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Autumn 2023 issue 24 liftandhoistaustralasia.com

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CONTENTS

REGULARS

04 06 10 22 25

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EDITOR’S LETTER Future fuels. NEWS LiftEx Regional in Sydney; Combilift donates its 75,000th truck; Skyjack outlines global growth. LEEA An apprenticeship for the Australian lifting sector can contribute to fixing the skills mismatch. THE INSIDER Ashley Thacker encourages the industry to engage young people before it’s too late. DIRECTORY Visit www.liftandhoistaustralasia.com/directory to view company profiles online.

FEATURES

08 12 16 18 20 24

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IPAF Save the date for Asia Conference 2023; Verify PAL Cards and beat fraudsters. TECHNICAL FOCUS How much growth is there in the towable EWP market - Dan Jenkins reports. UNDER-THE-HOOK Modulift spreader beams in fire-truck lift plus new lifting beam developments.

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FORKLIFT TRUCKS TMHA helps keep logistics running smoothly; plus Yale’s operator assist system on more machines. SPECIALIST LIFTING Combination of marine engineering and lifting with the performance of hoses and fittings. FUTURE FOCUS JCB’s super-efficient hydrogen engine makes international debut.

ON THE COVER For enhanced safety, Yale’s advanced operator assist solution is now available on 13 more Yale lift truck models.

24 03

LEADER

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Editorial Maria Hadlow EDITORiAL DIRECTOR +61 (03)6387 7061 +44 (0)7703 856 473 Email: [email protected] Advertising Kate Hearn SALES & FINANCE DIRECTOR +61 (02)614522554 +44 (0)7941 494331 Email: [email protected] Guy Harris PUBLISHER +61 (02)86078000 +44 (0)7887 604 854 Email: [email protected] Davide Ferrati ACCOUNT MANAGER – ITALY Ad Communication +39 331 521 8050 Email: [email protected] Production & Design Steven Lillywhite CRE8 Design Studios Ltd Production [email protected] Circulation [email protected] Accounts [email protected] General Inquiries +44 (0)1273 915 076 [email protected]

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Future fuels In January last year, the on larger machines; it allows for fast Suiso Frontier, a cargo refuelling and is a mobile fuel vessel specially designed solution, allowing fuel to be taken to for the transportation of the machine.” liquid hydrogen, Hydrogen doesn’t have universal completed its first approval Elon Musk has been vocal voyage. It was carrying a about his stance on hydrogen fuel cargo of hydrogen - extracted cells: he doesn’t like them - even from brown coal fields in Latrobe calling them “fool sells” in a 2021 Valley Victoria, Australia - liquified by Tweet. Musk is said to favour cooling it to minus 253 degrees. ammonia has a future ‘mobile’ fuel. The backers of this innovative With the finance for the Latrobe project say they are creating the Valley blue hydrogen industry having world’s first zero emission energy been announced by the Japanese supply chain that will revolutionise the Government the project moves closer use of hydrogen in resource-starved to commercial reality and while countries like Japan. greeting the news as a promising Motohiko Nishimura, the opportunity, Innes Willox executive at Japan’s the chief executive of the Kawasaki Heavy national employer “Hydrogen also Industries association, Ai offers a potential overseeing the Group also has solution to the challenge project, has some concerns, of batteries on larger compared it to not least about machines; it allows for LNG (liquefied the emissions fast refuelling and is a natural gas), implications. mobile fuel solution, which was a “Maintenance allowing fuel to be “game changer” in of an average of at taken to the the energy world least 90% carbon half a century ago. capture and machine.” The extra expense of permanent sequestration LNG was worth the is central to the difference it made to air pollution environmental case for hydrogen in Japan and it is hoped that liquid made from brown coal. The national hydrogen could do the same to Safeguard Mechanism may have an counter carbon dioxide emissions. important role in establishing Hydrogen, as a power source is confidence that capture will be picking up traction in the lifting sustained. And given that Australia world. At ConExpo last month JCB will account internationally for all revealed its first hydrogen combustion uncaptured emissions, while three engine (see page 24). JCB chairman, quarters of the potential emissions Lord Anthony Bamford said, “The reductions enabled will take place in majority of alternative fuels require the Japan, there is scope for an agreement production of hydrogen to make, so it between the jurisdictions to align the makes perfect sense to use hydrogen in transfer of hydrogen with the transfer the first place because it is a clean of emissions for international zero-carbon fuel, which can be accounting purposes,” Willox says. produced from renewable energy. Maria Hadlow Hydrogen also offers a potential solution to the challenge of batteries Editor

Don’t leave it to chance! The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) is established across the world as the leading trade association for all those involved in the lifting industry. Trust the professionals, always insist on a LEEA member.

Lifting Equipment Engineers Association To find a LEEA member near you visit www.leeaint.com or email [email protected]

NEWS

TOP STORY

Stay ahead of the curve at LiftEx Regional in Sydney EVENTS LiftEx Regional takes place over two days on 24 - 25 May 2023, at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. The first ever event for LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) in the Australia and New Zealand region will provide an opportunity for professionals and enthusiasts to network, learn and discover new opportunities in the constantly evolving lifting industry. Featuring the latest thinking and expert speakers from local industry and abroad, the conference-led event, with a supporting exhibition, will examine the future by addressing complex issues relating to staffing, compliance and business practices. Charles Brass, a leading futurist in Australia, and a regular commentator on the future in print and on radio and TV, will deliver the keynote presentation. As the chairman of the Futures Foundation, the professional association for Australia’s practicing futurists, Brass is ideally placed to identify the forces and trends shaping Australia’s future. This will set the agenda for content on Day 1 of LiftEx Regional, which will focus on the future of lifting, examining how automation and technology will affect the industry, together with

acquiring and retaining the future workforce, and sustainability. ‘Smart’ embedded technologies help prevent accidents, optimise lift efficiency, and reduce unforeseen maintenance and service costs. Other advances include additive manufacturing, 3D printing, non-destructive testing, intelligent lifting devices feeding back real-time data to operators, as well as augmented and virtual reality as a genuine tool in our industry for training and inspections. How quickly we can expect to see these advanced technologies become mainstream will be addressed at the event, which will also ask questions such

as do we have the required workforce? And what does a lifting equipment testing, inspection and certification professional of 2030 or 2035 look like? On the evening of Day 1 there will be a networking drinks reception overlooking Darling Harbour for all attendees. Day 2, which is morning only, will focus on member-led content and important regional LEEA announcements, which will be first heard at the event. Registrations and further information are available at: liftex.org/ liftex-australia. LEEA members benefit from a discount to the delegate fee.

