT NEWS ROUNDS UP THE LATEST TAKEOVERS, DISTRIBUTION DEALS AND EXPANSIONS. 씰 Atlas Copco welcomes Vital Power as an authorised distributor.

Atlas Copco has appointed Coventry-based Vital Power as authorised distributors for their complete QIS family of diesel generators. This includes the five most recently added models, ranging from 875 to 1420 kVA.

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씰 Wilson Access increases Midlands coverage Wilson Access has further strengthened its UK coverage from a new purpose-built site in Birmingham. The depot features hire offices, training facilities, a large workshop, a fully floodlit yard and dedicated cleaning area for over 300 machines in the depot’s fleet. The local team in Birmingham is on hand to advise customers on all aspects of powered access machine hire.

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씰 Isuzu has added seven new dealerships to UK network The newly appointed Isuzu dealerships located in Honiton, Gateshead, Keele, Oxford, Penzance, Bridgewater and Writtle bring the total dealership number to 105. Isuzu Manager Director William Brown said: We’re delighted to welcome the new franchises to the Isuzu family of dealers.”

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S P E C I A L R E P O R T: P O W E R E D A C C E S S

C I G M AGENIE

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Construction Plant News Editor, Lee Jones visits the rapidly expanding European production facility of lifting and access specialist, Genie.

t has been described as the green heart of Italy, and amidst the rugged and remote medieval hill towns of Umbria, it is the blue machines of Genie that are at the core of one of the region’s leading businesses. This ancient landscape is now home to a more modern pedigree in construction plant manufacturing, and one where Genie can call upon extensive levels of experience amongst its labour force. The central Italian province of Perugia has been home to the production facility since 1973, which was acquired by Terex in 1998, and transferred to the Genie brand in 2006. In recent years a buoyant market and significant new product developments have coalesced to drive considerable expansion at the site.

Today, the factory extends to some 15,000 sqm of covered area, a further 36,000 sqm of yard, with the addition of a demonstration facility, and over 400 employees.

The access platform industry is, in fact, reaching new heights, with IPAF’s Powered Access Global Rental Market Report recently revealing that the global MEWP fleet exceeded a record 1.5 million units last year.

It is sustainability, productivity and new technologies that are driving the demand for machinery and Genie are helping to raise the standard at every level. Indeed, from 2016 to

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2017 production numbers actually increased by a colossal 40 per cent, and, with the likes of its Xtra Capacity (XC) units proving particularly popular with end users, that’s an upward curve that is set to continue.

These blue units have forged a formidable reputation with end users for their reliability and efficiency, and that is an ethos which is reflected in their making, with the Umbertide operation encompassing a design, testing and manufacturing centre of excellence in one location. As a result, transit times to customers have been reduced and new innovations can be brought to market much quicker.

Umbertide builds some of the most popular Genie articulating Z boom lifts for EMEAR (Europe, Middle East, Africa & Russia) from the Z-33/18 all the way up to the Z-62/40, as well as the telescopic S-65 XC and, the newest addition to the family, the S-65 TraX. A separate assembly line also delivers five separate telehandler models, the GTH-2506 and GTH-3007 for EMEAR, and the GTH5519, GTH-1256, and GTH-1544 exclusively for the United States.

Not only is the 12m maximum height, Z33/18 assembled in Italy, it was the first product to be entirely the work of the Umbertide-based research and development team, with the compact dimensions and tight turning circle of this articulating electric boom lift, subsequently finding favour with European mobile elevated work platform users. “Over the years that the factory has been under the Genie umbrella we have gradually added more and more machines to the plant’s portfolio,” explains the Senior Director of the plant Francesco Aiello, “whilst we have also become far more active in our R&D functions. That

means that we can deliver the local solutions that our customers require, and access vital feedback from them at the same time. More machines means greater complexity – with a maximum of up to six different models fabricated on just one line – and that’s why we’ve made major and continual investments at this site.”

The latest model to emerge from the drawing boards of the Umbertide machinery boffins is the S-65 XC telescopic boom lift and Genie promises that many more will follow. That’s because the company is anticipating that increases in demand will be sustained, not just for its XC concept but also for the newly launched hybrid solutions, and the lean manufacturing processes are in place to ensure that they can be supplied.

Much can be gleaned about the culture of an organisation from an examination of its production processes and the Genie experience speaks of efficiency, quality and safety. A just in time logistics operation that holds no more than a few days’ worth of components feeds five separate assembly lines. Every work station checks the work of the previous one, whilst end of line checks are complemented by an exhaustive full

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S P E C I A L R E P O R T: P O W E R E D A C C E S S

functional testing regime of every single machine that rolls from the line.

Just a short drive from the factory itself is a dedicated Genie testing and demonstration area. This is where the labours of Umbertide engineers are first used in anger, and features a 2,000m test track, slopes and rigs, where units can be examined for stability, durability and more. It is here that we are introduced to a concept that is the future not just of the Umbertide plant but of the lifting and access industry as a whole.

The Z-60 FE Fuel Electric Hybrid System heralds the low emission, energy efficient future that our society is now demanding. It represents the vanguard in a fleet of new products that will benefit from the technology in the years ahead, and its advantages are considerable. Because it can be operated indoors on hybrid mode, for instance, or outdoors with its diesel engine, fleet managers can reduce the number of machines they are utilising on site at any one time. Thanks to four separate AC drive motors, and four-wheel drive, there’s a high level of control, traction and manoeuvrability, and excellent rough terrain characteristics.

Moreover, there’s no sacrifice in performance, whether making use of the Stage V compliant 24.9hp Kubota engine or electric power.

Indeed, thanks to the increased levels of torque that electric delivers at lower speeds this hybrid unit is actually more efficient at climbing slopes than its purely diesel siblings.

Zero to Hero Reduced noise levels and zero emissions are destined to become a pre-requisite of operating in our inner cities – and on many individual projects. With the Z-60 FE a full eight hour shift can be completed on a single charge, and thanks to an engine powered generator, the batteries can be recharged whilst the unit is in use. The diesel engine will automatically intervene if the batteries do run out of power and, despite the additional componentry, there is no change to the geometry of the machine. Indeed, because the battery pack has been utilised as a counterweight, the electric powertrain has a positive input on the overall stability of a machine that can deliver 20.16m of working height, 7.50m of up-and-over reach, all with 2,268kg less weight that a conventional diesel.

The fact that the electric motor can be charged whilst the machine is operating is a crucial factor in reducing downtime, and is

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one reason why contractors and hirers are embracing hybrid as a solution. Genie does, however, also supply a full electric DC version of the Z-60 FE with the same performance as its FE counterpart. Not only that, but the unveiling of the Z45 FE at Bauma signals the firm’s intent to develop the FE concept still further.

Another Genie innovation which has quickly found a fanbase in the UK is the Xtra Capacity (XC) design. Clearly, being able to carry more men and materials reduces lift cycles, time, and wear and tear on the machine, and the manufacturer reports that it is a capability that its customers have been requesting for many years. Two machines that are made at Umbertide, the S-65 XC and new S-65 TraX telescopic boom lifts, join a

full line of machines that can accommodate an unrestricted platform capacity of 300kg (660 lb) and a restricted capacity of 454kg (1,000 lb). That means that up to three people can occupy the same basket, along with their tools, an increase in productivity that has motivated Genie to shortly offer XC as standard in the stick boom portfolio from the S-45 XC up to the SX-135 XC. Additional brawn there may well be but there’s also brains at work into the bargain. A load sensing system continuously checks the weight in the platform and adjusts the working envelope to match the load chart for example, whilst the boom will retract automatically when it reaches the limits of that working envelope. Tool trays will feature as standard, with the option of pipe and panel cradles for material handling applications.

Genie is, of course, a global giant in its industry with production facilities in China, and its US homeland – as well as central Italy.

What the latter brings is the ability to deliver the solutions that European contractors and plant hirers are demanding, and to do it quickly – whether it is higher capacity units or hybrid technologies. The construction plant sector is currently experiencing a period of unprecedented change, with the fundamentals of how they are powered and managed rapidly evolving. The Umbertide plant has become adept at recognising those shifts in focus and delivering for its customers.

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S P E C I A L R E P O R T: P O W E R E D A C C E S S

The RIWAL way Nick Johnson attended the official opening of Riwal’s impressive new North London depot where the company showed off its latest energy saving initiatives and new augmented reality app.

Riwal UK’s new North London depot incudes solar panels on its roof.

he Dutch company, Riwal is clearly intent on gaining more of the UK powered access rental market. It has recently opened a flagship North London depot and is utilising the latest advances in augmented reality (AR) to add more customer benefits.

Riwal first entered the UK access platform hire market ten years ago and now operates some 1,100 platforms here from five locations. Its depots are based in Wellingborough (Midlands), Sevenoaks (Kent & South London), Wigan (North West) and now Hemel Hempstead (North London).

Acquired on a 20-year lease, the new Hemel Hempstead facility is on the Prologis Park. It is less than a mile away from Junction 8 of the M1 motorway thereby providing easy access down into London, around the northern section of the M25 and onto other radial routes such as the M4 and A1 corridors.

A capital investment of £650,000 has been made to produce what is claimed to be the most advanced powered access rental hub in the UK complete with 1,951m2 of covered office, workshop and indoor storage space as

A new VW Transporter Technical Support van inside the vast internal workshop and indoor machine storage area at Hemel Hempstead.

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well as 1,765m2 of external area. The building looks smart and sustainability is aided by the use of rooftop solar panels for pre-heating hot water, rainwater harvesting to reuse grey water and superior insulation to minimise energy loss.

The new facility was officially opened at the end of June by the Worshipful Mayor of Dacorum Borough Council, Cllr Terry Douris, who is a sector board member of the Hire

Association of Europe. The opening ceremony was attended by customers and Riwal board members including owner Doron Livnat.

Riwal now operates in 16 countries across the world with some 14,000 platforms and this Hemel Hempstead facility becomes its 75th depot. As well as investing in better facilities, Riwal is committed to spending £89.5 million on its worldwide aerial work platform fleet in 2019 – 75 per cent on fleet expansion.

One of the company’s flagship 58.56m JLG 1850SJ Ultra Boom platforms being demonstrated in the spacious depot yard.

The company fleet here extends from low-level access platforms, such as the Power Towers Peco Lift and Nano models, up to the largest JLG boomlifts. JLG is the predominant supplier of booms along with Genie, Manitou and Niftylift models. Scissor lifts are sourced from Genie, JLG, Skyjack and, for the larger sizes, Holland Lift.

