Hire and Rental News - February 2019

ACCESS IN ACTION Hose innovation upgrades safety and serviceability A new Hydraulink hose innovation that is tough and versatile and 30% more compact than conventional hoses is improving the safety and cost-efficient maintenance of widely used lift vehicles and access equipment. M anaging pressures up to 466 bar (6500psi) required for hydraulic hoses vital to the function of crane trucks and Elevated Working Platforms (EWPs) the H-16 two-wire hose is available in Australia and New Zealand. It is one of a comprehensive range of quality branded, safety-compliant and traceable hoses and accessories available fromHydraulink’s 400 service points. “A beauty of this latest Hydraulink innovation is you can fit more hoses into energy chain structures within the vehicles, where they are far more protected from wear, tear and damage than individually routed hoses,” Matt Taylor, Managing Director of Hydraulink Coffs Harbour, Macksville and Kempsey said. “Instead of having to squeeze heaps of different types of hoses into limited space in the energy chain, we can use the one type of H-16 hose to more safely cover multiple roles. Because it is typically 30% smaller in outside diameter, we can get 10 hoses easily into a space where previously it was a log jam to fit in eight. “This compact high performance translates into big benefits, because more hoses can be fitted more easily into the energy chain where they are better protected, and maintenance becomes easier in areas tight on space and demanding within cranes and EWPs,” Matt said. “There is a whole bird’s nest of hoses and fittings in this equipment, all of which are vital to its safety and function. It also offers half the minimum bend radius of the traditional hose types, as well as a high abrasion resistant ‘super tough’ cover. “Anything that makes the job easier and user-friendly translates straight through to big savings of downtime and money,” he said. “Safety is an imperative. If there is anything wrong with the hydraulics in a lift vehicle, users will tag it out immediately as unserviceable and send it to us to get it right. They appreciate the fact we are on-call 24/7 and understand how important properly serviced hydraulics are to avoiding downtime.” n Contact: 02-8785 4600 or visit: hydraulink.com.au Rise higher and reach further Part of a family of four new, mid-sized telescopic boom lifts, Ahern Australia’s Snorkel 660SJ is the largest model in the new family and comes equipped with an 18.3m boom and a 1.8m articulating jib. The new range designed for tough rental use, also includes the 400S, 460SJ, and 600S models. D elivering a 20.1m maximum platform height and an outreach of up to 18.4m, the Snorkel 660SJ has a lift capacity of up to 272kg. Fitted with a 2.0m jib boom for additional flexibility, this heavy-duty lift measures 2.24m wide and the stowed length of 10.5m can be reduced to 8.5m for transport by stowing the jib underneath the boom. Standard with oscillating axles, the Snorkel 660SJ delivers rough terrain performance due to a traction manifold that delivers oil to all four wheels, providing constant four-wheel drive and can tackle gradients of up to 45%. The 660SJ also features a rugged all-steel construction and includes a 4-plate “top-hat” style boom weldment manufactured in Selma, California, a durable steel cowling with two individual steel doors on each side, and an all-steel platform. The turret offers 360° continuous rotation, and has a tailswing of just 1.2m. The new steel chassis, which is common across all new Snorkel mid-sized telescopic booms, helps standardise parts and create familiarity for service engineers. The Snorkel 660SJ has open- loop hydraulics and CAN-BUS controllers, common across all boom models allowing for easier maintenance, service and training. An on-board diagnostic system, consistent with other Snorkel products, is built-in to the lift, providing a simple, plain text visual interface for easier troubleshooting, without the need for additional diagnostic tools. The operator benefits from all proportional functions, including drive, raise, slew and extend. Jib and platform rotate are also proportional. The joystick controls provide a level of precision when positioning the platform, and are intuitive for the user. Only the platform level remains controlled by a toggle switch. The Snorkel 660SJ lift is also fitted with Snorkel Guard secondary guarding system as standard. Secondary guarding Designed in-house by Snorkel’s engineering team, the simple mechanical system features a spring-loaded rail that sits above the upper control panel which cuts out machine operations when compressed, for example, in the case of the operator being involuntarily pushed against the controls. The operator can override Snorkel Guard using a switch in the platform, in the event the system is activated in error. Additionally, when Snorkel Guard is activated, the lift can be operated from the lower control panel. n Contact: 1300 900 700 or visit: www.ahernaustralia.com.au Hydraulink H-16 two-wire hose is improving the safety and maintenance on access equipment Ahern Australia’s Snorkel 660SJ is the largest model in the new family of four new, mid-sized telescopic boom lifts P36 ACCESS IN ACTION FEBRUARY 2019