Capital Equipment News September 2018

MACHINE CUSTOMISATION

To meet special needs of the specialised potline basement cleaning application, Bobcat sent the machines to Engineering Top Tech for a full strip and customisation.

Modified to spec

In a world where a one-size-fits-all approach has lost relevance, Bobcat South Africa has partnered with Engineering Top Tech, a specialist in custom vehicle solutions for mining and industry, to modify two Bobcat S70 RC skid-steer loaders to meet special operational requirements for South 32’s potline basement cleaning application, writes Munesu Shoko .

W hen mining giant South 32 recently went into the market for two skid- steer loaders to work at its aluminium production facility, Bobcat was its ultimate choice, specifically the S70 RC units. Struan Raw, sales representative at Bobcat South Africa, says the S70 was the ideal choice for the particular application as it is designed with easy modification in mind. “Additionally, the Bobcat S70 loader is a lightweight machine with a small wheel base and only 900 mm width, allowing it to gain entry into confined working areas – and this was another key consideration for the client,” explains Raw. To meet the special needs for the application at hand, Bobcat sent the machines to Engineering Top Tech – which specialises in custom vehicle solutions for mining and industry – for a full strip and customisation. Ruan Pretorius, product designer at Engineering Top Tech, explains that the scope of the modification project entailed three main aspects, namely, the reduction of the overall height of the machine to 850 mm; installing a fully-functional remote control at a maximum range of 100 m; and a systems upgrade to allow the machine to handle 50°C ambient in 500 gauss magnetic fields.

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS SEPTEMBER 2018 22