Riwal in the UK has become particularly well known for its high lift machines. It claims to run the largest fleet of diesel scissors with working heights over 20.0m in the UK and it also boosts the biggest UK hire fleet of the large (over 40.0m working height) JLG boomlifts. Of particular note are its JLG models 1350SP, 150HX, 1500SJ and 1850SJ with maximum working heights from 43.3m to an impressive 58.56m.

To demonstrate this high lift boom capability, one of Riwal’s JLG 1850SJ boomlifts was being demonstrated at Hemel Hempstead during the facility’s official opening day. This size of JLG is currently the world’s tallest self propelled Ultra Boom and its fully extended basket certainly helped open day visitors locate the new facility whose postcode had then not been recognised by some Sat Navs!

Virtual Reality Training Also on show to the open day visitors was Riwal UK’s National Customer Centre with its central hire desk (relocated from the Sevenoaks depot) and the new Training Centre – one of five in the UK run by sister company ALS Safety. This training company has embraced the use of the latest virtual reality (VR) simulator training for working at height.

It was recently named 2019 IPAF Training Centre of the Year in the International Awards for Powered Access (IAPAS).

Riwal itself has been busy introducing new technology and visitors to the Hemel Hempstead open day could see how the company’s app has been cleverly upgraded.

Now called My Riwal, the app has gained an innovative augmented reality (AR) feature that integrates images of an aerial platform with a real-life site. By using the camera on their smart phones, customers can now view a 3D model of an aerial platform they are interested in renting, projected onto the real environment detected by the camera.

This feature was used to good effect standing beside the corner of the new facility.

A smart phone loaded with the My Riwal app was pointed at the Riwal sign on the wall, and the screen was used to determine which hire fleet platform would be best suited to reach it.

Angela Adams of the charity Breast Cancer Now receives a cheque for £10,000 from Riwal UK Country Manager Mick Ledden.

The My Riwal app uses BIM (Building Information Modelling) files that have been converted to AR files to ensure that the machines have the correct dimensions when projected into a real environment. The AR feature is now available on both the iOS and Android versions of the app. It has initially been introduced for checking out the suitability of Riwal’s top 50 platforms.

Interestingly, the company has also developed its own full electric conversions of three JLG platforms – the 26.0m 800AJ articulated boom and the 28.0m 860SJ and 38.0m 12000SJP telescopic booms. Company owner Doron Livnat says this move was made in response to a request from an airline customer and he considers that the entire access platform industry will be 90 per cent electric within the next seven years.

The company plans to make more use of VR technology. In Holland it has a solar panel equipped van that carries a VR simulator to provide training on site and another similar unit is planned for use in the UK.

The My Riwal app being used to superimpose a virtual platform underneath the Riwal sign on the corner of the new building.

Led by Country Manager Mick Ledden, the Riwal UK team includes Operations Manager Steve Skeates, Commercial Manager Lee Rigby and Technical Manager Marc Johnson. During the open day, Mick Ledden presented a cheque for £10,000 to the Breast Cancer Now research charity. Much of this money (£6,283.60) was raised during a 12month fundraising campaign by the staff that included hiring our two bright pink powered access machines – a JLG 600AJ boomlift christened Betty Boom and a Holland Lift B195DL25 scissor called Suzie Scissor!

i For more information about Riwal UK use the number below GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH018

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FLEET ADDITIONS

ARDENT PLACES £9 MILLION ORDER WITH THWAITES National plant hire provider, Ardent Hire, has placed an order for 300 Thwaites Dumpers in a deal worth more than £9 million. The investment includes a range of 3 to 9 tonne straight and swivel tip dumpers as well as 6 and 9 tonne cabbed dumpers as part of a move to address key safety concerns on construction sites today. Working with Track Unit, the fleet has been modified to provide advanced telematics integrated into the hirer’s own system.

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CABBED DUMPERS HIT THE SPOT FOR GAP To improve customers’ site safety and meet growing demand, all new 6.0t and 9.0t dumpers purchased by GAP Hire going forward will be cabbed. The hirer has numerous cabbed dumpers in its fleet already, all of which are manufactured and supplied by Wacker Neuson and powered by Perkins engines. The dumpers are hydrostatic allwheel drive, which eliminates frequent gear shifts with hydrostatic braking as soon as the accelerator is disengaged.

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L LYNCH PLANT SOUNDS OUT BELL ADTS

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR KOMATSU Stafford college’s Palmbourne skills centre was recently given a grant of £1 million, which they have used to purchase a variety of new equipment including the Komatsu PC210LCi-11 excavator, which will be used by construction & plant maintenance apprentices for various roles from inspections, to diagnosing faults and giving them an understanding of how the intelligent machine control system works. They chose Komatsu because the machine is integrated with machine control technology which shows the college’s dedication to new innovations within the construction industry.

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L Lynch Plant has chosen to expand its fleet with the addition of 15 new Bell Equipment B30E ADTs. The hirer’s Chris Gill explains why he feels the customer demand for these hard working ADTs remains so strong: “Not only do the ADTs prove themselves to be impressively fuel efficient, but the level of manufacture and design is excellent.

The machines are built to a very high specification, with all the features you’d expect to pay extra for, included as standard; such as inclinometers, on-board weighing with a traffic light safety system, and flotation tyres.”

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ABBA HIRE RAISES NUMBER OF LIEBHERR CRANES Lincoln-based ABBA Plant Hire already has a number of Liebherr cranes in its fleet and has now taken delivery of a new LTC 1050-3.1 compact mobile crane. The mobile crane has been specified with a double fly complete with integrated assembly jib, sheaves and searcher hook that can be offset by 0, 20, 40 and 60 degrees. The crane also benefits from a height adjustable operator’s cab and Liebherr’s VarioBase outrigger system.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH066

M GROUP PLUGS IN WITH JCB M Group Services Plant has introduced JCB 19C-1 E-Tec electric mini excavators to its plant portfolio. The fully electric 1.9 tonne excavator is the first of its kind to be released in the UK and has been developed to meet the demand for a zero emissions machine that can work inside buildings, tunnels and other emissions-sensitive environments, as well as close to people in urban areas. The excavator runs on three ruggedised NMC li-ion battery packs with a total of 15 kWh capacity and is charged via a standard 230 volt domestic electricity supply, offering the same productivity levels associated with a conventional digger.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH068

WARD INVESTS IN NEW SENNEBOGEN CRANE

BOMAG LAYS THE WAY FOR SPADEOAK Spadeoak recently refreshed its fleet of light tandem compaction rollers, taking on 10 new Bomag BW 120 AD-5 models. The new Bomags were soon put to work on projects across the country.

As well as working on ‘traditional’ asphalt surfacing projects the contractor is widely experienced in installing surfaces for a variety of sports. Dave Dawe, MD of Spadeoak, comments: “We’ve worked with Bomag for over 25 years. The product specification, alongside their consistency and reliability helps our workforce achieve high quality standards and maintain productivity.”

Expanding its metal processing capabilities, Ward has added a new Sennebogen crane at its Immingham site. The 840M has a 20m reach and is a 53 tonne class machine with a 1.25 cubic metre five tine grab, which has a 50 per cent bigger grab load than the Sennebogen 830M they were relying on before. The addition takes the number of cranes on site to three, with two 830s being used since Ward opened its dedicated dock in April 2018.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH069

HANSON BAGS CAT IN UK FIRST One of the largest suppliers of bulk construction aggregates in the UK, Hanson has invested in the Cat 986K Wheel Loader – the first machine of this size and class in UK – in a deal with Finning UK & Ireland. The machine was chosen for its compact sizing and advanced technology features. The loader combines reliable, efficient loading with machine longevity, providing lower cost of ownership. Performance is optimised thanks to the power shift transmission, torque converter with lock-up clutch and axle shaft disc brakes.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH070

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH067

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The Bosch Rexroth hydrostatic transmission in the Hydraload allows a maximum travel speed of 40km/h.

The 540-140 is one of three JCB Loadalls to get the new Stage V compliant 3.0 litre four-cylinder JCB Dieselmax engine.

a 2.0m jib, a reduced height jib, a 5,500kg capacity hook on a 680mm jib; light duty buckets and a range of fork-mounted accessories – such as waste skips and concrete placing skips. Remote control operation and access platforms will also be available. RFID (radio-frequency identification) technology is being used so that the machine automatically recognises the attachment being used and selects the correct load chart to allow safe operation.

When equipped with forks, the Hydraload 555-210R can raise a load of 2,500kg up to a maximum height of 20.5m on its four section telescopic boom when stabilised on its four outriggers. Maximum Cameras can be provided to maximise forward reach is 17.5m the view around the machine with the where capacity is 850kg. images displayed on the in-cab screen.

Fork capacity free on wheels through 360° is camera kits, including a boom 200kg at a maximum head camera to help facilitate height of 16.5m. precise load placement at height.

Weighing in at 17.96 The Hydraload 555-210R is tonnes, the new rotary fitted with ‘cross-pattern’ angle JCB telehandler is down telescopic outrigger beams equipped with a crane that can be deployed fully style load management extended or fully retracted to system. The in-cab allow operation in confined spaces. screen provides a To speed up set-up, these outriggers comprehensive array of have a one touch button for auto A full range of load management information and diagrams deployment, levelling and stowage. information is graphically showing the attachment in Power for the new Hydraload is displayed to the machine operator. use; actual height, radius provided by a JCB Ecomax 4.8 litre and load; the maximum safe load; outrigger engine carried low down on the offside of the extension and machine level. chassis to facilitate servicing. This engine is The machine has a low rear boom pivot rated at 108.0kW (145hp) and is Stage IV point and a clean boom design that aids visibility emissions compliant. This will be changed for when travelling on site with the boom a Stage V version when the regulations lowered. Safety is also aided by the availability require it next year. of comprehensive work light options and Complete with 4WD and all wheel steer

(with three steering modes), the Hydraload has a two-speed Bosch Rexroth hydrostatic transmission and Dana Spicer axles that allow a top travel speed of 40km/h. The machine has variable displacement hydraulics that can deliver high auxiliary flow rates for efficient winch work.

JCB LiveLink telematics come as standard to provide remote asset tracking and machine health reporting. Security is also enhanced by the provision of a Thatcham approved immobiliser.

