New high-rise log stacker for C3 at Port Chalmers

Forestry product handling company C3 Ltd has taken delivery of a brand of equipment that will be quite new to forestry operators in New Zealand- a Sennebogen 830M high stacker.

The new Sennebogen materials handling machine has joined the C3 fleet in Port Chalmers to continue the improvement of wharf storage utilisation.

The German designed and built Sennebogen machine has already established itself in the metal recycling industry across Australia and New Zealand. Worldwide the Sennebogen purpose-built materials handler has been utilised for many different applications including timber, green waste and port applications.

C3's machine, a 36-tonne Sennebogen 830M, is the first to be utlised in a port/logging application in New Zealand.

Northern Regional Manager - Forestry, Graham Wylie, says the 830 is a good fit within a lot of our yard operations, certainly the reach allows stacking over a row witout the main body of the machine not being too restrictive with access.

"And with recent OSH stipulations around safe height maximums when high-stacking, the Sennebogen offers our operations the flexibilty to achieve productivity and storage efficiency with optimum safety compliance."

The Sennebogen 830 is powered by a 151KW Cummins QSB6.7 - C203 engine and runs on a double-wheeled base. The cab rises to a height of 5.5 metres and the grapple can reach to over 17 metres. At its furthest reach it can still lift around 3-5 tonnes, but when the grapple is brought closer to the cab it lifts up to 11 tonnes. Around the yard the machine travels at speeds up to 20km/h.

The Sennebogen is a key addition of plant to Port Chalmers operation and Mr Wylie adds: "We like the fact that these are purpose-built materials handlers, built to a very high spec. The service ability is great pre-starts can all be done from the ground. We liked the Cummins engine, basic hydraulics and electrics package."

Pacific Materials Handling, the New Zealand and Australian dealer for Sennebogen supplied the first machine in the region in 2006 and there are now over 95 spread far and wide from locations such as Napier and Dunedin through to remote Australian locations including Port Headland, Gladstone, Mackay and Whyalla.

The Senenbogen Materials Handler is purpose-built for the job - the hydraulic elevating cabin is specifically designe for it, providing the operator with a safe and productive operating height. The machine is purely designed to lift and stack and is not a modified excavator.

From a service and maintenance viewpoint, all daily checks and routine servicing are able to be completed from ground level. The engine and cooling system is :in line" with the machine body, not mounted across the width of the machine.

In addition to Cummins engines, Sennebogen equipment uses Bosch Rexroth hydraulics and simple electronics, which have proven to be successful working in remote locations where finding a local service technician capable of working on it is much easier.

C3 says its aim is to support product innovation that creates greater efficiencies at port operations and the purchase of the Sennebogen 830M reflects C3's broader investment commitment to achieve this objective for its customers and other stakeholders in log exporting.