4 minute read
Commentary
Alex White, Managing DIrector of Magni Telescopic Handlers, delves into their reasonings behind why they don’t sanction non-homologated attachments
With the advance in technology on modern fixed chassis and rotational telescopic handlers’ owners, operators and other parties can sometimes overlook the safety implications of the incorrect pairing of machine and attachment – this is an area at Magni Telescopic Handlers that is never compromised or ignored!
Recently we have been asked about fitting attachments homologated on our larger machine onto smaller machines within the range, or attachments that aren’t homologated at all – the answer that we have given in both cases has been NO – even at the expense of a machine sale!
All attachments approved for use on our machines, whether produced by Magni or a third-party supplier are tested, approved and homologated by Magni. They will have a dedicated load chart within the machines safety system and this will be displayed on the load moment indicator screen in real-time for the current machine configuration.
The load charts and associated RFID chip to activate the load chart within the safety system are the result of thorough and exhaustive process from our team
of R&D engineers – this not only includes looking at whether the machine can lift the load, but also the dynamic loading and stresses placed on the machine and only after this process has been fully completed, approved and tested to the relevant regulatory standards will the load charts be created and made available within the machines software – this means that even older machines in the field can be updated to that latest load charts where this process has been followed.
Magni will always look at any customer request for a specialist attachment, in fact we pride ourselves on being one of the most versatile manufacturers and our portfolio of clients and their special attachments highlights this. Where there is a identified need our engineering team in the R&D department will investigate and always endeavour, whenever possible to give the customer the ideal solution for their handling needs, but where this cannot be achieved we will be open and honest about this – but we will definitely not sanction non-homologated attachments! A good example of this is Forestry, says Alex White from Magni UK.
“When we were asked to look at Importing machines that Magni were producing for other markets it did make me nervous. I made the decision to watch what was happening around the world and make sure that the combination had good performance but more importantly all the safety measures currently possible.
The reason that we have been able to enter this market successfully is that for several years Magni has partnered with different tree shear and grapple suppliers and have carried out rigorous testing of combinations to arrive at what we believe is the best package. We now have machines that can be fitted with either Wessttech or GMT grapple saws that are fully homologated. This means they come with operators’ manuals for the combination, EC test certificates and most importantly load charts on the machines that show the correct deration of the attachment. However, Magni UK decided to take this and expand upon it. Thorough various meetings with legislative and safety organisations such as BITA, FEM and FISA we
have modified machines further to go beyond what is expected. The Forestry machine from
Magni is not just a standard machine with a grapple saw. It is a machine that has a different specification boom, different hydraulic controls, additional safety guarding, special lighting, and camera systems and many more options.
We have worked closely with UK customers and even now are making further modifications to reflect market feedback and knowledge gained from the industry. We are proud to say that Magni is the only Roto telehandler on sale in the UK that meets all the relevant requirements, and therefore we are quickly gaining traction in this market and becoming the brand people are talking about.
If an accident were ever to happen, what is the legal position? Under the current CE regulations, it is the responsibility of the attachment manufacturer to ensure the combination of machine and attachment are correct and safely paired. Buying a machine/attachment combination that is not homologated will put you at risk. If in doubt the customer only needs to contact the manufacturer of the telehandler and ask whether the attachment in doubt has been officially homologated.
Food for thought when you are looking at your next machine/ attachment.
Find out more today at: https://www.magnith.com/ ■