JCB has also announced that three of its rigid frame Loadall telehandlers are now being fitted with a new Stage V emissions compliant engine in the UK. The 531, 535 and 540 Loadall models are getting the compact 3.0 litre four-cylinder JCB Dieselmax engine. This is 24 per cent smaller and 30 per cent lighter than JCB’s own 4.4-litre Ecomax power plant, yet it is claimed to offer a 10 per cent higher torque output with a real world 5 per cent fuel saving.

The lower emissions 3.0 litre four-cylinder Dieselmax engine has its diesel particulate filter (DPF) and diesel oxidation filter (DOC) combined into a single unit. This neat arrangement is contained within the original bonnet profile so as to maintain the good all round visibility on these Hi-Viz machines.

To identify the new Stage V emissions compliant telehandlers, the tops of their side engine compartments are now all yellow in colour. And the machines now sport Union Jack decals to denote their country of origin in support of a Buy British campaign.

i For more information on the new

JCB telehandlers GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH020 CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 19

M AT E R I A L S H A N D L I N G E Q U I P M E N T

LOADER UP! Nick Johnson highlights the latest developments in materials handling equipment from the French Manitou Group including its change of branding for the Mustang loader line. t was the move to palletised materials on UK building sites in the early 1970s that helped the products from the French company Manitou get established in this country. Then the classic product from Manitou was its masted rough terrain forklift (RTFL) but now the ‘red’ range from the company that describes itself as ‘The Material Handling Reference’ is very much wider and becoming ‘greener’.

As telescopic handlers took over the site work formerly carried out with RTFLs Manitou moved with the times and introduced these more advanced forward reach machines. Today, the range of Manitou rigid frame telehandlers extends from small compact models up to very large capacity industrial machines. And the company is also now a leading supplier of rotary telehandlers – having introduced this versatile type of machine back in 1993.

A major expansion of the Manitou Group’s materials handling line-up occurred in 2008 when it bought the Gehl company in the USA. Gehl is a prominent maker of skid steer, compact

I

A Manitou 3200VT compact tracked loader moving palletised blocks using a fork attachment.

This new Manitou branded (ex Mustang) red 1350R skid steer was seen at Plantworx together (background) with a yellow Gehl R165.

This ‘highways work’ concept version of the MLA 6-65 H-Z articulated loader was at Plantworx to gauge customer interest.

tracked and small articulated wheel loaders and this acquisition also brought with it the Mustang line of skid steers and compact tracked loaders which Gehl itself had bought in 1997.

Under Manitou ownership the separate Gehl and Mustang brands were retained, although their products increasingly utilised common platforms. However, earlier this year, Manitou announced that, in Europe, the yellow Mustang machines would be recoloured red and sold as Manitous.

Meanwhile, the Gehl brand, with its yellow machines is retained as a separate entity.

So earlier this year at the Bauma and Plantworx exhibitions, in Munich and Peterborough respectively, visitors to the Manitou stands could see an extended red range of Manitou machines as well as yellow Gehls. The retention of yellow for the Gehl loaders is interesting considering that when this marque first appeared in the UK during the late 1970s they were coloured red!

Having adopted the same model numbers as the corresponding Mustang machines there are eight radial arm (R) and three vertical lift (V) skid steer loaders now badged Manitou.

With their rated operating capacities in brackets they are the 850R (386kg), 1050R (476kg), 1350R (612kg), 1500R (680kg), CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 21

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1650R (748kg), 1900R (862kg), 2200R (998kg), 2600R (1179kg), 2700V (1225kg), 3300V (1497kg) and the large 4200V (1905kg). All have Yanmar engines.

The Manitou compact tracked loaders are the 1650RT (748kg), 1750RT (794kg), 1850RT (839kg), 2100RT (953kg) and 2150RT (975kg) with Yanmar engines together with the Deutz engined 2500RT (1134kg). All have radial lift arms and feature the IdealTrax automatic track tensioning system.

There are also Mustang derived small articulated wheel loaders that, like the skid steer and compact tracked loaders, are made in West Bend, Wisconsin, USA. The five articulated loaders with Yanmar engines, hydrostatic transmissions and conventional loader arms are the 17.9kW (24hp) MLA 125H, 26.1kW (35hp) MLA 3-35H, 35.0kW (47hp) MLA 4-50H, the 35.0kW (47hp) MLA 5-50 H-Z and the 49.0kW (65hp) MLA 665 H-Z. The biggest units in this American made range are two 55.2kW (74hp) Deutz engined, hydrostatic machines – the MLA 7-75 H-Z with conventional loader arms and the MLA-T 516-75 H with a telescopic arm.

The MT1840 Easy with a 55.9kW (75hp) Deutz TD 3.6L Stage V emissions compliant engine was previewed at Plantworx

This ‘Oxygen Concept’ prototype of an electric MT625e compact telehandler created a lot of interest at Bauma.

“The Internet of Things is being used by Manitou to provide its customers with Connected Machines.”

dealer here for the Gehl range but other dealers can buy through them if required.

Other highlights on Manitou UK’s Plantworx stand included a preview of a Stage V engined MT 1840 Easy telehandler Red Range Dealers and the latest version of the The majority of Manitou’s UK MT420H compact telehandler. dealers now have access to The company was also the new ‘red range’ of skid promoting its latest The new My Manitou app will steer, compact tracked and ‘smart’ technology. help users to operate their small articulated loaders, which can all Shortly to become machines more efficiently. be fitted with a variety of attachments. available, the lower At Plantworx, Manitou UK exhibited a 1350R emissions MT1840 Easy is being fitted with a skid steer loader and an MLA 6-65 H-Z 55.9kW (75hp) Deutz TD 3.6L engine with a articulated wheel loader.

DPF (diesel particulate filter). This The MLA 6-65 H-Z at Plantworx was telehandler has a maximum capacity of specially equipped with a Whites side tip 4,000kg and a maximum lift height of 17.55m. loader bucket and a hydraulic PTO allowing The smaller MT420H compact telehandler the use of handheld tools such as the Hycon was also shown at Plantworx with a Stage V HH20RV breaker or HCS16 disc cuter emissions compliant engine. This latest exhibited with it. This ‘highways work’ version 2,000kg maximum capacity machine with a of the loader is still a concept machine but maximum lift height of 4.3m has a 42.5kW there was good interest in it at Peterborough. (57hp) Stage V Kubota engine with a DPF Manitou UK also showed a yellow liveried optimised with Auto Regeneration. This Gehl R165 radial arm skid steer loader on its telehandler has also gained a new boom head Plantworx stand. This is a 51.0kW (68.4hp) and a new floating fork carriage. machine with an operating capacity of 748kg.

Manitou used the Bauma exhibition to Having previously sold Mustang machines, reveal how it is busy developing electric Wakefield-based Filtermech is now the main telehandlers. A star of its stand was the 22 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

prototype of an ‘Oxygen Concept’ compact MT625e. With a maximum capacity of 2,500kg and a 5.85m maximum lift height, the concept electric telehandler featured new intuitive operator aids and greater use of natural, sustainable materials, such as wood inside the cab.

The Internet of Things is being used by Manitou to provide its customers with Connected Machines. Remote connection can achieve improvements in machine performance, safety and security thereby reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) for customers. All Connected Machines ordered are now guaranteed for two years.

The user still has the option of extending the warranty by one to four years.

Manitou is currently developing a new mobile application called My Manitou to allow users to find out all about their machine. This app will allow users to contact their local Manitou dealer to arrange work on their machine by a factory-trained technician using genuine parts.

i For more information about Manitou material handling equipment use the number below GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH021

M AT E R I A L S H A N D L I N G E Q U I P M E N T

OF FORTUNE ts hills were once famously alive with the sound of music, but today Bischofshofen near Salzburg, Austria resonates with the advanced engineering of Liebherr’s wheel loader factory. As aesthetically pleasing as they are productive on site, these rugged units are a fitting addition to the mountainous landscape that envelopes the production facility – but the location brings its own challenges. With little room to expand, a lean operation is a pre-requisite and, at a site where up to 1,400 tonnes of steel are consumed each month, logistics are carefully controlled.

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24 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

Construction Plant News Editor, Lee Jones visits the European home of Liebherr’s wheel loader production.

From sheet steel to finished machine, each wheel loader will make a 10 – 11 day journey through the line, and will be subject to all of the latest production processes along the way. Advanced plasma cutters will slice through metal up to 30cm in thickness, a dedicated sand blasting machine prepares the cut steel still further, whilst up to 90 per cent

of the components will benefit from the precision of robot welding.

The business end of a wheel loader is its lift arm and its fabrication is a testament to the overall durability. In order to ensure that it maintains its integrity throughout the lifetime of the machine, it is welded up to 12 times, depending on the model, whilst the substantial steel frame on which it is attached would readily survive a war zone.

Liebherr is the only supplier of wheel loaders that produces special colours ex works – at the component stage – with all spray painting completed by hand, in a two coat, eight hour process. End users can equally put their faith in the reliability of Liebherr engines for its large wheel loaders, with John Deere in evidence for the mid-size machines and Yanmar powertrains for those in the compact class. Every machine at Bischofshofen is built to order, with bespoke functions, such as solid tyres for recycling operations, added on the line. Moreover, every single unit that leaves the gates is first subject to a battery of tests, including a rolling road and break out force of the bucket.

The 170,000 m² Bischofshofen site is just one base in a multi-national operation, with over 46,000 employees worldwide, and a record €10.5 billion turnover in 2018. Its wheel loaders are now amongst its most popular products, with the 1,100 strong workforce projected to achieve an annual capacity in excess of 5,000 units in 2020. It was, however, from more modest beginnings that the company emerged. A humble bricklayer, Hans Liebherr saw the need for a crane that would be easy to move, and erect with no additional machinery, and so the TK10 was born – a solution that could be constructed in a matter of hours rather than days. It is a tradition of innovation that has continued in this still family-owned firm to this day, and is particularly in evidence in the evolution of its wheel loaders.

That story begins with the Elephant Type 90 prototype in 1954, a design based on skid steering. 1994 would see the introduction of the Stereoloaders and today there are four models in this category – the L 507, L 509, L 514 and L 518. Particularly well suited to confined or restricted spaces, the technology marries the advantages of conventional articulated steering with an all-wheel capability, thereby significantly reducing the turning circle, and producing a very manoeuvrable machine.

