Yes we can!
Wed 4th Mar 2009
Dixon Brothers of Ireland, specialising in the hire of plant to the rail industry, has just purchased three Engcon EC-15 tilt rotators from Irish distributors KOREC, taking their fleet total to 16. The new tiltrotators will be fitted on two Atlas 1604 road railers and a Komatsu 138 road/rail excavator.
Since 1998, Dixon Bros has consistently expanded its fleet of specialist road rail excavators and in 2003 began equipping these with tiltrotators, contributing to their reputation for delivering a good job no matter how difficult or confined the site.
The Swedish manufactured tiltrotator works like a wrist connecting the excavator to a bucket or grab whilst an integrated control system offers unlimited rotation and tilting up to 40° in two directions. Widely accepted in the Scandinavian construction industry for many years, today almost no excavators or backhoe loaders under 30 tonnes are sold in Scandinavia without one.
"We tend to favour Atlas road rail excavators, and in particular the 1604K, on our fleet. But no matter which machine, when we fit a specialist piece of equipment like the Egncon EC-15 tiltrotator, that machine becomes more flexible, easier to use and takes the headache out of working in very confined areas," explains Dixon Bros Rail Services Manager, Leo Dixon. "We are currently working on the Kildare Route Project increasing the number of tracks from two to four along the route from Cherry Orchard to Hazelhatch and the tiltrotator means that we can deliver more to our client on every shift. When we excavate large track sections, we can achieve the final level by just setting the bucket and letting it run - the whole process has been speeded up, even when we are working in the tightest corners. In fact, thanks to the high level of manipulation that the tiltrotators are bringing to our machines, we're earning a reputation for achieving the unachievable. For difficult jobs, Dixon Bros is becoming the first port of call."
Leo Dixon also reports that machines fitted with tiltrotators are significantly safer on site. Not only do they need less room for manoeuvre, but the easy interchange of bucket and grabber mean that machines can also be used for manual handling tasks and site deliveries, providing more rigid and controlled handling of pieces of rail.
"Although 80% or our business is within the rail sector, the versatility that tiltrotators have brought to our machines means that we have expanded into new areas such as grading on golf courses. Using a low ground pressure Komatsu, the tiltrotator allows us to keep machine movement to a minimum and consequently restrict damage to surrounding ground." concludes Leo. "Of course back in 2003 when KOREC first introduced us to tiltrotators, we questioned the cost and the value that they could bring to our business. However, following a site demonstration, the benefits became obvious. Our operators were apprehensive at first but within a month were won over and wouldn't be without them now. They have been easy to maintain but if anything does breakdown, KOREC has quickly delivered a replacement and 90% of the time has the part in stock."
ENDS
Images: Dixon Bros Engcon Tiltrotator is perfect for tight corners