Combilift donates its 75,000th truck to international charity COMMUNITY Irish materials handling specialist, Combilift, has donated an Aisle Master articulated forklift - to Convoy of Hope, a non-profit humanitarian and disaster relief organisation. The truck is the 75,000th off the production line and the donation is part of Combilift’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Convoy of Hope works alongside communities and its wide network of volunteers aim to alleviate poverty and hunger and to bring help and hope wherever they are most needed in the world. As this type of aid is sadly always in demand, operational expansion has also seen a corresponding increase in the requirement for warehousing

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The 75,000 truck off the Combilift production line.

capacity to accommodate the vast volume of supplies that are stored and ready for delivery to areas in need. The World Distribution Center is based in Springfield, Missouri, USA, and from this location at the

“crossroads of America” truckloads of relief supplies and food are sent on their way across the USA and further afield around the globe. Combilift supplied its first Aisle Master for this site four years ago, and a further three units were delivered last year. Convoy of Hope’s senior director of distribution, Jeff Smethers, said, “A lot of our exponential growth has been down to the Aisle Masters as they enable us to get more loads in and out faster. “Thanks to Combilift’s free warehouse layout service and the Aisle Master’s narrow aisle capability we have achieved the best possible storage density and very efficient operation.”

Skyjack outlines global capacity increases at ConExpo EXPANSION At ConExpo, Skyjack outlined the larger programme of activities that have seen a global transformation of its manufacturing footprint in the last 12 months. This transformation is set to represent a potential global unit capacity increase of 235% globally when compared to today’s (2022) capacity and will take the number of manufacturing plants from two in Canada to five globally – with new facilities in China, Europe (Hungary) and Mexico. Skyjack president Ken McDougall said, “Prior to Covid we were pushing the boundaries at our Canadian plants to the extent that we had simply had no more space. Covid itself brought a new series of challenges that highlighted the need to revisit supply chain and logistics structures with a view to more localisation.” The initial phase of development has seen an increase in fabrication and vertical integration at the company’s Canadian plants. These changes will see a focus on the production of vertical masts, DC, and RT scissors, with telehandlers and booms moving to the new plant in Mexico. Skyjack will also develop the Canadian plants as an

innovation hub that will see an increased advanced engineering structure and the co-ordination of design and development activities across the company’s regional structure, now consisting of three regional business units: Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Earlier in 2022 Skyjack announced its intentions to open manufacturing facilities in China. This

greenfield facility developed with 400,000sqft. This plant’s production will focus on DC scissors and booms with output supplying to the Asia-Pacific and Australian regions. This new facility is scheduled to be in production in Q3 2023. “We have had our eye on the Chinese market for some time. The key to success here is the ability to commit to the region and in-turn that

project would consist of two phases. The first units came off the production line in September 2022, marking the completion of phase one which saw the use of a 35,000sqft facility utilised with the help of Skyjack’s parent company, Linamar. Their plant, located in Tianjin, initially focused on the company’s smaller DC scissors. Phase 2, which was launched with a groundbreaking ceremony in October 2022, will see a

means an in market manufacturing presence. We have been lucky enough to benefit from our parent company’s existing infrastructure in the short term and we are now focused on building up sales and distribution networks,” McDougall notes. 2022 also saw increased activity in Europe as Skyjack expanded in Oros, Hungary and January saw the first telehandler come off the production line of the new Skyjack Mexican plant.

BVS Cranes launching on stock market The Turkish leader in crane manufacturing, BVS Crane, has gone through an initial public offering (=IPO) in Borsa Istanbul. BVS Cranes was established in 1986 by Mech Eng Önder Bülbüloğlu and has been growing in size and turnover ever since, both at home and in international markets - with export going to 90 countries on six continents. The company is currently investing in a second, very large factory in Ankara. It is anticipated that FINANCE

the new facility will increase the capacity by 50%, employment by 30% and productivity of BVS allowing it to shorten delivery lead times further. In addition the company will be able to undertake even more large scale orders. By taking the company public BVS will be building on an already solid foundation and through the investment and will be able to offer existing and new customers more of the creative and reliable lifting solutions in which the company specialises.

IN BRIEF Manitou teams with Siemens Digital Industries Software Manitou Group has teamed up with Siemens Digital Industries Software to develop a global solution for managing the lifecycle of its products. As part of the Group’s digital transformation, the implementation of this tool aims to standardise its design processes. IPAF guidance on avoiding contact with power lines Comprehensive new guidance outlining key principles and ways to reduce risks when using mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) in the vicinity of power lines, with the aim of helping to reduce electrocution and electric shock incidents, was launched by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), as part of its High Voltage! targeted global safety campaign, at Conexpo in Las Vegas, US. Change in the supervisory board of Jungheinrich Changes have been made at the top level of the Jungheinrich AG supervisory board. The control committee has nominated Rolf Najork to succeed the outgoing chairman of the supervisory board, Hans-Georg Frey. In September 2022, Frey resigned as member and chairman of the supervisory board effective at the end of the Annual General Meeting on 11 May 2023. LEEA releases #GLAD2023 mission statement  The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association has revealed the 2023 mission statement. ‘We promote safe lifting, so we support GLAD’ is the rallying call for Global Lifting Awareness Day #GLAD2023 on 13 July.

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IPAF

Save the date for Asia Conference 2023 The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has announced that its annual Asia Conference & Showcase will be held in 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand, on 2-3 August. This year will see the second inperson Asia Conference since the pandemic, following a successful return in Singapore last July. The two-day event will consist of a full-day conference followed by a half-day site visit to a rental company in Thailand, and there will also be an equipment showcase and networking activities. At last year’s Asia Conference, emerging markets in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand were among the hot topics under discussion, prompting organisers to decide to host the event in Thailand for

the first time. Raymond Wat, IPAF’s South-East Asia regional general manager, says, “As is the case every year, the event will offer attendees a fresh insight into the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) industry across the wider Asia region. We hope attendees will be able to

join us in-person to meet and network with like-minded safety professionals. “We are very excited to be hosting this popular event in Thailand for the first time, and hope that travel restrictions that we know have hampered attendance for some over the past few years will have eased or been

removed completely; allowing us to maximise attendance by delegates from across the whole of Asia to hear about the latest safety and industry developments in the powered access field. “As with every IPAF conference event, our speakers will be sharing their knowledge and expertise in formal presentations and will also be participating in open discussion via an interactive question and answer session with the audience. Please save the date so you don’t miss out on this highly anticipated event – we look forward to seeing you there in August!” To register your interest in attending or exhibiting machines at the IPAF Asia Conference & Showcase 2023, please contact [email protected].

