CLYDEBANK Port Services Ltd has taken delivery of a new Bobcat S550 skid-steer loader with sweeper and bucket attachments for ship trimming work.
The machine, which is being used to help unload shipments of sand, limestone and cement, was despatched from the new MTS Group hire depot at Cumbernauld. MTS runs one of the largest fleets of Bobcat compact equipment for hire in the UK.
Douglas Anderson, the port manager said, “Bobcat skid-steer loaders are ideal for us. Due to their manoeuvrability, compact size and low weight compared to other machines, they can be lifted onto the ships at the dock and are ideal for collecting up the left over materials, to ensure we remove as much as possible. We are also able to make use of the sweeper to clear the docks both before and after the ships come in.”
When a ship docks at Clydebank, most of the unloading of materials in the hold is carried out by grab systems on the dockside. As the hold on the ship empties, there comes a point where the grab cannot pick up enough of the material, especially in the hard-to-reach sides and corners and this leaves a significant amount of material remaining in the hold. At this point, the Bobcat S550, which is equipped with an optional front door, is lowered by crane into the hold, where it first forms new mounds of material in the centre of the hold for the grab to extract and is then used to ensure that the hold is cleaned out as much as possible.
The S550 skid-steer loader has an operating weight of 2841 kg, a rated operating capacity of 894 kg and a tipping load of 1788 kg. The S550 also has a dump height with standard bucket of 2205 mm and a height to bucket hinge pin of 2908 mm. Enhanced performance results from the use of the Kubota V2607 diesel engine producing 45.5 kW of power at 2700 rpm.