Most recently, the XPower concept on the large loaders was some five years in the making. It is Liebherr’s belief that hydrostatic drive is the best transmission for this class of construction plant and the XPower would put that principle into practice. Introduced in 2015, a power-split driveline features as standard, allowing the machine to take advantage of a hydrostatic drive in short loading cycles. If you are hauling over longer distances, or making ascents, however, then the mechanical drive will kick in. The key to the system is that the machine knows when to use either in order to maximise

The seam of a Liebherr lifting arm is welded up to 12 times

performance and fuel efficiency, and no intervention from the driver is required. With its competitors only offering hydrostatic as an option, the XPower clearly differentiates Liebherr in the marketplace, whilst the technology is now a proven force. Indeed, with test machines subsequently clocking up over 30,000 hours of operation, their reliability has been ably demonstrated.

The 33 tonne L 586 is the largest machine to date but it is the mid size units – the L 526, L 538 and L 546 models – that remain the volume products, whilst the all-round material handling versatility of the L566 makes it the most popular individual seller. The L 506 and L 508 compact loaders, benefitting from a low height of less than two metres, with bucket sizes from 0.8 to 1.0 m³, will find service in a diverse range of applications, from civil engineering to landscaping.

Whilst that might represent an overview of the product range of both the past and the present, what of the emerging technologies of the future? The construction industry is experiencing a period of unprecedented change, with increasingly intelligent machinery enhancing both safety and productivity, and it is in keeping with the Liebherr company ethos that they should be at the vanguard of advancements in the latest technologies.

Whilst manufacturers might have been previously focused on total cost of ownership, fuel consumption and emissions, the challenges that operators now face have evolved. Sourcing skilled operators, for example, is now a problem, whilst safety is rightly established as a priority on site. But help is at hand, because artificial intelligence and machine learning has allowed new functions to be introduced that can now assist the operator, and keep them safe.

Of course, assistance systems are not about making a bad operator better, but simply ensuring that they can progress to a competent level much quicker. Not only that but reducing workloads and stress levels, maintaining efficiency and decreasing the chance of accidents, are all now achievable ambitions. Take, for example, the issue of visibility. Whilst rear view mirrors and cameras will reduce blind spots they do still exist, but Liebherr’s Skyview 360º, introduced at Bauma, goes a long way to eliminating these altogether. By stitching together four separate camera views the driver has access CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 25

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to an artificial bird’s eye view from one screen, which means they can check their entire surroundings much easier.

Furthermore, large buckets and attachments will equally impede the view from the driver’s seat, but the Liebherr solution is as simple as it is effective, with a roof camera – which can be raised or lowered telescopically – providing an uninterrupted view over the front end on a separate camera in the cab. Not only will this allow drivers to see the ground ahead but potentially into the truck the machine is loading into.

Of course, visibility is not just about line of sight but lighting conditions. Raise the lifting arm into the path of the machine’s working lights and reflections back into the cab will naturally force the eyes to constantly readjust, increasing the mental workload of the operator. Liebherr has introduced an adaptive lighting system, where an angle sensor determines the position of the lifting arm at all times, adjusting the LED lights accordingly. As well as that, the path to and from the machine is illuminated by lights activated from the automatic key, preventing potential trips on the uneven ground of a quarry or building site.

Monotonous tasks will inevitably affect an operator’s attention levels, and this is itself the cause of accidents. Passive measures, such as rear view mirrors, will not necessarily address the issue, but Liebherr’s Active Personnel Detection will. It distinguishes between a person and inanimate object positioned at the rear, sending a visual warning to the machine display, as well as an audible signal. Of course, one of the big

problems with any solution of this kind is the risk of alert fatigue – if an alarm is constantly sounding then the driver will gradually be desensitised to its seriousness and ultimately ignore it, with potentially tragic consequences.

Liebherr has overcome this by ensuring that the active rear person recognition is activated at a greater distance than warning systems for walls or columns. The operator will therefore receive a more precise warning if there is a risk of personal injury.

Under Pressure It’s not just in the realm of safety where the latest technologies can make a difference and, given that tyres are a costly wear part, a new Tyre Pressure Monitoring facility should be an attractive proposition to fleet managers. The wrong pressure can have an impact on fuel consumption, wear of other machine

components, and the stability of the machine.

Whilst an operator will not necessarily check these anywhere near regularly enough, an active tyre pressure warning will ensure that the correct levels are maintained, or small leaks are detected before the whole tyre fails, whilst all of the data is available on Liebherr’s LiDAT telematics package.

Weighing systems are nothing new, but this German manufacturer is further enhancing productivity with its Truck Payload Assist, where the operator can enter a target loading weight on the display and the system then calculates the optimal target weight to be loaded per bucket, and the required number of loading cycles. In addition, in order to analyse their production process, or the productivity of a wheel loader, fleet managers can interrogate the weighing data via LiDAT. Available as an option for wheel loader models from the L 526 to the L 586 XPower joystick steering enables the operator to steer comfortably with one hand, saving energy and making the work less physically strenuous, even at high speeds and in difficult terrain.

Two years ago Liebherr celebrated the manufacture of its 50,000 wheel loader, and the Bischofshofen plant; which has been in operation since 1960, is well placed to go much further. From sheet steel to advanced machine assistance systems the company is delivering the solutions its customers’ need.

i For further information on the

Liebherr range of wheel loaders GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH022

26 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

M AT E R I A L S H A N D L I N G E Q U I P M E N T

For w hom t h e I t is a logistics hub that has already attracted some of the UK economy’s most prestigious corporations and, with a major extension to the site now underway, the i54 Business Park is set to maintain its status as one of the most sought after commercial locations in the midlands.

What is already over 230 acres will shortly see an extension of a further 60, with Staffordshire council charging Amey with delivering the project, but it is the expert team at AFS Earthmoving & Aggregates who have been first breaking ground for that principal contractor.

Having been trading for some 40 years, AFS has evolved into three separate divisions, which includes an aggregates business, supplying primary and secondary recycled material to the construction industry via its own fleet of eight wheel tippers. That’s a venture which is complemented by two recycling production facilities in Burton and Uttoxeter, but it is the present owner, Jason Allen who has

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toil s

On a high profile project in the west midlands, AFS Earthmoving & Aggregates has found its two ADTs are as sound as a Bell. Lee Jones investigates.

championed the now thriving contracting concern. Each of these arms has found considerable employment at this vast Wolverhampton site, as has some of the kit from the substantial fleet of AFS plant.

The company now runs predominantly CAT, Hitachi and Komatsu excavators from 1½ – 40 tonne, all of which are equipped with the latest Leica 3D GPS systems – together with two dozers and its two Bell B30E ADTs. “We will undertake a huge range of projects, including everything from bulk earthmoving, to water retaining structures and roads, site clearance, and cut to fill,” explains the AFS MD. “Phase one of the i54 works involves the construction of a kilometre long access road, which is unusual in that it is a long and narrow site and, because it can only be accessed from one

end, that makes logistics challenging.”

At the Wolverhampton project the two Articulated Dump Trucks are joined by a 30tonne Hitachi Zaxis 300LC, and a Komatsu dozer, on a job where there are significant levels of material to be processed. “At the i54 there’s cut to fill, some remediation on site, and we’ve also sourced aggregate and fill materials from what has been removed, as well as importing additional aggregate from our own supplies, and the Bell ADTs have been involved at every stage. The first section of the corridor of land was very inconsistent and unstable so there was actually a lot of remediation work in transforming it into a suitable construction platform for the road. We’ve had to box cut in some areas and fill in at other locations.

We were attracted to the Bell machines

because, in jobs like these, or in quarry applications where cost per tonne is the crucial parameter, they will provide significant fuel savings over any other model we’ve run.”

When you have a narrow focus on only two classes of machine – the ADT and the wheel loader – you need to ensure that you are at the very forefront of innovation. In fact, in the truck sector this South African OEM can actually boast the biggest range, as well as the largest individual machine, with the 30 tonne B30E remaining the most popular model in its portfolio. Bell’s designers are focused, laser-like, on achieving the lightest and yet strongest unit, with the highest possible payload into the bargain, and that is a philosophy that reaps dividends in fuel savings, as Jason explains.

“Fuel and AdBlue efficiency on the Bell units is significantly better than anything we’ve trialled previously. In fact, running them in controlled conditions, we have achieved up to 40 litres a day less consumption than on some competitors. Not only that, but they’ll run for over a week on a tank of AdBlue whereas we’ve experienced ADTs that wouldn’t make it beyond a day and half or two days. Service and back-up has been excellent, especially with Bell being based very centrally in Burtonon-Trent, and the operators are also complimentary, with a very spacious ROPS/FOPS cab for them to work in.”

In fact, Bell claims the best payload-toweight ratio available today, whilst it has also led where others have followed. Inclinometers, for example, are now a feature on every machine that rolls from its German production

line, and were actually introduced as far back as 2009. Similarly, on board weighing has been standard since 2003, whilst an integral Fleetmatics telematics system incorporates geo-fencing, and can track what material is being carried – and where it is going to be tipped – information which can be accessed remotely by site managers. Reliability is enhanced with an insistence on high quality components, including Mercedes engines, and Allison transmissions, with advanced diagnostic and fault finding systems reducing downtime.

As a contractor AFS is itself well-versed in applying advanced technologies in the management of its projects. A Leica 3D GPS system guides its operators in the task of cutting to a carefully managed model, for

instance, whilst regular drone surveys will keep the client appraised of progress. “Our employees get to work on the best kit, and we do everything we can to advance their productivity and safety,” concludes Jason.

“That’s why we’ve been running Bell B30Es since as far back as 2014 now and are very happy with the service they’ve given us.”

i For further information on Bell

Equipment GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH023

i For further information on AFS

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH024

CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 29

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RIDINGHIGH When it comes to construction hoists, GB Access is your friend in high places. Lee Jones reports.

ttitudes to safety on site have been transformed in recent years, and it is a culture that is reflected in a dramatic reduction in the figures for injuries and fatalities. As a consequence, certain classes of equipment have reaped their own rewards, and construction hoists are amongst them. Thanks to the likes of manual handling regulations, it is no longer deemed acceptable for construction workers to be struggling with materials up multiple flights of stairs, whilst the productivity benefits of goods and passenger carrying equipment are now well established. Indeed, where previously materials handling in tall buildings might have been the preserve of a tower crane, today it is the hoist that is in the ascendancy. These machines are now being used to move cladding, for example, where it is then fitted from the inside, dramatically improving safety for the installer.

With an expanding market, advancements in this class of construction plant have equally gone a long way to progressing the concept.