Verify PAL Cards to beat fraudsters IPAF is reminding end users to check the validity of all International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) Powered Access Licence (PAL) Cards for operators of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), mast-climbing work platforms (MCWPs) and construction hoists (CHs), in order to beat would-be fraudsters and help keep work sites safe. Giles Councell, IPAF’s director of operations, says, “IPAF is aware of increasingly sophisticated techniques deployed by those trying to circumvent the various measures we have in place that allow end users, supervisors and managers of powered access operations to verify the validity of the IPAF PAL Card. “We always work hard to respond quickly and effectively and to crack down on any instances of suspected fraud that is brought to our attention. However, in order to be reassured that workers presenting PAL Cards as certification of successful completion of an IPAF operator training course are

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genuine, and that the certification is valid and in-date, follow three quick and simple steps: “It is easy to check and IPAF PAL Card by visiting www.ipaf.org/checkpal – you must never use any other website, and you should ensure the webpage you click on does not redirect elsewhere and remains on the www.ipaf.org domain. “Alternatively, if the PAL Card is digital and stored in the user’s ePAL app, it is quick and easy for site supervisors, managers or any other authorised person to check the digital PAL Card’s validity by scanning the QR code generated in the app.

“Finally, if in doubt, please contact IPAF’s head office on +44 (0)15395 66700 and ask to speak to one of the team, who can quickly check that a PAL Card is the genuine article and can respond to any suspicion you may have of attempted fraud. “Ultimately, the most effective way to beat any would-be fraudster out there, and for operators to provide evidence of training certification digitally, is to use the ePAL app. “If you or a colleague are suspicious that the certification you are being shown is anything other than the genuine article, please contact IPAF without delay. “If you do come across any instance or attempt to circumvent the robust systems IPAF puts in place to prevent misuse of the PAL Card, or fraudulent activity of any kind in relation to IPAF and its training programme, please gather any evidence you can and contact IPAF immediately, in order for our team to investigate and respond.”

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LEEA TRAINING

Appreciating apprenticeships An apprenticeship for the Australian lifting sector can contribute to fixing the skills mismatch and, crucially, improve safe practice, says Justin Boehm, regional manager – Australia & New Zealand at the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA).

Australia is currently reporting its lowest unemployment rate in almost 40-years but it also has the second worst skills shortage among the world’s richest countries, creating a skills mismatch that means the country is said to require almost half a million workers in almost every industry. “Wherever you look, there are skills gaps, with the latest analysis showing 47% of trade and technician occupations are in shortage, up from 42% in 2021,” said Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon Brendan O’Connor MP, adding that the “staggering increase” in skills shortages was compounding economic challenges domestically. New Zealand has a similar unemployment rate and skills need. From March 2023, skilled crane operators will be among the roles added to its ‘Green List work to residence tier’, which has engineering and construction roles included on the existing list. When KMPG asked over 400 Australian business leaders recently about their top five issues for 2023, more than threequarters of respondents identified “talent acquisition, retention and re/upskilling to meet a more digitised future” as the number

one challenge facing them this year. Over 60% of respondents identified this as the key issue they need to address over the medium term (3-5 years). There was an acknowledgement of the need to implement actions to keep talented staff, and provide a work environment that fosters learning, development and growth. In 2023 employers will need to put more emphasis on developing their current workforce, offering regular training and certification programmes to re-skill or up-skill staff. As Brendan O’Connor points out, “by investing in skills, we can capitalise on the demonstrable connection between a trained and skilled workforce and a more productive economy.” Contributing to this aim is an expansion in the number of occupations covered by the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List, from 77 to 111, as part of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System. This will increase the number of occupations eligible for

It is important that, as a sector, we drive the type of apprenticeship that we need, and train people with the skills required by our forwardlooking lifting Industry. 10

additional support, including up to $5,000 in direct payments to apprentices, and a wage subsidy of up to Au$15,000 for employers. The Australian lifting industry strongly appreciates the need to open up more opportunities for apprentices and traineeships, giving people on-the-job work experience. Growth in the lifting industry can only happen if there is a supply of skills into the sector – and the right kind of skills. It is important that, as a sector, we drive the type of apprenticeship that we need, and train people with the skills required by our forward-looking lifting Industry. That is why LEEA’s Regional Council in Australia and New Zealand, is working on bringing to our market a solution to boost skills in the Lifting Equipment Industry. Promoting the Lifting Sector as a career option for young people is a key goal for LEEA. By creating learning pathways in close partnership with employers in the lifting industry we can ensure it is built around the high demand for recruits in the sector and embraces not only task-specific skills, but also a broader knowledge of engineering, business and other fields, as well as the ‘softer’ employability skills around such things as values, teamwork and communication. The LEEA Regional Council has worked incredibly hard to have this programme of work completed and we’re looking forward to making a big announcement at our LiftEx Regional event on the 24th and 25th of May at the Sydney Maritime Museum. This is going to be a brilliant event, focusing on how the Lifting Industry can meet the challenges of the next 10-20 years. Skills is a big part of that challenge and this event will focus our attention on the best ways we can overcome it. Watch this space for further news on our big event coming to Sydney.

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TECHNICAL FOCUS EWP

Access Sales & Spares provides quality service for Dinolift users in Australia.

Comet’s two models in the X Trailer range offer 12 and 14m working heights.

How far can “Tow n Go” grow? Towable EWPs have been a key part of the Australian market for decades and their use is still growing in other Asian markets. But how much more can sales grow? Dan Jenkins finds out. When exploring the towable booms market in this region, you have to start with Australia as it is by far the most mature. However, trailer-mounted booms are increasingly facing competition from tracked booms, also known as spider lifts. One of the manufacturers selling towable booms here is Snorkel, via Ahern Australia. “Demand for trailer-mounted boom lifts remains constant,” says Snorkel’s CEO, Matthew Elvin. “However, with an increasing range of alternative boom lift options — such as spider lifts which can be moved on a plant trailer — the opportunity for growth is limited. “Within the Australian market, towable boom lifts are a well-established niche product that continues to add value to end users and rental company fleets for those seeking a boom lift to conduct maintenance works without the additional costs of machine delivery.” Partnership approach Snorkel is not alone in selling through a distributor in Australia and New Zealand.

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Finnish manufacturer Dinolift also takes this partnership approach, working with Victoriabased Access Sales & Spares. “We see Australia as one of the most important areas for us both now and in the future,” says Ville Inkilä, commercial manager for Dinolift. “We see still a great potential for our high-quality products there and we are going to grow our market share in upcoming years. “It is important for us as a manufacturer to create strong companionship with a local company that has strong understanding of access products and business. We also want them to provide service that meets our quality standards. So we are happy that we have been able to co-operate with Access Sales & Spares for over five years already.” Italian producer Comet Officine SPA has made inroads into Australia, selling to United Equipment, and is now looking for a distribution partner. Gabriele Valli, sales director of Comet Officine, says, “Over the last years we have sold several trailer platforms - X Trailer 12

Towable boom lifts are a well-established niche product that continues to add value to end users.

