Heavy industry requires heavy handling equipment. When it comes to moving bulky equipment or oversized loads – such as bodies for dump trucks, modular homes, shipping containers, pre-cast concrete or large-scale structural steel – companies often rely on the external hire of cranes to do their heavy lifting in the yard.
But this approach comes with a host of challenges, such as increased safety and skills requirements, and limitations around the accessibility and manoeuvrability of cranes onsite.
This is why many Australian customers in the heavy industry segment are turning to Combilift’s customised mobile carrier solutions to handle their large loads on site.
As with every Combilift lifting invention, the company’s first straddle carrier was designed to cater to a market need.
“We originally created it for the handling of containers as we were listening to our customers, and there wasn’t an ideal solution for the fast turnaround on containers at the ground level,” Combilift straddle carrier general manager Josh Moffett said.
“We quickly realised after it was launched that it could solve a lot of other issues around the handling of anything extreme in terms of load size or weight, particularly since it is so customisable. It can provide a faster, more practical solution to lifting equipment such as cranes.”
Combilift national product manager for straddle carrier and mobile gantry machines Jarad Wilson can attest to the challenges that beset customers in Australia who are either part of the heavy industry, or service the heavy industry.
How do these companies handle hefty loads at the ground level?
“Traditionally, our customers have used cranes with high capacity such as 30 tonnes, but one of the key challenges is that these cranes need significant counter-balance weight and require a large footprint to work in, as well as multiple people on the ground to assist in preventing the load from swinging around,” Wilson said.
“Relying on external parties for heavy lifting operations can be highly inefficient compared to the ability to do this independently in-house.”
Wilson cited availability, operating hours, and delays as common issues when it comes to external hire.
“Obviously companies need to work within the operating hours of the hire company, which means they often can’t guarantee availability at short notice,” he said.
“Additionally, when multiple parties are involved, the timeline of a job will be affected – it’s not unusual for individuals to run late, and that lost time spent waiting for equipment to arrive often equates to a loss in productivity. Not to mention weather issues – a windy day may disrupt or even cause a job to be postponed.
“Also, when it comes to the size and bulk of a crane with an extreme load capacity, the requirements from a safety, labour and structural perspectives are huge. This can also result in major interruptions to day-to-day business and therefore impact on service to customers.”
Notwithstanding the above issues, hiring heavy-lifting cranes can incur weighty costs. Those costs are not just capped with the machine hire but expand to the corresponding crew.
“When you have a crane onsite to move a bulky load, there are a number of people required, there’s the skilled person to operate, then the personnel who help with the other aspects of movement,” Wilson said. “Visibility is key with moving these types of loads, so additional crew is required. All of this adds to the cost tally.”
Moffett concurs, adding that if a company needs to handle extreme loads on a regular basis, they can reduce their costs if they have their own equipment to do the job. This is where Combilift’s straddle carriers and mobile gantry machines are particularly suited.
“Not only are they customised to suit each specific customer application, but they have been designed with manoeuvrability at the forefront,” Moffett said.
“With several steering options, they can mobilise extreme loads in tight spaces very efficiently whilst minimising the risks to the operator and crew on the ground.”
The Combilift three, four and eight wheel straddle carriers (SC-4 and SC-8 respectively) and mobile gantry (MG) machines are what Wilson refers to as “engineered solutions” designed to handle and mobilise the extreme loads that are intrinsic to heavy industry.
The SC and MG can be remove-controlled, and with their multipoint lift design, reduce unwanted movement in the handling of loads, making it much safer and more efficient than a crane with a single lifting point.
“When we talk about engineered solutions, we’re incorporating those key aspects of load handling efficiency, which include manoeuvrability, steering capability and how the vehicle is operated and controlled,” Wilson said.
“With all our customers, we first discuss the loads that they are dealing with and how that load will interact with the machine, then we marry up the right system with that requirement.”
Straddle Carriers have multiple connection points for lifting, while MG machines have a single beam across the top and are suited to single point lifting.
The steering system on both these machines is a particularly noteworthy feature.
“Unlike a forward and back steering system which is typical to two-wheeled vehicles, these machines offer several steering options, including crab steer – which is steering in one direction – front and rear only wheel steer, four-wheel steer and carousel steer, which allows the machine to pirouette,” Wilson said.
“These options provide greater flexibility which translates to increased manoeuvrability, especially in tight spaces where it’s imperative to have greater manoeuvrability with less travel.”
Importantly, the Combilift straddle carrier four-wheel (SC-4), SC-8 and MG machines are all made to order, each customised according to the customer’s requirements.
“These machines for heavy industry are all highly bespoke, tailor-made units,” Wilson said. “We engineer a solution that is far more advanced than a single crane hook.”
This is a point of difference that Combilift is able to offer the heavy industry market.
“Combilift is a recognised leader in long handling solutions, and also the largest manufacturer of multidirectional forklifts – but what sets us apart in this heavy industry space, is the ability to customise these machines,” Wilson said.
“In addition to the technology and innovative design, this customisation makes them truly fit for purpose. We’re able to achieve this because the overall mechanics and components are common across a range of our products.”
Both the straddle carrier and MG machines can be dimensionally adjusted to suit individual customer site and lifting requirements.
“We are able to manipulate the heights and widths of the lifting system and also customise the lifting system itself,” Wilson said. “There are different lift systems available, such as a telescopic or a rigid frame with wire ropes. We can also combine these, depending on the application.”