Historically, a two tonne unit might have been at the heavier end of the spectrum but today a 3 tonne capacity would be deemed the

A

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industry standard. “Everybody wants bigger and faster,” explains GB Access Director, Nigel Bland, “and that’s what we are delivering. We have machines that can achieve 90 metres a minute, compared to just 40 metres just a few years ago, for example.”

In the days when it was more common for construction companies to be equipped with its own extensive stock of machinery, GB Access originally thrived as a labour only firm, installing and dismantling main contractors’ equipment. That would evolve into supplying its own range of hoists, and the company can now supply the latest in Alimak and STROS

units from its Peterborough depot, with a fleet that stands at over 400 strong.

“We can supply everything from 500kg goods hoists all the way up to a 5 tonne passenger example,” continues Nigel. “Not only that but we also have a rapidly expanding bespoke service. Where it is not feasible to attach anything to the outside of the building during the construction phase, it is becoming increasingly common for us to install in lift shafts, for instance. We’ll modify what we have in the fleet for that purpose and have an in-house fabrication workshop to deliver a specific solution to our clients.”

The architects of multi storey structures are increasingly incorporating complex shapes into their designs, and no longer can a hoist simply look to go up and into a building.

At Berkeley Group’s Valencia project at 250 City Road Islington, the GB Access team designed and built two bespoke bridges in order to gain entry from the hoist. Not only that but the lifting and access specialist is also heavily involved in industrial hoists for the maintenance of the likes of power stations and refineries, with GB Access equipment presently

seeing service at Sellafield and Sizewell.

It is A-Plant’s avowed ambition to be a one-stop-shop for its clients and the acquisition of GB Access in 2015 was a part of that strategy. Since then, more than £7m has been invested in new technologies, nearly doubling the fleet from 240 to 418. In parallel, employment levels have increased from over sixty to 110 in just a four year timeframe. The most recent equipment additions include two Alimak 650 25/50 twin cage contruction hoists, and these 2m wide, 5m long platform

machines – with a 2 ½ tonne capacity – have already found favour with the developers of the prestigious Marble Arch Place development in London.

That was quickly followed by expansion in the transport fleet, with the delivery of a new artic unit, featuring a custom-built HIAB crane and step frame trailer designed to enable GB Access to carry loads up to 16,000kg – almost doubling the payload of the company’s existing HIAB rigid lorries.

Concludes Nigel: “As a company we have 30 years of experience in the hoist business and that’s crucial to our success. We don’t just deliver the best equipment for the job, our team of experts can also help with installation, testing, maintenance, dismantling and even customer training. Up-skilling our workforce is a priority and we ensure that our people are provided with specialist training to help drive down risks and accidents and ensure that the industry is ever safer.”

i For further information on GB Access GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH025

M AT E R I A L S H A N D L I N G E Q U I P M E N T

What a

BELTER!

With significant expansion and new product lines, a Staffordshire manufacturer is continuing to talk ‘Tuff’.

Lee Jones finds out more.

echanisation is now more than well-established on site but there are still some parts of the build process where we might lag behind our continental cousins. The Truxta from Tufftruk has become a successful British export, for instance, with significant sales growth in Europe and across the Atlantic year on year, but many British contractors, particularly on smaller sites, could equally benefit from the productivity gains associated with a pedestrian mini dumper.

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32 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

Whilst room for growth there undoubtedly still is, consistent expansion over the last few years has seen the company relocate to a new 7,000 sq ft home in Leek, Staffordshire – a considerable upgrade on its previous premises. From here the established range of powered wheel barrows will be assembled and distributed, whilst they are now joined by a new line bearing the ‘Tuff’ brand. Launched into the UK at Plantworx, the Tuffbelt conveyors are already well established across the Channel, with the

Belgian manufacturer, Etramo counting the likes of Loxam and Boels amongst its customers.

In the UK hirers will no doubt see the benefits of a solution that combines simplicity with durability. Tuff by name and tough by nature, these are units with the kind of inherent robustness that rental demands, with reliability enhanced by a simple mechanical construction, and a sturdy galvanised steel frame. Thanks to the pallet fork pockets on the side, transportation with a telehandler or fork lift is easy, and up to six can be stacked vertically, whilst the addition of a wheel kit means each one can easily be pushed around site by one person.

In use the Tuffbelt has any number of applications, and will no doubt find favour in the likes of the still prospering basement construction market but, because several conveyors can be linked together using just one power source, and considerable lengths achieved in the process, any number of projects can benefit, from landscaping and renovation to demolition. There are a variety of sizes available from 2 – 6 metres, with a moveable support that allows each Tuffbelt to be placed exactly above the next one. Not only that, but because they are completely

independent of each other they can also be set up at an angle. There is just one belt speed of 24m/min on these 110V machines, which will convey up to 50 tonnes per hour, it can be easily cleaned, and the belt is provided with the reassurance of a 5 year guarantee.

The same manufacturer’s Truxta mini dumper has already found fans in the construction sector, with its hydrostatic drive, compact dimensions and articulated frame making it a manoeuvrable solution on even the most compact of sites, where it will even fit through doorways. Add to that a choice of skip capacity of either 300kg or 450kg and a single groundworker armed with one of these green machines will be considerably more productive.

Not only are they the colour associated with sustainability but, with 90 per cent of machines sold powered by nothing more than a 24V electric motor, there’s no noise, no fuel, and no emissions, a considerable advantage in operation within our inner cities.

Alternatively, petrol or diesel powertrains are also available.

Thanks to a new development, however, the Truxta and Tuffbelt can now come together as a single materials moving solution. The larger Truxta 450 mini dumper is now available with an electric powered tipping ram. As a result, the Power-Tip model has an increased skip discharge height of 252mm, with the Power-Tip-Plus increasing that height to 589mm, which makes it ideal for conveyors.

There’s a steady movement for controlled tipping of the likes of concrete and, because the skip capacity and dimensions remain the same, existing owners of the electric Truxta 450 have the option of retrofitting the Power-Tip or Power-Tip-Plus system.

Industry insiders will, of course, already be aware that the team behind Tufftruk, Andrew Simpson and Ron Blackhurst, have a wealth of experience in the light construction equipment sector, with the likes of Bergmann in Germany and Multiquip in the US already buying into the Truxta concept. With its new range of conveyors these ‘Tuff’ customers have come up with another belting idea.

i For further information on the Tuffbelt conveyors from Tufftruk GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH026

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34 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

seven projects currently underway. The kit its diggers are wielding in anger includes five 20 tonne PRB200 breakers and one PRB500 unit. Add to that three PSG1100 selector grabs, as well as its rotating pulverisers, and a veritable arsenal of weaponry in the distinct Prodem purple reveals a considerable level of trust in the equipment.

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he demolition sector is a merciless environment for machinery and that makes durability a prerequisite. That’s why Essex-based Maldon Demolition only deals in construction plant at the premium end of the spectrum, including a fleet of excavators that are exclusively Hitachi, complemented by a Komatsu WA470 loading shovel, and a Powerscreen crusher, and those excavators are now armed with the latest in Prodem attachments.

“We’ve made quite a substantial investment in the brand, and I would say that around 90 per cent of our attachments are now from the one manufacturer,” explains the demolition contractor’s Lee Trowbridge, “and in terms of value for money, I don’t think you can really beat them. Wear parts are readily available, there’s a low cost of ownership, and they are very productive in use.”

Maldon Demolition’s kit can be found tearing its way through structures across the south east and into London, with up to

FU

LL 3

Construction Plant News Editor, Lee Jones reports on a powerful combination of Hitachi excavators and Prodem attachments that’s making short work of a shopping centre in Basildon.

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A T TA C H M E N T S

It is Maldon’s PHP450R – carried on a Hitachi 490 excavator – that is undertaking secondary concrete work at what was formerly the substantial Laindon Shopping Centre in Basildon. This is the largest model in the Prodem rotating pulveriser range – and the newest to the portfolio – with a working weight of 4,219kg, and suitable for

excavators in the 40-55 tonne weight class.

It is the hardened teeth, made of special materials to increase durability, together with the equally robust fully reversible rectangular blades that have found favour on this Essex project.

“We’ve been operating the attachment on this site for around 10 weeks now, and the teeth and blade have proven to be particularly tough. When they do need changing, because they simply bolt on, it makes life so much easier for an operator, and there’s loads of power. On this job there’s a 400mm reinforced first floor concrete slab that runs throughout the site.

That includes 30mm rebar, so every bite is hard on the attachment. The wide opening jaws have coped with it very well and I’ve been cutting through up to five lengths of rebar in one go.”

There are six models of rotating pulverisor in the Prodem range, from the 550kg weight PHP050R up to Maldon Demolition’s PHP450R. Any contractor will prize easily replaceable wear parts above all else, as well as their longevity, and the

optional bolt on tooth style of the units supplied by BPH Attachments, means that single teeth can be replaced. “We can also swap them from other units,” continues Lee. “Our Prodem multi-processor, for instance, has the same teeth and are interchangeable, and we’ve previously taken one from there and reduced downtime considerably as a consequence.”

“What I particularly like about the Prodem rotating pulverisor design is that there’s more than sufficient power, but that’s in quite a compact package.Visibility is important, especially in secondary concrete applications, and I’ve worked with attachments that are so bulky it’s very difficult to see. Also, the hydraulic rams have been positioned within the body of the pulverisor so they are fully protected at all times.”

Easy maintenance, and the power to do the job is an attractive proposition for a contractor and it is one that has brought Maldon Demolition back to Prodem again and again in recent years. “The right equipment helps us get the job done quicker and more efficiently and that’s what’s it’s all about in this business,” concludes Lee, “and that’s why we’re investing in Prodem.”

i For further information on Prodem from BPH Attachments GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH027

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TAKE CONTROL

A T TA C H M E N T S

The Bobcat attachment range has just been expanded with the launch of a new Remote Control System. ll Bobcat compact loaders are equipped with the quick-change Bob-Tach attachment mounting system, facilitating the quick and safe interchange of over 100 different types of attachment. The new Remote Control System has been designed in the same way – it is a plug and play unit comprising an easily portable and industrial radio remote control solution that can be mounted and dismounted on machines very quickly, leaving behind the standard machine in its original form.

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Increased Safety and Productivity Remote control aims to increase safety, comfort and productivity by distancing the operator from dust, noise, vibrations and other hazards encountered at the workface, or on job sites that require special safety precautions. Work can be done faster with higher precision and, in some applications, with fewer personnel on the job site. For increased safety, the system also features an emergency stop button and drop and tilt detection.