and 14 - in Australia. Most of these went to a rental company that used them primarily for their fleet. “In Australia and New Zealand, towable booms are certainly interesting products that continue to give satisfaction in sales. According to my opinion, the numbers in the market are stable but not decreasing. These are certainly ‘the platforms of the weekend’ as they are used very often during the weekend by hobbyists who do small jobs in the home and very often rented during the weekend. This type of equipment is simple to use and there is not too much electronics.” “At present we do not have a dealer who sells them and are looking for one. People like the product but we need someone who believes in it and knows how to appreciate the characteristics and not just pay attention to the price. “The Australian market is strongly oriented towards trailer platforms but unfortunately, we have yet to find the right partner. Our equipment has a lot of potential, and we believe we could sell a lot of it. At the moment, our market is valid exclusively in rental. No one offers a product line like ours.” Comet offers two models in its X Trailer range, with 12 and 14m working heights. Both are articulated booms. “X Trailer is very compact and short compared to the competition which are long and stabilize in a larger area,” adds Valli. “Compared to competitors they are safer and more stable. And because they allow your team to move freely and access different tools, they help drive productivity and reduce the amount of time needed to complete essential tasks. “Our boom lifts have many benefits — they have a small footprint that’s great for job site maneuverability, and they’re capable of lifting to higher heights than other types of lifts.” New blood UK manufacturer Niftylift sells through Nifty Australia Pty, which is headed up by John King. He has recently strengthened his sales team with some faces that will be familiar to the EWP hire industry. “We have always been a relatively lean operation, but over the past year or so we’ve had to take on more people,” says King. “I feel like we’ve got the right people in place and that puts us in a strong position.” Richard Gannon joined in early 2022, having spent extensive periods at both Genie and Haulotte. He is covering Queensland and New South Wales for Nifty. “Richard has worked for a couple of manufacturers,” adds King. “He knew I was looking to grow the sales team and frankly he was the ideal man for the job. “He has got a great name in the industry

and that is incredibly important in our business. People need to trust what you say. I’ve worked hard to build trust and credibility in this industry and Richard has done the same. He has fitted in really well and he is really enjoying the role. He brings a lot of experience with him and we have drawn on that. He brought a few ideas to the table about how we could do things even better; we listened and have made those changes.” Ken Moore joined later the same year and is responsible for Victoria and New Zealand. “Ken has also fitted into the team really well and again brings absolutely bags of experience in the EWP industry. He’s got that same credibility which is vital as people buy from people in this business. You have to always be as good as your word. “Having these two guys onboard has been really refreshing and we needed to grow the team after the year we had in 2022. It was a pretty good year as whatever I had in stock we could move. 2023 is already looking like it will surpass 2022. The order book is already very strong.” Sustainability prioritized With the recent change in government came a renewed focus on the environment, which is welcomed by Nifty Australia. “We have had a change of government and they are proactively looking at environmental measures,” says King. “This fits very much with Nifty’s ethos as a green company, as we feel very strongly that we all want to be on the right side of history.” Nifty puts its money where its mouth is on this issue and is supporting the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary. “Nifty is a green, environmental company and that is important to us,” added King. “The situation with the koalas is, if we are not careful, we will lose them. The koala population is low and it needs to go on the endangered species list. “The bush fires here have been well documented, and they really impacted native wildlife like koalas. We wanted to do something, so we approached the Koala sanctuary in Port Stephen and chatted to them about it. A koala that is injured will go up a tree but trying to get them back out without an EWP is quite stressful for the animal. They basically used a long pole to kind of tap the koala out of the tree. “We had a 10-year-old, second-hand Nifty petrol/electric 120T that was traded in, so we decided to refurbish it and donate it to the sanctuary. It was stripped down in our workshop and some other companies donated their expertise free of charge, such as crack testing and repainting it. We fully rebuilt the machine and gave it to them. It did cost us a fair outlay, but we felt strongly that it was

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TECHNICAL FOCUS EWP

s

something we wanted to do.” Companies that helped out including Access Services Australia who helped with crack testing, EWP Sales and Spares who provided the paint job and Opalescent which supplied decals. Niftylift UK supplied replacement parts free of charge. The Nifty 120T is ideal for koala rescue as it is easy to transport and can operate quietly on electric power. It enables trained volunteers to pluck sick or injured animals from trees without adding unnecessary stress to the animals and will also be used for food collection and releasing koalas back into the wild. “When we went to hand over the machine, Channel Seven was there with a reporter which we weren’t expecting. It was great for the sanctuary as they got more publicity, and they need all the help they can get. But I ended up on the TV as part of it all, which was bit of a surprise for me.” In a gesture of thanks, the sanctuary also named a koala after the company. Nifty Latty gets the first part of her name from the trailermount that helped rescue her, while Latty denotes that she was found near the Latitude One retirement home. “She was very young when she was found, she was injured and possibly abandoned by the mother. So, she was all alone and in a

pretty bad way. However, she has recovered and has had several successful operations, but is still in the sanctuary.” The sanctuary is largely self-funding. so it relies on donations from the public. You can sponsor Nifty Latty for just $50 a year here: https://portstephenskoalas.com.au/ product/latty/. Strong demand The 120T remains Nifty’s best-selling trailer, followed by the slightly larger 150T. And while lead times did lengthen last year, they coming back down. “Our lead times were long but not astronomical like some,” says King. Supply is pretty good from the UK; lead times now are largely due to the fact that we are so busy.” Dinolift is supporting customers through its recently-launched MyDINO telematics platform. “This can also provide useful data from trailer-mounted lifts which are machines that do not utilise CAN bus systems,” says Inkilä. MyDINO is now a standard feature on the manufacturer’s 2023 models. It collects information from the machine and relays it through the cloud for fleet managers, service technicians and operators. “This information can be conveniently used for solving possible

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user related issues remotely,” adds Inkilä. “For example, improper setting of outriggers or over loading situations when weight in basket has been added at height.”

Niftylift donated a refurbished 120T to the Koala sanctuary for stree-free koala rescue.

Regional opportunities Towable EWPs have helped to develop new markets as their relative ease of use, low cost and ease of transport make them ideal for first-time buyers. While some Asian markets have already matured, towable booms are still attractive prospects for emerging markets in South-East Asia. “The Asian markets have certainly matured,” says Snorkel’s Elvin. “For the boom product category, self-propelled boom lifts are the main requirement nowadays. In developing markets within the Asia-Pacific region we sell the most towable booms in the Philippines due to its ideal price point and usefulness to end users in large industrial premises. “Towable boom lifts are still a niche product in the Asian region - excluding Australia and NZ - for the end user market, which prefers a lower-cost entry-level machine for certain usage such as periodical and ad hoc maintenance works in large end-user premises. “For high-frequency usage that calls for speed and productivity such as in the construction sector and for EWP rental

companies in Asia, self-propelled machines are the main requirement. As the adoption of EWP matures in the region going forward and with increasing presence and influence of rental companies with fleets of wide-ranging self-propelled machines, we believe there is limited growth for towable booms.” Snorkel has a strong dealer network in this region. “We currently have dealers in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We are open to work with prospective dealers in developing markets such as Brunei and Cambodia.” Comet Officine exports more tracked booms to Asia than towable booms. “I don’t see big sales in the Asia Pacific region apart Australia and New Zeland,” says Valli. “Rather we sell a lot of spider lifts.” Meanwhile, Dinolift is looking for more partners. “Towable booms are of course still the first type of access machines, and they provide us growth opportunities. But there is a great potential for our lightweight 4x4 and spider crawler in the area too,” says Inkilä. “We are actively scanning new areas and opportunities also in Asia-Pacific and we are ready to expand also to new countries as we find suitable company to co-operate with us as a distributor.”

