Telehandler trio ticks all the boxes

Frustrated by recurring problems with its existing telehandler fleet, waste management business Dunmow Group needed machines that were reliable, safe and productive. Liebherr ticked all the boxes...

Essex-based Dunmow is no stranger to Liebherr equipment having run materials handling machines for several years and when it needed to solve its telehandler problems it returned to the German manufacturer for assistance.

Site Manager Mark Folkes explained: ‘We had been running another manufacturer’s machines for several years and felt that the quality was deteriorating to the point where we were having issues on a weekly basis.’ Having experienced little downtime with previous Liebherr models, the company placed an order for a trio of new 7m machines. ‘They are running well and performing as we expect them to,’ said Folkes.

Formed in 1987 as a skip hire business, Dunmow operates at three locations handling a combined total of more than 300,000 tonnes a year with a recycling rate exceeding 90%. That performance has been achieved through heavy investment in upgrading facilities, processes and fleet; training and developing employees; and a programme of continual innovation to keep pace with changes to legislation and to meet customers’ expectations of how their waste and recyclables are managed.

Spending on static and mobile machinery has seen the arrival of a fleet of Liebherr material handling machines at the company’s Brightlingsea, Chelmsford and Clacton depots, including electric models at two of those locations.

Handling a wide variety of materials at Brightlingsea is primarily the responsibility of the three new T 55-7S telehandlers. With maximum 5.5 tonne lift capacity, all were kitted out to Liebherr’s waste handling specification including Camso semi-solid tyres, additional body protection, wide-core radiator and reversible fan. Standard features are FOPS protection to front screen, quick coupler, auto-lube and LED lighting. Dunmow’s machines have additionally been equipped with state-of-the-art fire suppression systems from its sister company, Fireward Automatic Fire Suppression.

Because the telehandlers are used for a variety of applications – such as moving material from processing plants to stockpiles and loading finished products into trucks – they are fitted with general-purpose buckets, one of which has a top clamp.

Operators at Brightlingsea are impressed by the cabs of their new machines, citing the exceptional visibility from the seat, the rear-view cameras that send images to the cab’s large colour screen and the wide-opening doors that allow easy and safe access. Automotive-style dashboards feature easy-to-read gauges while a multi-function joystick guides all loader controls and travel direction, meaning the operator can always have one hand on the steering wheel.

With performance and productivity living up to expectations, Dunmow has been similarly impressed by the newcomers’ frugal fuel consumption, averaging just 6.77 litres an hour. ‘We wanted a machine capable of doing the work, giving good availability, that is safe and still returns good fuel figures,’ said Folkes. ‘The Liebherr telehandlers do just that for us.’

Spec check

The T 55-7S is powered by a Liebherr Deutz TCD4.1 diesel engine delivering 156hp and driving a hydraulic system that uses a 200 litres per minute load-sensing pump to provide power for all functions including the hydrostatic drivetrain.

Providing stepless travel drive with a maximum 40kph speed, the hydrostatic transmission delivers sufficient speed across the ground alongside class-leading pushing power for a full bucket on each cycle. A further benefit of hydrostatic drive is a substantial reduction in brake use and wear.

Operators can choose from a variety of quick couplers for speedy changeover of tools and with a third hydraulic circuit and power outlet as standard, the machine is able to handle a wide range of powered attachments when required.