It allows direct sight of the work in progress, further increasing the versatility of the loader and a comprehensive range of attachments including angle brooms, augers, breakers, buckets and snow blowers. With trenchers and wheelsaws, where the operator specifically needs to drive backwards with the loader, this solution offers perfect visibility of the project. It also

allows operators to talk face-to-face with project partners and manage the surroundings (verbally or non-verbally) at the same time.

Other applications include demolition environments with poor air quality and distracting noise, where the Remote Control System gives the operator the ability to do work from a distance, free from

“Work can be done faster with higher precision and, in some applications, with fewer personnel.�

36 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

dirt, dust and noise.

In shipyards and in vessels with limited space in the hold, distancing the operator from the loader keeps them away from other loading machinery such as grabs and the materials they are carrying, separating them from hazardous chemicals and other airborne pollutants as well as falling heavy objects such as scrap metal and other items. The job can be done more easily, with better visibility for managing tight spaces in and around containment areas.

In the waste and recycling industries, the remote control solution allows operators to handle dangerous or toxic materials from a safe distance, minimising the risk of exposure. With the remote control solution, operators can work on hazardous applications and also disasters like floods, forest fires, mud or rock slides and in other places where operators can be subjected to dangerous situations.

as original ‘Plug&Play’ equipment, rather than offering it as an add-on development from a third party,” said Alastair Jones, Bobcat Attachments District Manager (UK, Ireland and Nordics & Baltics).

“The Remote Control System can be used in many applications with the focus on limitless visibility, the ability to communicate with the surroundings without the need to be present in the cab, comfort enhancement for applications with noise, vibration and harshness or even in dangerous areas,” Alastair Jones explained.

He continued: “Complementing the applications described above, remote control solutions have proved their qualities and abilities to save lives in the toughest environments all around the world by providing service during disasters like floods, forest fires, mud or rock slides and in other places where operators can be subjected to dangerous situations.”

Simple Plug and Play

Installed in a matter of minutes, the new Remote Control System allows operators to leave their seat in the cab and control their Bobcat loader remotely. It is compatible with the manufacturer’s skidsteer, compact track and all wheel steer loader models equipped with the company’s Selectable Joystick Controls.

“After comprehensive testing and licensing of the new Remote Control System, Bobcat is the first company to provide an attachment product of this type

The new plug and play system comprises an easily portable and industrial radio remote control solution that can be mounted and dismounted on machines very quickly, leaving behind the standard machine in its original form. Every remotecontrol kit is protected by a dedicated password, with two-way communication providing all the important information about the loader (such as fuel and oil status, warnings, etc.) on a 3.5in. transflective colour backlit LCD display.

The system provides most of the functions that can be performed via direct loader operation, including throttle, light, creep and float controls. There is also speed management control to ensure easier operation in certain applications (such as

trenching, tilling, scarifying and so on).

The system is very intuitive to use and the training for end users will be provided

by Bobcat dealers.

The Remote Control System is supplied with two exchangeable batteries offering a long 20-hour battery life. The protective case ensures it is easier to transport from one job site to another. This forms part of an updated state-of-the-art ergonomic design with the system housed in a rugged and weatherproof enclosure.

World Leader in Attachments As a market leader worldwide in attachments, Bobcat offers customers many advantages in this sector. They include the company’s One-Stop-Shop approach – providing every possible combination of machine and attachment from one source and an impressive stock of products available for immediate shipment. This is backed by the service support of a comprehensive dealer network in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, offering service specialists and excellent parts availability to reduce downtime.

The warranty protection available allows customers to avoid the disputes that may arise from the compatibility and operating problems that are caused by the use of nonapproved attachments. In contrast, all Bobcat attachments are engineering approved, ensuring that they are optimised for efficiency, performance and greater productivity. This results in lower operating and maintenance costs.

i If you want to watch a video that demonstrates how easy it is to operate the new Bobcat Remote Control System GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH028

i For further information on the range of attachments available from Bobcat GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH029

CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 37

Quick on the uptake

A T TA C H M E N T S

A highlight of this year’s Plantworx exhibition was the launch by Miller UK of the production versions of its innovative new GT Series quick couplers. Nick Johnson was impressed. aving first introduced a fully automatic, universal pin grabber coupler back in 1986, Miller UK has become a leading supplier of quick couplers for excavators. 1998 saw the company launch the Miller Bug – said to be the world’s first automatic pin grabber – and innovation continued in 2011 with the arrival of the twin locking Powerlatch coupler. And now the big news is the imminent availability of the latest Miller development – the novel GT (Ground Touch) range of couplers.

A prototype of the new generation hydraulic coupler was shown last year at the Hillhead quarry show on a Kubota mini excavator. And at the Plantworx exhibition in June, Miller unveiled production versions of both the GTS coupler for compact excavators and backhoe loaders and the GTX for larger excavators.

Safety was of paramount concern when Miller engineers designed the new GT series couplers. Their big feature is indicated by the Ground Touch name because the attachment change process can only commence when the attachment is safely on the ground.

Complete with an ISO 13031 globally compliant locking system, the new couplers

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The GT coupler technology has been designed to initiate the changing of attachments whilst they are safely on the ground.

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As could be witnessed at Plantworx the sequence for operating the GTX coupler on the LiuGong was quick and easy.

have been designed to be very easy to operate from within the cab of an excavator or backhoe loader. Users will also appreciate the quick coupler’s ability to accommodate a wide range of OEM pin pickups.

Produced as the replacement for the Miller Powerlatch, the new GTX series of Ground Touch couplers are being made in seven sizes to cover excavator weights from 6 to 52 tonnes. Pin centres range from 280-

The GTS coupler at Plantworx was exhibited on a Bobcat mini excavator complete with a hydraulic clamp attachment.

317mm to 542-608mm with a corresponding spread of pick-up widths from 164mm to 396mm.

There are also six sizes of the smaller GTS couplers for use with 1 to 6 tonne mini excavators as well as backhoe loaders. These couplers cater for pin centres from 85-118mm to 290-343mm and pick-up widths from 96-103mm to 166mm.

At Plantworx 2019 a new GTX coupler was demonstrated on a 23.7 tonne LiuGong 922E tracked excavator and there was also a GTS coupler fitted to a 2.7 tonne Bobcat E27Z mini excavator. Interestingly, the GTS coupler was combined with a hydraulically operated clamp already on the Bobcat that was owned by Morris Plant Hire.

According to Miller UK, prototypes of its new GT series quick couplers were operated

The spring free GTX coupler has less internal components in order to reduce maintenance.

for 60,000 cycles. This extensive testing equates to around 10 years of actual operational life.

The new slim line GT series couplers are lighter in weight than their predecessors and they feature lower offset heights so that there is less impact on breakout force.

These latest couplers all have high tensile cast steel bodies and have a reduced number of internal components and no external springs.

The GT series couplers each utilise a new Ground Touch Intelligent control system. This incorporates a main control box, a hydraulic pressure sensor on the excavator’s boom cylinder, an in-cab display (with a line of LED lights on the right hand cab pillar) and a small control panel with prominent red and green buttons in front of the right hand excavator joystick.

As could be witnessed at Plantworx the sequence for operating the GTX Ground Touch coupler on the LiuGong excavator was quick and easy. To affect a changeover, the attachment to be removed is first lowered onto the ground. Once pressure on the boom cylinder hydraulic line has

When the amber LED lights illuminate the attachment is safely on the ground and the uncoupling process can commence.

dropped to below 50 bar, the LED display lights switch on and show two amber strips.

The excavator operator can then press the red unlock button on the control panel which causes the LED lights to change to a full red line, and a warning buzzer sounds.

The attachment is then raised and crowded to retract the coupler’s hook. Subsequently the unlocked attachment is lowered onto the ground and released.

The excavator is then slewed to position the coupler over the next attachment to be used. The front pin is engaged, and the new attachment raised, so that the coupler can be curled. The operator then presses the

The LED lights show red and a warning buzzer sounds when the GT series coupler is unlocked.

green button on the control panel and holds the crowd lever to power on the coupler’s hook. Finally, a Bump Test is performed to check that coupling is secure. Secondary locking is automatically provided by means of an internal nitrogen cylinder.

The design has patents pending so Miller UK should be able to protect what its Head of Engineering, Gavin Urwin proudly describes as, “a true industry benchmark for safety.”

i For more information on the new

Miller GTS and GTX quick couplers: GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH030

A T TA C H M E N T S

Tools of the trade Nick Johnson presents some of the new and interesting attachments he has recently spotted at launch events and exhibitions including Bauma, Plantworx and Rail Live. any construction machines have become really multi-purpose, and more productive, as their ability to be tool carriers is enhanced by a growing array of different tools/attachments and other add-on items such as tiltrotators. The diversity of the add-on extras now available could be seen at recent machine launches and exhibitions.

Whilst not as popular in the UK as it once was, the backhoe loader remains an extremely versatile machine. Nowadays it can really score by being able to utilise different attachments on quick couplers carried by both its front loader arms and its rear backhoe dipper.

JCB remains the company most associated with backhoe loaders and its creation of the Sitemaster concept back in 1981 promoted different attachment usage front and rear. Now, with an eye on the amount of road repair work outstanding in the UK, JCB has launched the 3CX Compact Highways Master.

At its official press launch just before Plantworx, the JCB 3CX Compact Highways Master was shown carrying two road planer attachments – a 600mm wide planer developed in partnership with Paladin on its front quick coupler and a Simex sourced 300mm wide planer on its backhoe coupler.

Alternative front-end attachments can include a 0.8m3 capacity multi-purpose loader bucket and a heavy-duty sweeper

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The Cat 304.5E2 XTC mini excavator fitted with a multi-purpose bucket and Grab-N-Drive post driver.

Two planers can be carried at once by the new JCB 3CX Compact Highways Master backhoe loader.

collector, such as the 1,800mm wide unit with dust suppression from Whites.

A recent visit to the Caterpillar Customer & Training Centre at Desford revealed an interesting mini excavator specially fitted with attachments to make fence post installation quicker and safer. The unusual 4,050kg Cat 304.5E2 XTC (Xtra Tool Carrier) mini excavator has a skid steer coupler interface in place of its front blade which allows it to use a multi-purpose loader bucket and other attachments.

At Desford this flat bottom loader bucket was being used to carry fence posts.

To drive in the posts the mini’s dipper carried a Grab-N-Drive GD20S attachment from Exac-One of Upton on Severn.

Designed by Exac-One and manufactured in the UK, the modular Grab-N-Drive system cleverly allows an excavator operator to handle, place and drive posts without the assistance of a banksman.