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LIFTING BEAMS

Spreader beams lift fire truck in Tokyo Modulift spreader beams successfully lifted a 21t fire truck in Japan, which would later go on to serve at an airport on a nearby island. Japanese-based lifting gear company, Nakamura Industry Co Ltd and its customer have successfully lifted a 21t fire truck using Modulift spreader beams from a port in Tokyo to a nearby island. Below-the-hook, Nakamura’s customer employed three Modulift spreader beams; one MOD 34 at a span of 6.5m attached using wire rope slings to the crane hook, and two MOD 24 spreader beams rigged underneath at 3.5m. The spreader beams formed a one-over-two configuration, providing four lifting points over the wheels. The bottom two spreader beams had chain block hoists attached to drop links at the end of each beam, capturing the centre of gravity. The hoists attached to specially designed webbing slings underneath the wheels, allowing it to be safely lifted on and off the vessel to be transported. The spreader beams were disassembled and the same configuration used to unload the vehicle at its destination, where it will now serve the local airport. As part of the operation, Nakamura’s customer used a crane owned by shipping company Tokai Kisen Co Ltd to lift the

Three spreader beams form a one-over-two configuration.

21t Oshkosh-made chemical fire truck. The truck was shipped to the neighbouring island of Hachijojima which lies 287km south of Tokyo in the Pacific Ocean. Osaka-based business Nakamura

Industry Co Ltd is a distributor of Modulift spreader beams and holds stock from 6t to 100t for fast delivery. It also supplies a variety of products from wire rope and synthetic slings to hooks and shackles.

The Multi-Point all-in-one lifting beam Modulift has launched the Multi-Point, a strong, versatile lifting system designed to save rigging time and maximise use across multiple lifting applications. Designed and engineered for use as a semi-spreader or a lifting beam and also suitable for tandem lift operations, Multi-Point gives users the power to lift across multiple points at varied spans, with strength and reliability. Designed using the latest 3D linear analysis, and manufactured to BSEN 13155, the Multi-Point has safety and practicality at the forefront of its design. Engineered for any lift, anywhere in the world, multiple connection points on the top and bottom provide high levels of flexibility for the beam to adapt to many situations.

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Featuring an adaptable and versatile modular design, the Multi-Point is portable, robust and can be reused for hundreds of lifts. With easily detachable components, the beam lifts at spans from 3 to 12m, with a lifting capacity from 12t up to 600t. Simply unbolt the sections to lengthen or shorten the Multi-Point and change the rigging set-up. Featuring an optional 360deg swivel hook and extended support stands, the

Multi-Point can easily be used for tandem lifts with two cranes when there is only one lower lifting point required and rotation of the load is critical. The Multi-Point Beam can also be used as a semi-spreader to give a more balanced lift, or as a lifting beam when headroom is restricted.

The Multi-Point with optional swivel hook and extended support stands.

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FORKLIFT TRUCKS

Border control Toyota Material Handling is helping Border Express keep its operations running smoothly and efficiently. Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) has helped an Australian-owned transport company avoid logistical difficulties, providing support and equipment when it was most needed. After putting out a new business tender, Border Express settled on TMHA due to the performance of its Toyota forklifts and its broad network of aftersales support. Border Express’ national procurement manager, Alec Trikash, says there were multiple factors that saw TMHA come out on top ahead of six other offerings. “TMHA was selected as the successful tenderer based on a number of factors including reputation, the value proposition that was offered, the network that TMHA has where it’s primarily TMHA staff instead of agents particularly in regional areas. Those were the three primary factors - and the quality of the equipment,” Trikash says. Having such a diverse geographical reach via their direct branch network, the extensive scope of TMHA’s network and the expertise of its service technicians was an important factor in Border Express’ decision to partner with Toyota. “The feedback has been that the service technicians are very responsible and knowledgeable,” Trikash says. “So positive feedback all round regarding TMHA from both the operators and operation management sides.” With 18 branches across the country, Border Express requires a large fleet of machines, with approximately 215 total units needed consisting of gas forklifts, electric pallet jacks and reach trucks. Due to the current global supply chain issues, replacing Border Express’ 215-strong fleet was always going to be a tough ask, however TMHA “bent over backwards” to make the change work. “Despite the global supply chain issues initially delaying delivery, TMHA senior management stepped in to support Border Express and since then they’ve been fantastic

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in supporting us. Pulling out all the stops in terms of new equipment, sourcing short-term hire equipment and even additional equipment through a sub hire arrangement,” Trikash says. Since switching fleets to TMHA, Broder Express’ forklift operators have praised their new Toyota forklifts, with Toyota’s System of Active Stability (SAS) being a particular standout. “It’s been noted - the equipment has received positive feedback from the operators,” Trikash says. “There were some adjustments that needed to be made to the equipment and Toyota were very quick and responsive in delivering that, so very happy.” Developing strong relationships is a key facet of the way Border Express does its business, and TMHA general manager of corporate accounts, Steve Hopkins, says the two companies came together in trying times to achieve the best outcome. “Border Express is driven by having genuine relationships, it’s not just something they pay lip service to,” Hopkins says. “Making an assessment of the marketplace, they viewed TMHA as the most suitable to partner with based on our fundamental values. “Given that supply chains have been challenged across the world, we’ve worked in unison with Border Express to ensure that any operational distress this could have caused them has been eliminated.”

ABOVE: Toyota Material Handling Australia vice president and COO, Cameron Paxton; Border Express CEO David Charlesworth and Toyota Material Handling Australia general manager - corporate accounts, Steve Hopkins.

Toyota’s I Site Fleet Management System has also unlocked further efficiencies for Border Express, allowing the company to analyse the way forklift operators work and where improvements can be made. Trikash says, “The forklifts are fabulous, the fleet management system is excellent and we’ve been getting some great data captured that we can sync back through to our operators to train and help change some of the behaviours, so in that regard the fleet management system has been second to none.” Since moving to THMA, Trikash has found the products, service and value has improved for Border Express, and would happily recommend Toyota to others in the industry. “Certainly in terms of the level of service, especially the service technicians, they’re very good. Also the account managers in each state have really been working well with our operations.” “They’ve been really proactive and have gone above and beyond in terms of the training, inductions, the equipment, and helping us out with things like the pre-delivery reports. We’re very delighted in terms of the overall value proposition.” Border Express was Toyota forklifts at founded over 40 years Border Express in ago by the Luff family, Wetherill Park NSW. and is 100% family owned with the third generation of the family now in the business. It offers parcel and bulk freight services to B2B and B2C customers across the country with a particularly strong regional presence, and employs over 1500 staff throughout Australia.

