Hiab crane & Moffett forklift helps productivity at Maltaward

Jul 04, 2013 Warehousing Ireland Materials Handling 0

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Fitting their new Volvo FM13 four axle rigid with both a Hiab crane and a Moffett truck-mounted forklift is helping to improve productivity at civil engineering contractor Maltaward.

The company provides a range of services to the construction industry across the UK from its main base in Horsham, West Sussex, and depots at Gatwick Airport, in Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds. One of its specialisms is the production and sale or hire of temporary barriers used to protect roadworks and building projects, for which it is the UK’s leading supplier.

Working in tandem, the Hiab XS 288 EP-3 HiPro crane with its 25 tonne/metre capacity can be used to load and unload heavy items, such as concrete barriers, which the 3.0 tonne capacity Moffett M8 30.3W forklift can then move into place.

This improves productivity by avoiding the need for any other piece of equipment to be made available at the delivery point. As soon as the vehicle arrives on site both pieces of kit can be put to work in a matter of minutes. Further flexibility in the use of the Moffett has been achieved by fitting a mounting kit onto the semi-trailer towed by their new Volvo FM11 6×2 tractor, allowing it to be swapped between this and the rigid Volvo truck.

Jim Treacy, the company’s general manager, comments: “We find that the Hiab and Moffett are both very good products. They do the job we require of them very efficiently and the Hiab back-up and service support is excellent.”

The Hiab XS 288 EP-3 HiPro crane uses advanced Space 5000 intelligence as part of the HiPro system along with the CombiDrive remote control system to ensure optimum operating efficiency. Capacity is significantly increased by the in-built Automatic Speed Control feature and productivity is maximised by Pump Flow Distribution, which ensures super-smooth operation by distributing the available oil in proportion to the operator’s lever movements.

The CombiDrive remote control enables the operator to position himself in the best place from which to observe the entire load/unload operation. Its finger-tip feel enables precise positioning of the load either on the truck or on the ground in a way that ensures the safety of the operator and others in the vicinity. A live symbol indicator ensures that the correct lever symbol is shown at all times.

Moffett invented the concept of the Truck-Mounted Forklift (TMFL) more than 40 years ago and today they are the clear market leaders in the UK. The 3 tonne capacity M8 is powered by a reliable and fuel-efficient Kubota diesel engine with an output of 50 bhp. Its all-wheel drive configuration and robust construction gives it exceptional traction, manoeuvrability and durability enabling it to cope with confined spaces and unmade surfaces, such as on construction sites or farms.

Moffett TMFLs are in use across a wide range of industry sectors where their versatility brings significant efficiency and productivity gains. Unloading and reloading of the forklift from the vehicle takes less than one minute and the machine is immediately able to start work.

Lee Radford, Area Manager for Hiab, comments: “Putting the Hiab XS288 crane and the Moffett truck-mounted forklift together is a winning combination. It allows the truck to be unloaded quickly and the material carried on it to be speedily moved to any position using the Moffett, such as inside a building or at a distance from the unloading point. There’s no wasted time and this brings real efficiency and productivity gains.

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