Another example of an interesting specialist attachment for a mini excavator was exhibited at Plantworx by its creator to generate interest. Called the ExcavatorForklift, the attachment provides a forklift mast and carriage to allow the

A Kubota mini turned into a forklift with the ExcavatorForklift attachment.

A SMP ST15 tiltrotator on a Kobelco ED160 Blade Runner excavator at Plantworx.

CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 41

A T TA C H M E N T S machine to raise and move palletised loads.

Demonstrated on a 2.6 tonne Kubota U274 mini excavator at the show, this attachment can lift pallets of materials weighing up to 1,000kg.

Engineer and inventor, James Russell from Larne in Northern Ireland says that the only excavator modification needed is to change the boom cylinder end pins for longer ones in order to support the mast attachment rollers. Mast tilt is then controlled by the excavator’s boom cylinder and the forks are raised and lowered using the breaker circuit hydraulics. There are both Lift & Load and Lift & Carry versions of the easily fitted and removed attachment.

The range of different attachments designed for use on the Engcon tiltrotator continues to grow. The company showed three prototype attachments at Plantworx – a side sweeper, a cassette saw and a hedge clipper. These detachable tools are being developed to connect to the front of Engcon’s QSD quick coupler.

The QSD coupler is designed so that the detachable hydraulic tools it carries can be operated whilst other ‘regular’ tools remain beneath the tiltrotator. The three new tools will join a gripper and a sweeper roller that were launched last year.

Molson Selects SMP The Molson Group used Plantworx to promote the SMP range of tiltrotators for which it became the dealer in England, Scotland and Wales earlier this year. The current SMP range of seven tiltrotators includes the ST6, ST10, ST12, ST15, ST18, ST22 and ST28 models suitable for use on excavators weighing from 3 to 30 tonnes.

An SMP ST15 tiltrotator was ably demonstrated despite the mud at Plantworx on a Kobelco ED160 Blade Runner tracked

Plantworx was used by the H E Services (Plant Hire) to unveil the new Masterhitch concrete pouring bucket.

excavator with a six-way dozer blade. The ST15 tiltrotator weighs 370-400kg and features a tilt angle of 2x40° and infinite 360° rotation. SMP used Bauma to show a smaller ST4 tiltrotator being developed to suit 2-4 tonne mini excavators.

New attachments from the Masterhitch division of H E Services (Plant Hire) were demonstrated at Plantworx on a Komatsu PC138US tracked excavator. These were a new tree shear (that has a 65 tonnes cutting and clamping force and can cut through trees up to 400mm in diameter) and an interesting 0.8m3 capacity concrete pouring bucket. A larger tree shear (able to cut trees up to 600mm) is due later this year.

MBW Europe showed a vibratory roller attachment for skid steer and compact tracked loaders at Plantworx. One of two models, the ATS84 was shown at

Peterborough on a Bobcat T650 compact tracked loader.

The ATS84 has a working width of 2,130mm and can be fitted with smooth or padfoot drums. Requiring a hydraulic flow of 38-189 litre/min at a pressure of 103207bar, it produces a centrifugal force of 43.4kN at an amplitude of 1.3mm.

The attachment supplier Astra Site Services (part of A-Plant) used the Rail Live Show in June to display three very different attachments. These were the Network Rail approved Astra ARC rail cropper (for 17 to 30 tonne excavators), the EMV300 vibratory pile hammer (for 12 to 39 tonne excavators) and an AQ3XL rotary cutter (for 18 tonne plus excavators). The EMV300 had its UK debut at Rail Live.

Indeco from Italy used Bauma to show a brand new hydraulic breaker, a new rotating pulveriser and examples of its new range of mulching heads. The new breaker was the HP100FS that weighs 59kg, has a steel diameter of 42mm and is suitable for use on small excavators weighing from 800kg to 2.5 tonnes. The new rotating pulveriser was the IRP 5X that only weighs 570kg.

The seven new Indeco mulchers for excavators weighing 5 to 45 tonnes are the IMH 5, IMH 6, IMH 8, IMH 10, IMH 15, IMH 19 and IMH 28. There is also the new MH 3.5 SS for skid steer loaders weighing 3.5 to 6 tonnes. Offered with direct and belt drives, these hydraulically driven mulching heads each feature a Hardox steel body and components.

i For more information on any of

the rail plant machines mentioned in this article use the appropriate numbers below ASTRA

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH031

CAT

The MBW ATS84 vibratory roller attachment on a Bobcat T650 compact tracked loader at Plantworx.

42 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

Astra Site Services showed (from right) the ARC rail cropper, EMV300 vibratory pile hammer and AQ3XL rotary cutter at Rail Live.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH032 ENGCON GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH033 EXAC-ONE GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH034 EXCAVATORFORKLIFT GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH035 JCB GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH036 INDECO GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH037 MASTERHITCH GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH038 MOLSON GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH039

The Eagle Day event allowed test drives of Case bulldozers fitted with intelligent 3D grading systems from Leica Geosystems.

CASE TEST DRIVE

Where e r a s ’ D e l g Ea Nick Johnson reports from the Case Eagle Day at the old Maltby colliery site in South Yorkshire where he went machine driving with varying degrees of success. question being pondered over by a number of plant makers now is whether it is more beneficial to attend trade exhibitions or stage their own events. Exhibiting at trade shows can be very expensive but there is a good chance of connecting with new potential customers and not being there can disappoint visitors and create negative comments – especially in this age of social media.

In-house events can be significantly cheaper to stage and, in the right locations, allow visitors to try out machines more realistically.

But getting decision makers to actually attend an increasing number of specialist events can be challenging and the invitation list will only include known contacts.

This year Case had its usual large stand at the Bauma international exhibition in Munich during April whereas JCB was a big name competitor that chose not to exhibit. Two months later and, at the Plantworx show in Peterborough, JCB had a significant stand but Case was one of the notable absentees, which are interesting different strategies.

Having really created a big impact at Bauma – especially with the unveiling of its futuristic ProjectTETRA concept wheel loader – Case chose to follow on in the UK by missing Plantworx and staging its own Eagle Day. This in-house event took place in

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July at the old colliery site in Maltby, South Yorkshire where customers were able to try out a selection of the latest Case bulldozers, wheel loaders and excavators in very realistic site conditions.

Unfortunately, the ProjectTETRA concept wheel loader, with its methane-powered engine, futuristic cab and innovative airless concept tyres developed by Michelin, could not be at the Eagle Day. But visitors could try out a selection of current Case machines including two bulldozers, three wheel loaders and a tiltrotator equipped tracked excavator.

Side mounted light bar boxes with lines of different coloured LEDs show the approach to the required grade.

The in-cab Leica MCP80 control panel can be set to display both plan and elevation views of the programmed work.

Despite the unpredictable British summer weather this year, the sun shone for the Eagle Day and Case dealers from around the country brought customers to the event. As well as being able to drive machines in the large test area, operators were able to take part in the UK qualifying round of this year’s Case Rodeo competition using the latest Case low emissions midi excavator.

Knowing that I stood no chance against highly experienced operators in the Rodeo challenge, I first turned my attention to the two Case bulldozers at the Eagle Day event.

The Case dozer range currently consists of three models – the 103kW (138hp) 1150M, the 122kW (164hp) 1650M and the 173kW (232hp) 2050M – and the two larger sizes were both at Maltby.

Having been introduced at Bauma back in 2013, the M series Case dozers got a substantial boost at the end of 2017 when they gained heavy-duty Berco undercarriages.

The new midi sized CX90D MSR comes as standard complete with an offset boom and a front mounted dozer blade.

The duo at Maltby were both LPG (low ground pressure) versions with PAT (power angle and tilt) blades. And what made them particularly attractive to me was that they were fitted with intelligent 3D grading systems from Leica Geosystems.

Case Construction Equipment and Leica Geosystems started a strategic partnership to develop and provide machine control technologies back in 2014. So the Leica iCON intelligent 3D grading solutions I found on the 1650M and 2050M at the Eagle day were well developed.

Having previously struggled some years ago to produce a level surface during a frustrating morning on a conventional dozer at the National Construction College at Bircham Newton, I was keen to see if some machine intelligence would improve my performance. And I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that, with Leica assistance, my ‘wash board’ surface of the past at Bircham Newton was replaced at Maltby by nice level ground to the correct grade.

The Leica engineers had mapped out a virtual road job on the test ground at Maltby and the in-cab Leica MCP80 control panel can be set to display both plan and elevation views of the programmed work. Armed with the required slope/grade specifications, the system is easily activated and what is normally the blade shaker button on the dozer’s right hand joystick becomes the control to instigate automatic blade adjustment.

This Case 721G XR Waste Handler fitted with a 3.5m3 capacity Ulrich high tip bucket was from the Hanlon hire fleet.

The position of the machine is determined by means of the two GNSS receivers carried on antennae mounted on each end of the blade. There is also an SP14 sensor on the back of the blade to detect its slope and angle. As well as the central MCP80 control panel displays, the dozer operator also gets two side mounted light bar boxes with lines of different coloured LEDs to show approach to the required grade.

Productivity Gains The system clearly helps to make a very inexperienced operator like me so much more proficient. It should save time and money on the jobsite by ensuring that all dozer operators can carry out accurate earthmoving and fine grading to the required levels without moving excess material movement.

Made in Burlington, USA, the conventional low drive Case dozers feature FPT engines and hydrostatic transmissions. The 1120M is

more of a bulk muckshifter whilst the1650M is particularly suited to finer grading work.

Both machines have plenty of pushing power.

This advantage together with the enhanced backup from the revamped Case UK network of larger dealers is, according to Crispin Turner, the Case Marketing Manager for Northern Europe, instrumental in the company growing its UK dozer sales.

Case is a significant player in the UK wheel loader market and its latest G series models have become well established since their launch in 2017. The test units at the Eagle Day were the 721G, 821G and 1021G with FPT Stage IV emissions compliant engines and standard bucket capacities of 2.7, 3.6 and 4.4m3 respectively.

Made in Lecce, Italy, these loaders utilise ZF powershift transmissions and they provide plenty of power to prise out material from a pile. The high visibility, comfortable cabs have also proved popular with operators. And the

The 30.0 tonne CX300D excavator at Maltby had a Steelwrist X32 tiltrotator fitted (insert) with a front mounted gripper.

CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 45

CASE TEST DRIVE Case-cooling cube is another good feature – and particularly invaluable on dusty jobs.