FORKLIFT TRUCKS

PRODUCT FOCUS

Yale Reliant available on more models Yale’s advanced operator assist solution is now available on 13 additional Yale lift truck models and visitors to ProMat in Chicago, USA were the first to see the expanded availability of Yale Reliant. The company’s electric counterbalanced trucks in the 3000-12,000lb capacity ranges and the company’s very narrow aisle (VNA) turret truck and enclosed end rider join the five other core warehouse models available with the operator assistance technology, which first launched in 2021 as a ‘first-ofits-kind’ solution. The Yale Reliant solution uses multiple detection technologies to monitor the surrounding environment and the status of the lift truck and load. Where other approaches provide audible alerts, which can get lost in the din of a busy warehouse environment, Yale Reliant automatically adjusts lift truck performance so that operators are alerted by feeling the truck respond, helping reinforce best practices to support truck stability. The system constantly monitors truck and load status to prioritise stability as it implements hydraulic and traction controls. In practice, Yale

Reliant can provide warnings and assist with operator awareness by proactively reducing truck speed if it detects something in the monitored area, such as obstacles, other trucks or pedestrians. “With OSHA estimating that nearly 100,000 injuries involving forklifts occur annually, warehouses are constantly looking for tools that can help support safety efforts for all types of lift truck equipment, from order pickers and reach trucks to end riders and counterbalanced trucks,” says Nic Temple, director of technology solutions at Yale. “But while we’re already breaking new ground with expanded availability on a broader range of lift truck types, operator

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assist systems are still a relatively new entry to the market. Trade shows like ProMat are the first opportunity for many in the industry to see this technology and its practical application.” The ProMat booth focuses on detection technologies and advanced truck stability. The detection technologies demonstration shows how Yale Reliant helps operators detect obstacles and implements performance triggers to slow down the truck, providing operators with additional time to brake or steer away. The advanced truck stability demonstration shows how the system implements hydraulic and traction controls to help maintain stability, based on continuous monitoring of truck and load status. “The booth demonstration is truly representative of real-world capability, not a half-baked solution with narrow capabilities and a limited track record,” says Temple. “We have over 2500 units commercially deployed with this technology, and our detection and automated performance control capabilities prove themselves every day in real-world warehouse environments.”

SITE REPORT

SPECIALIST LIFTING

Mussel power McMullen & Wing’s masterpiece of marine engineering and lifting is entrusted to the safety and performance of Hydraulink hoses and fittings. The aquaculture vessel Pakihi Kura was built for Whakatōhea Mussels by McMullen & Wing drawing on the boat yard’s more than 55 years’ experience of building and servicing commercial vessels and yachts for both the domestic and international markets. The vessel design was a collaborative effort between Oceantech Design, which provided the preliminary design including styling, naval architecture, geometry, structural, stability and performance calculations, and McMullen & Wing, who took the preliminary design and developed the workshop drawings required to execute the build. The single-screw vessel, constructed from marine grade aluminium, has the capacity to carry up to 105t of product on deck, while maintaining a service speed of 10-12 knots thanks to the 969kW Caterpillar C32 main engine. Additionally, a 280kW Caterpillar C9.3 auxiliary engine powers the extensive hydraulic systems. “One of the key factors in choosing McMullen & Wing was the ability to design our vessel with features to meet the unique and challenging operating conditions experienced in our region,” said Peter Vitasovich, chief executive of Whakatōhea Mussels. “This was critical to ensuring a strong partnership in both the design and build of our new vessel.” The company’s 3800ha offshore farm lies 5km off the coast of Opōtiki and is capable of producing 20,000t of mussels annually – one fifth of the current total New Zealand industry production. During storm conditions, the richly productive area has measured peak wave heights of over 15m, with average wave heights over 9m for extended periods. America’s Cup Expertise Hydraulink area manager, Craig Jenkins, says, “The safety and comfort of the crew were a priority consideration for McMullen & Wing, who were ideally equipped to answer the challenge with their history of building seagoing super yachts and extremely hardy work boats.” McMullen & Wing’s marine expertise was

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complemented by its partner Hydraulink’s own expertise as the supplier of hydraulic hoses and fittings for the ultra-fast 2021 America’s Cup challenge in which all competitors, including the winning Emirates Team New Zealand, used a hydraulically actuated foil cant system to raise boats clear of the waves as the 6-7t AC75 yachts hit top speeds between 40 and 50 knots depending on conditions in the Hauraki Gulf. “A top-class hydraulic system is critical to the operation and safety of any mussel farming vessel – and McMullen & Wing’s hydraulic fit out for Pakihi Kura is a masterpiece,” says Jenkins. “They mapped out the working spaces beautifully to provide easy and swift access for hydraulic installations and service to ensure

The Palfinger folding crane for the Pakihi Kura has a maximum outreach of 16m enabling it to reach anywhere on the vessel.

optimum safety and reliability for the many hydraulic systems on which the vessel depends. Their forethought will pay dividends in terms of system uptime, reliability and safety over years and years to come.” McMullen & Wing technical manager, Jeff Porter, says the collaborative hydraulic system design by Dana Brevini and McMullen & Wing builds on the successful features of another vessel in Whakatōhea Mussels’ fleet, Kukutai, and results in functionality tailor-made for a challenging environment. “It is a unique design with features that are particularly suited to work boats in many marine environments, including marine transportation, fishing, energy exploration, and other tasks where seaworthiness, manoeuvrability and lifting, loading, and unloading capability are at a premium.” The vessel’s main deck features a large crane mounted on a fabricated aluminium plinth along with four davits used for handling the mussel lines, plus a line tensioning winch and the mussel harvesting equipment. The Palfinger PK33002 (M) E folding crane has a maximum outreach of 16m, enabling it to reach anywhere on the vessel. It has a lift capacity of 2000kg at 9.5m, enabling the crew to offload two 1 cubic metre bulk bags of mussels at a time on to the dock. The crane features continuous slewing, without any blind spots, so it can be centrally located, adding flexibility to crane operations. The crane is fitted with Palfinger’s electric control system (ECS) featuring electrically operated emergency cutoff and electro hydraulic overload. The crane base is also notably different from those fabricated from light plate with extensive stiffening that may be prone to cracking under repetitive high loads. McMullen & Wing engineered a monocoque structure from heavy plate with minimal

A new 30m mussel harvesting vessel purpose-built by McMullen & Wing to withstand the most challenging sea conditions encountered in New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty has entered service equipped with Hydraulink hose and fitting kits for optimum safety and reliability.

