: Big Lift Trucks : solutions

No more damage to yards & pavements with the Mobicon

According to Sadleirs Transport one of the biggest issues faced when unloading containers is the detrimental damage caused on yards and pavements by heavy equipment. The constant wear and tear of large forklifts and heavy equipment causes companies to sustain on-going maintenance and costly repair bills to their yards and pavements.

Adding the costs of maintaining and repairing this equipment on a regular basis sees companies investing more capital than necessary on the unloading of containers. In addition, many unloading yards are not designed to carry heavy equipment, yards do not meet 12 inch pavement requirements, or the yards themselves are small and narrow and not designed to withstand the use of heavy vehicles.

When Sadleirs Transport re-located their Queensland operations it was identified that whilst the new premises were not designed for the larger forklifts it still needed a system that could maintain the 15 to 25 containers a week that are unloaded. Mr Michael Miller, Queensland Operations Manager, Sadleirs Transport, knew that the answer was the Mobicon. "Sadleirs had already been using a Mobicon in our Victorian premises so we knew that it would be a perfect fit for the Queensland operations as well. It is one of the most innovative and cost effective inventions to ever come out of Australia Miller said.

The Mobicon is designed to handle any length container, from 20 ft through to 53 ft. It lifts the load from the bottom, which allows the operator to handle flat beds, tank containers and curtain sided containers. The "Two Tower" design provides the flexibility to operate on slightly sloping or uneven surfaces. Compacted gravel yards are also suitable for the Mobicon.

The Mobicon Mobile Container Handler has two independent lifting towers, connected by drawbars. When handling a container, the towers are coupled to the container.

Mobicon = Low Wheel Height Container

Forklifts weigh approximately 35 tonne, and then carry up to 30 tonne containers. Therefore they have an axle loading of 50 tonnes or more and many industrial estate paveents are not suitable for carrying these loadings. The Mobicon can operate on pavements where a forklift or straddle carrier cannot. The Mobicon weighs only 12 tonne empty, and as the weight is evenly spread across 8 wheels, the wheel loadings are less than 6 tonne when carrying a 30 tonne container. This makes the Mobicon a lighter and safer solution than heavy vehicles.

Mobicon = Low Height = Inside Sheds

Mr Miller added that the larger forklifts also need a wider turning circle than the Mobicon. "If your yard is small or narrow then this can become a problem running forklifts," Mr Miller said. The Mobicon can back containers in to tight spots and will pass through a 3.8 meter high by 4.7 meter wide door opening. This allows the operator to transport the containers inside sheds and unload into the doorways. "This is a tremendous advantage as the Mobicon allows our staff to unload containers undercover, out of the rain and wet. Forklifts can't do that. With the Mobicon we can get a 48 foot container in to the shed; this is because it is designed to straddle the container, which is fantastic. It has the ability to move in restrictive areas and can fully utilise all areas of the yard.

The Mobicon is the first system that can actually get containers into restricted warehouse spaces according to David Fishburn, Victorian State Manager Sadleirs have also seen an increase in productivity levels across both the Victorian and Queensland operations since they started using the Mobicon. "Previously our docks were capable of unloading 2 containers on 2 trailers at any one time, we can now unload 4 to 5 containers at the same time which spreads our labour and increases our productivity," Mr Fishburn said. "Now with the Mobicon, in our busy times, we pick up the goods on the weekends and the containers are ready to be unloaded at 6.00 am every Monday morning." he said.

Mobicon = Low Operating Costs

According to Mr Fishburn the capital investment of a Mobicon is 30% of the cost of a comparable forklift. The unique and simple design and use of "off the shelf" quality components, result in low maintenance costs. The use of an efficient 60hp diesel engine, coupled to the hydraulic system, keeps the fuel costs down. "The capital investment is so minimal when purchasing a Mobicon, it is cheaper to run, cheaper to service and maintain. Servicing larger forklifts and heavy equipment requires a heavy mechanical engineer which will set you back $250 for a call out fee.

With the Mobicon you can just use a qualified forklift mechanic," Mr Fishburn said."

The Mobicon has a 4 cylinder motor and is so easy to maintain. All the parts are visually obvious and accessible to service so there is no specialised service training required. e.g.: an oil leak is obvious and can be fixed easily and quickly on site," Mr Miller also added that "so little can actually go wrong with the Mobicon. It really does equal lower running costs, service and repair costs. The running of the Mobicon is extremely cost efficient and far more economical than a forklift,"

Mobicon = Simplicity and Ease of Use

According to Mr Fishburn you don't need to have anything other than your Mobicon yard accreditation to purchase and use the Mobicon, as the system does not require accredited training and licenses. "Training in the larger forklifts requires a very confident operator. Yet, anyone with a heavy vehicle license can drive the Mobicon because it is that simple and safe. Drivers are trained by our own accredited driver trainer and staff can be trained on site, at any time, which has been ideal,' Mr Fishburn said.

The low centre of gravity makes the Mobicon extremely stable. There is no need to lift the container more than 300mm for travelling. The operator also has an excellent view of the operating area, as he does not have to look through the frame of the equipment as with a forklift.

The Mobicon system was designed by Mr Tom Schults, and is 100% Australian designed, owned and operated. Sadleirs Transport has one Mobicon in Victoria and one in Brisbane. The Mobicon replaced the capital investment of larger forklifts and heavy equipment in Sadleirs Transport unloading yards.