Case produces special waste handler versions of its 621G and 721G wheel loaders. A 721G XR Waste Handler fitted with a 3.5m3 capacity Ulrich high tip bucket and Triangle 20.5 R25 TL 5385+ all steel tubeless radial construction tyres was prominent at the Eagle Day. This machine was from the Hanlon hire fleet.

Bedford-based Hanlon is a regional dealer for Case covering North London and Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. It also runs a large national hire fleet of wheel loaders which incudes a significant proportion of Case models.

Now with a Yanmar engine, the new CX90D MSR becomes Case’s first Stage V emissions compliant excavator.

special weighted rod on a bucket tooth and thread the cylindrical weighted end through a slot spelling out the word Case, which had been cut out in the top of a metal box. With the weight having a diameter of 850mm, and the channel spelling Case being only 900mm wide, this was not an easy task. I did it but luckily the Case official was not timing me – I think he gave up and left to have a tea break!

However, a stream of much more worthy contestants showed the task could be done very quickly and the two worthy winners were James Covell from Kings Lynn Construction in Norfolk and Jamie Carey from Jamie Carey Plant Hire in the Isle Of Man, with respective times of 32.75 and 35.20 seconds.

Bauma Winner Strategic Alliance Case has gained a good reputation for its midi and standard sized tracked excavators supplied from Japan through its strategic alliance with Sumitomo Construction Machinery. The test machine at Maltby was a 30.0 tonne CX300D powered by a Stage IV emissions compliant Isuzu AR-6HKIX engine rated at 154kW (207hp).

Reflecting the much greater UK interest in tiltrotators, the CX300D was fitted with a Steelwrist X32 complete with the SQ automatic hydraulic coupling system and a front mounted gripper. With a 1.8m wide GB30 grading bucket attached to the tiltrotator, I spent some time sculpting a pile of material, but I was disappointed to find there was no object on site for me to pick up and move around with the gripper.

Pat Bullock, the Managing Director of Steelwrist UK, reports much increased sales of tiltrotators in the UK. He is expecting to sell around 200 units this year and, interestingly, he reports that around half of sales now include a gripper.

A highlight of the Eagle Day was the first UK appearance of the new Case CX90D MSR midi excavator that is made by Sumitomo Construction Machinery in Japan.

Complete with an offset boom this short radius 8.5-9.0 tonner replaces the CX85C. The big change is the switch to a Yanmar engine from the Isuzu power unit used in the previous CX85C. Rated at 50.7kW (68hp), this Yanmar 4TNV98CT-L2WSH engine provides Case with its first Stage V emissions compliant excavator.

The first CX90D MSR midi excavator to be sold in the UK has been supplied by dealer Dennis Barnfield to engineering and administration service providers Civils & Construction Solutions. The excavator’s first project is on a housing development site in Cheshire in the North West of England.

At the Eagle Day event the new CX90D MSR midi was used to provide a suitable challenge for operators in the UK qualifying round for the 2019 Case Rodeo Competition. Participants had to pick up a

They will join Tom Ball from J C Balls in Derbyshire to represent the UK in the special tenth anniversary Rodeo final to be held on18-20th October at the Case Customer Centre in Monthyon near Paris in France. Tom Ball earned his place by taking 31 seconds to complete the Rodeo challenge on Case’s Bauma stand by accurately placing different shapes into a baseboard with a rotating selector grab carried by a 14.7 tonne CX145D SR tracked excavator.

The Eagle Day worked well and Case is to be congratulated for its support and recognition of operators. It is one of the few plant makers to run annual operator competitions, and have an active Operator’s Club. The popularity of these worthy initiatives has helped strengthen the brand.

i For more information about the

latest Case construction equipment use the number below GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH041 The Rodeo Challenge staged on the big Case stand at Bauma utilised a CX145D SR with a rotating selector grab.

The CX90D MSR excavator being used for the Rodeo operators challenge at the Eagle Day event.

46 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

VEHICLES

Vauxhall is now Britain’s largest indigenous van manufacturer, and with the launch of the new Vivaro at its Luton home that is a position that it is set to maintain. Construction Plant News’s Lee Jones reviews the latest model.

48 SEPTEMBER 2019 I CPN

VAUX NEWS t has been an avowed ambition of our business leaders in recent years to rebalance our economy in favour of manufacturing. Where once Britain was the workshop of the world, that sector’s share of the wider economy has been steadily shrinking, but there are, of course, those iconic stalwarts who have held firm on these shores.Vauxhall, for instance, has seen vehicles roll from its Luton production line from as far back as 1905, and that is a tradition that is continuing with the third generation of the Vivaro, now one of the few remaining light commercial vehicles that can genuinely wear the ‘Made in Britain’ motto.

Indeed, with a multi-million pound investment in a new assembly line, including enough robots to double as a scene in the next Terminator movie, this is a site that looks to remain secure for the foreseeable.

Whilst much has stayed the same there has also been great change, not least new owners, with this historic name in the UK

I

automotive market now under the guardianship of PSA group. As a result, where previously the Vivaro shared a platform with Renault Trafic, today it finds its inspiration from the already very successful Citroen Dispatch, Peugeot Expert, and Toyota Proace.

The latest incarnation of a name that’s been steadily winning fans with van users since it initial launch in 2001 is actually slightly more compact than its predecessor, a feature that will no doubt find favour with tradespeople operating in our increasingly congested towns and cities.Vivaro is now available in two lengths, (L1H1 4.95m and L2H1 5.30m) and three trims, whilst body styles include panel van and double cab for up to six occupants and a platform chassis.

A leaner machine it may be but it still packs a punch in payload, with a maximum capacity in the business end of the vehicle of 1,458kg, up 200kg on the outgoing model.

Similarly, towing weights have climbed 500kg to 2,500kg, whilst the factory-fitted tow bar

PRICING AND SPECIFICATION Edition From £22,020 excluding VAT

option comes standard with Trailer Stability Control (TSC). TSC uses an electronic stability programme to dampen the vibrations of the trailer as necessary. If severe vibrations are detected – which indicates an unsafe and unstable driving condition – then the system will slow the vehicle to a critical pace. Access to the cab is made more convenient with twin doors on either side, and there’s increased space between the wheel arches. If you’re looking to open those doors, and happen to have a sheet of 8x4 about your person at the time, then fear not, because a rather convenient feature has been added. Simply move your foot towards the sensors on the vehicle and they will open automatically.

In their mission to achieve maximum cargo carrying capacity within a manageable footprint, manufacturers are increasingly looking to exploit every available space, and that’s just what Vivaro’s FlexCargo allows. If you happen to be carrying long items, such as pipes or lengths of guttering, for example, thanks to an optional flap under the front passenger seat; objects up to 4.02m long can be stowed securely in the 5.30m version. Not only that, but the same system allows the back of the middle seat to fold down, transforming your cab into a mobile office, with a table for working on documents, a notebook or a tablet.

Sportive From £24,270 excluding VAT

Anyone who can remember the days when electric windows on a commercial vehicle were a novelty will know that the levels of comfort in the cab, not to mention recent innovations in driver assistance technology, have transformed the end user experience in a relatively short space of time.

Today, the market is demanding continuous improvement and that’s what Vivaro hopes to deliver with three trim levels providing an upward scale of sophistication.

The aforementioned dual side sliding doors, driver/passenger airbags and cruise control with speed-limiter are all available as standard for the first time, whilst Sportive includes body coloured mirrors, handles and body side moulds, alarm, auto lights and wipers, acoustic windscreen and thickened side glazing.

The top-of-the range Elite model features the latest safety technology as standard,

Elite From £26,370 excluding VAT

including Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Information, Intelligent Speed Adaptation, Driver Attention Alert and Blind Spot Detection. The Head Up Display, which provides information on speed limits without taking your eyes from the road, is a particularly useful function, and overall, with a ride and handling that few can rival, the Vivaro remains one of the best driving experiences in the medium panel van market.

Next year Vauxhall is promising the introduction of a purely electric powertrain, but it is clean and efficient diesel which presently holds sway, and there’s an array of options under the Vivaro bonnet. The entry level 1.5D (100PS) engine’s, torque has been improved to 270Nm, and is also available in a 120PS version. The 2.0D Turbo D is available in either 150PS or 180PS, the latter equipped with an eight speed auto, whilst all other engine sizes utilise a six-speed transmission.

The Vauxhall Vivaro is now the third most popular vehicle in its class and, with increased capacity at its Bedfordshire home, the ambition is to extend that market share still further. What’s more, with a vehicle that will favourably compare with any in its sector, Vauxhall can still proudly sport that Made in Britain emblem.

i For further information on the

Vauxhall Vivaro online GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH051

CPN I SEPTEMBER 2019 49

NEW PRODUCTS

ELECTRIC EXCAVATOR The Bobcat E10e is the world’s first 1 tonne electric mini-excavator, combining zero emissions, low noise and a width of just 71cm, allowing it to easily pass through standard doors and in and out of lifts. The digger has a lithium-ion, maintenance-free battery pack with an advanced management system, designed to fit within the standard machine envelope to maintain the machine’s ZTS profile, matching all the parameters and dimensions of the standard diesel-powered equivalent.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH052

COMPACT CRUSHERS Meeting the trend for compact, mobile recycling systems, Rubble Master compact crushers are designed to offer compact size, low noise level and dust emissions in order to be used anywhere.

The new RM V550GO! mobile crusher is controlled by the Vacon 100 X AC drive from Danfoss Drives, offering a 15 kW drive, able to withstand demanding environments. The drives control two unbalanced motors in parallel, running a vibrating conveyor to transport the material to be crushed.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH053

PORTABLE TANK

DUMPER SAFETY PACK With its focus on safety, Mecalac’s MDX cabbed site dumper range comes fitted with Mecalac Shield as standard.

This is a safety package developed in partnership with operators and site managers, setting standards for compact safety equipment. The safety pack includes start and drive interlock, which immobilises the engine if basic checks haven’t been completed, as well as handbrake warning, speedometer and a front-facing camera.

For construction sites where dust is a problem, EnduraMaxx’s site tow trailer mounted dust suppression bowsers aim to provide a quick and cost-effective onsite solution. Powered by a petrol engine pump, they are available in capacities up to 10,000 litres, and mounted onto a galvanised road legal chassis with several pump and hose reel options, as well as a dribble bar or deflector plates.

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH055

GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/CH054

AD INDEX BPH Construction Equipment Limited .................... (page 39)

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