stiffening, to reduce stress concentrations and to distribute load from the top plate through the sides and into the deck insert plate and the foundations beneath. The vessel’s davits were engineered using McMullen & Wing’s experience with mussel industry vessels, this being the sixth set they have built since developing the first set for Kukutai in 2018. The single-post davits are fitted with double sliding arms and winches, each combination rated at 1500kg SWL Dana Brevini supply the braked planetary winch drives and directional control valves for the davits while custom hydraulic cylinders for the marine environment are supplied by Victor Hydraulics. Hydraulink hose and fitting kits are used throughout, with all details maintained on file for easy replacement as needed to optimise safety and in-service reliability. Orderly and A mussel harvesting accessible equipment package Hydraulink hosing from Ansco Engineering installations includes a powered throughout the walking wheel and two vessel have idler wheel assemblies details maintained mounted on the davits, a on file for easy powered infeed conveyor replacement for recessed flush with the safety and inhull side to help bring the service reliability.

mussels aboard, a rope washer, a declumper/ washer unit, a size grader along with a series of conveyors that link the equipment together. A standalone mussel seeding machine is also stored on deck and can be shifted in and out of position at the forward end of the main deck using the Palfinger crane. Hydraulink quick-release hydraulic couplings as well as waterproof electrical connectors are located conveniently nearby. The auxiliary engine pump drive powers five hydraulic pumps supplying four circuits – the deck gear, the deck crane, the bow thruster and windlass, and the seawater pumps. Load-sensing technology is used on two of the circuits to maximise energy efficiency. The vessel’s hydraulic tank stores 2250 litres, while the circuit volume is close to 3000 litres once keel-cooling and pipe circuits are included. To minimise structure-borne noise and vibration, all piping and tubing is supported in rubber-lined split clamps with secondary isolation on dual-compression mobile isolators. Bulkhead penetrations also avoid direct contact between piping and structure. “Everything about the Pakihi Kura displays quality, durability and outstanding design for trouble-free service,” says Craig Jenkins. “She is pure class.”

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THE INSIDER ASHLEY THACKER

Running out of time We must raise awareness of our industry among younger people—before it’s too late, says Ashley Thacker of Ranger Lifting.

L

ater this year - on 13 July - we’ll celebrate the fourth Global Lifting Awareness Day, where the rallying call will be: ‘We promote safe lifting, so we support GLAD’. It’s a worthy cause, and my company will be giving it our full support. However, while this is a meaningful focal point for our efforts, we should be promoting our industry every day, especially to young people. #GLAD2023, as it will be recognised on social media, will be powered by the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) and its CEO, Ross Moloney, reiterated recently that fighting

gravity is inherently dangerous and getting it wrong can lead to accident, injury, and even fatality. As everyone already involved in lifting knows, that makes it an extremely important, challenging, and rewarding sector. We must tell young people about it and explain why it would be a great industry to work in. Industry stakeholders have been unanimous in agreement for a long time that we need to do a better job of attracting young people into lifting careers, and some progress is being made, but we still have a long way to go. It’s like climate change: only when it seems like we’ve left it too late and our very existence is under

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ashley Thacker is general manager at Ranger Lifting, a specialist in the supply, inspection, and re-certification of lifting, rigging, and height safety equipment. Ranger became Australia’s first full member of the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) in 2011 and is also National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited with branches in Sydney and Melbourne, and plans for more in the pipeline. Ashley is a lifting equipment expert

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with great passion for the industry, where he has worked for 18 years. He is determined to positively impact the way new technologies and components are used globally to lift materials and people. He was the youngest ever board member of LEEA and serves on Australian Standards (AS) Committee ME-025 Lifting Tackle. He has completed extensive industry training courses, including LEEA Lifting Equipment General Advanced Diploma, Lifting Machines Manual Advanced Diploma, and Lifting

Machines Power Advanced Diploma. He is an Advanced Rigger, Licensed Dogman (slinger), and has completed various lifting, working at height, and height safety courses conducted by the world’s leading authorities and manufacturers. Ashley has an Executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wollongong. If you need any advice regarding lifting, rigging or height safety applications, Ashley is contactable by email: [email protected].

RAISING AWARENESS A rising tide lifts all boats, so we all have a responsibility to promote our industry, not just our companies. Like #GLAD2023, it’s about elevating an entire sector, not individual brands. That means we must use our personal standings and the power of our businesses to create and direct people to content that educates, entertains, and inspires. We mustn’t try to use the momentum building behind our sector selfishly. Don’t give in to temptation to post self-serving, commercial social media posts to drive traffic to a sales brochure. Not only is this not interesting, especially to newcomers to a sector but, worse, it’ll turn them off. Here are good and bad examples of tweets that I’ve seen recently, but paraphrased: Good: Here’s our team on top of a tower crane they’ve just inspected. Do you have a head for heights and relish a challenge? Bad: We’re the leading lifting and

threat, are many people sparked into action. As Generation Alpha succeeds Generation Z, the sand in the hourglass is running out; we have to preserve the future of our industry. Part of the problem is that the sector is apologetic more than it is proud. Ask senior professionals why they work with cranes, hoists, or rigging gear and they’ll likely say it was a stopgap or they stumbled upon an opportunity by accident. Others follow parents and grandfathers into it. Regardless, nearly everyone stays. They might move from one company to another but very few arrive at the conclusion that lifting isn’t for them. That’s further testament to the important, challenging, and rewarding work we do. We’ve got to get better at celebrating it. High-tech industry One of the things that irritates me about our failure to sell our industry to young people, is that we don’t promote it as a technologically advanced marketplace. I understand why someone with a talent for engineering might look to aerospace or motorsport as a dream career path, because they’ve grown up looking in awe at planes, rockets and fast cars. But there’s a lot more to lifting than sitting at the controls of a crane or attaching a sling to a load, even if that’s an important part of it. We’re too shy to talk about the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and automation, which are all increasingly prevalent in our industry. I was having a conversation recently about sensors being placed on powertrain components, such as gearboxes, to actively monitor and predict when maintenance tasks need to be performed. This is as state-of-the-art and cutting edge as it gets. There’s a place in lifting for specialists in this field. Long gone are the days where someone would avoid lifting because they’d rather work with computers.

rigging equipment supplier. Here’s our latest catalogue. Can you see the difference? Imagine the impression each would make if the #GLAD2023 hashtag was added in a few months. Share other people’s content too - even competitors’. If a stakeholder has shared a helpful or fun image or video, give it a retweet, or point to it from another social media channel. This same collaborative spirit should be harnessed in the virtual and in-person events the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) is encouraging us to host as part of #GLAD2023. If we raise the profile of our industry, all our businesses will gain in the end. This doesn’t mean we stop marketing our own companies, but there’s a time and a place. Don’t waste this opportunity, especially given the importance of promoting our sector to the next generation, as discussed in the main article.

