Slide Sledge improves safety and efficiency

THE SLIDE SLEDGE HEAVY EQUIPMENT HAMMER TURNS DANGEROUS, TIME CONSUMING, HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPAIRS INTO A ONE-MAN, ONE-TOOL JOB.

The Slide Sledge delivers precise impact safely.

Improving safety is critical for mining companies. However, there is also demand for increasing productivity and maximising efficiency.

The Slide Sledge Multi-Head Hammer Repair Tool covers both requirements. One operator can safely and easily manoeuvre the Slide Sledge into hardto-reach places, simplifying repairs while reducing effort and injury.

Securefix is the Australian distributor for Slide Sledge after its merger with Fisher Lamco in February 2020. With this merger, all Slide Sledge stock is now available in Brisbane.

The company has an extensive range of products with a national team behind it to offer technical advice and a broad distribution chain.

Securefix director Andrew Rodgers says Slide Sledge is an impact tool, but it is a single person operation for driving pins, teeth and any situation where you would use a pin or a sledgehammer.

“The concept isn’t new, but the Slide Sledge is relatively new as it has only been well supported over the past 12 years,” he says.

“Its main purpose is to reduce injuries where a second person would get hit by the sledgehammer. With the Slide Sledge you get the same work done but using only a single person operation.”

Slide Sledge is powered by sliding the steel drive bar back and forth, allowing the operator to deliver a precise impact when and where it’s needed. This eliminates inaccurate sledgehammer swings and damage to machinery

Rodgers says Slide Sledge comes in varying weights and lengths for the rods

“The biggest one is probably only 1200 millimetres long and the smallest one is down to 600 millimetres to 700 millimetres long,” Rodgers says. “It is very easily transported and weighs up to 15 kilograms for the maximum weight.

“The main benefit for the Slide Sledge, apart from it being a single person tool, is that the teeth of it can be replaced, so there are about 13 different fittings for the end that can be used for different applications.”

Rodgers says feedback from the mining sector has been positive, with thousands of the Slide Sledge sold into the industry.

“From an employer’s point of view The Slide Sledge is good because it significantly reduces risk. From an employee’s point of view, if you get hit by a sledgehammer you will remember it, but with Slide Sledge all you have to do is move the pin back and forwards and the tool does the rest,” he says.

The linear motion of Slide Sledge focusses power for precision impact without the worry of dangerous sledgehammer misses and glancing blows. With its power and accuracy, driving pins and other tough maintenance jobs are safer, faster and easier

“It saves time and money because the work is done quicker and safer. Risk is down and everybody knows that a potential workers’ compensation claim can be debilitating,” Rodgers says.

He says Slide Sledge is the only product of its type and continues to receive significant interest from mining companies.

“We recently took an order for 13 Slide Sledges from a customer in WA and they are looking at buying more,” he says.

“They are trialling it on a mine site because mining is one of the most dangerous workplaces as far as injuries go. Some individual operators will buy one unit, while big sites will buy up to 20.”

With a massive range of Slide Sledge products, Securefix offers quick delivery and special tips made to order.

The Slide Sledge is a single-person operaton.