Aside from the technology, we’ve proven that our industry is largely recession and pandemic proof. How many sectors can say the same? Not a lot. Of course, we’re not immune to cyclical demand, material costs, and logistics issues, but we’re not alone there. Regardless of all this, things need to be safely lifted and moved. If you stop lifting, you stop the world moving, and nobody wants to do that. That’s without referencing the huge job variation we enjoy that can throw fresh challenges even at someone that’s been working in the industry for 40 years. On any given day, we have employees working hundreds of metres in the air, just as far underground, offshore, and everywhere in between. We can be involved in providing products and expertise for tunnels, super sewers, highrise buildings, petrochemical facilities, and food production plants. And that’s just on Mondays. Lifting radius It’s true that younger people are often more impressionable than those that have been walking the earth for a long time. Anyone of any age can have stubborn characteristics, but children especially tend to be more sponge-like. That’s why, despite the necessity to address Generations Alpha and Z, we’ve got to keep the messaging broad enough that the people they look to and listen to have the tools they need to promote our work. In other words, we can’t build our future only with Lego bricks. Parents, teachers, lecturers, even sports coaches, need to understand that by introducing their children, students, cohorts and players to lifting, they’re pointing them towards an important, challenging, and rewarding sector that can see them earn a good standard of living for another 50 years. There’s certainly not going to be a solution to gravity any time soon.

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PRODUCT FOCUS TECHNOLOGY FUTURES

JCB’s hydrogen world first makes international debut JCB’s £100 million project to produce super-efficient hydrogen engines was given its international debut at ConExpo held in March in Las Vegas. A team of 150 engineers is working on the pioneering initiative to develop hydrogen combustion engines — more than 50 prototypes have already been manufactured at JCB’s UK engine plant. On 14 March the wraps came off the brandnew JCB hydrogen combustion engine. JCB chairman Anthony Bamford is leading the project to develop JCB’s hydrogen technology. Lord Bamford said, “The JCB engineering team has made enormous strides in a short space of time to develop a hydrogen internal combustion engine. As the first construction equipment company to develop a fully working combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen, I’m delighted we are now able to present this technology on the international stage.” Prototype JCB hydrogen engines are already powering backhoe loader and Loadall telescopic handler machines. JCB has also made a major breakthrough in proving the wider appeal of hydrogen combustion technology by installing one of the super-efficient hydrogen engines into a 7.5-ton Mercedes truck, a retrofit, which was completed in just days. JCB has also unveiled its very own designed-and-built mobile refueller to take the fuel to the machines. The unit has enough hydrogen gas to fill 16 hydrogen backhoe loaders and can be transported either on the back of a modified JCB Fastrac tractor or on a trailer. Lord Bamford said, “The JCB engineering team has gone back to first principles to completely re-design the combustion process to work for hydrogen. In doing so, they have achieved two major things: secured JCB’s place in history as the first construction equipment company to develop a fully working combustion engine fuelled by hydrogen and steered us toward the production of a landmark 50 hydrogen combustion engines.” JCB has been at the forefront of electric technology development to meet customers’ demands for zero-carbon products. While battery electric is suitable for smaller machines which do fewer hours and typically use less fuel, larger machines have a higher energy

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requirement. This would result in larger batteries which would take longer to charge, making them less suitable for machines that work multiple daily shifts and do not have the available downtime to recharge. As a result, JCB has concentrated its development of electric machines on its compact range, including the 525-60E Loadall telehandler and the 19C-1E mini excavator— the world’s first electric mini excavator. As the company examines future fuels which deliver zero emissions, it has left no stone unturned. In its search for a mobile fuel which can be taken to the machine, ensuring maximum uptime and fast refuelling, HVO, biogas, E-fuels, ammonia and hydrogen have all come under the microscope. Interestingly, JCB engines have been approved for use with HVO since Tier 4i engine legislation came into force. Lord Bamford said, “The majority of these alternative fuels require the production of hydrogen to make, so it makes perfect sense to use hydrogen in the first place because it is a clean zero-carbon fuel which can be produced from renewable energy. Hydrogen also offers a potential solution to the challenge of batteries on larger machines; it allows for fast refuelling and is a mobile fuel solution, allowing fuel to be

taken to the machine.” As part of its hydrogen development, JCB also investigated its use in fuel cells, and in July 2020, unveiled the construction industry’s first-ever hydrogen-powered excavator, a 20-ton 220X. For the time being, JCB has come to the conclusion that fuel cells are too expensive, too complicated and not robust enough for construction and agricultural equipment. In challenging the JCB engineering team to think differently using technology that is around us in a zero-carbon way, the JCB hydrogen engine was born. Lord Bamford said, “The unique combustion properties of hydrogen enable the hydrogen engine to deliver the same power, torque and efficiency that powers JCB machines today, but in a zero-carbon way. Hydrogen combustion engines also offer other significant benefits. By leveraging diesel engine technology and components, they do not require rare earth elements and critically, combustion technology is already well proven on construction and agricultural equipment. It is a technology which is cost-effective, robust, reliable and well-known throughout not just the construction and agricultural industry, but the whole world.”

Visit www.liftandhoistaustralasia.com/directory to view company profiles online

ACCESS – ARTICULATING BOOMS

Ahern Australia Pty t +61 2 9609 8500 e [email protected] w www.ahernaustralia.com.au

Skyjack t +61 2 9854 0700 e [email protected] w www.skyjack.com/en-au ACCESS – SCISSOR LIFTS

Ahern Australia Pty t +61 2 9609 8500 e [email protected] w www.ahernaustralia.com.au

Skyjack t +61 2 9854 0700 e [email protected] w www.skyjack.com/en-au ACCESS – TELESCOPIC BOOMS

Ahern Australia Pty t +61 2 9609 8500 e [email protected] w www.ahernaustralia.com.au

Skyjack t +61 2 9854 0700 e [email protected] w www.skyjack.com/en-au ACCESS: TRUCK MOUNTED LIFTS

CMC Lift t +39 080 532 6606 e [email protected] w www.cmclift.com ACCESS – VERTICAL MASTS

Ahern Australia Pty

DIRECTORY

t +61 2 9609 8500 e [email protected] w www.ahernaustralia.com.au

Skyjack t +61 2 9854 0700 e [email protected] w www.skyjack.com/en-au

Ranger – Lifting Rigging Safety (Vic) t +61 3 8317 9940 e [email protected] w www.ranger.com.au

AIR HOISTS

Dynamic Rigging Hire t +61 3 8360 8910 e [email protected] w www.dynamicrigginghire.com.au

Lifting Gear Hire & Sales t +61 4 2292 1728 e [email protected] w www.liftinggearhire.com.au

Pacific Hoists PTY LTD t +61 (0) 2 8825 6900 e [email protected] w www.pacifichoists.com.au

Winch Hire Australia t (07) 3376 2888 e [email protected] w www.winchhire.com.au CHAIN BLOCKS

Ranger – Lifting Rigging Safety (NSW) t +61 2 9679 9944 e [email protected] w www.ranger.com.au

Elevate Lifting and Rigging t +61 4 1237 3798 e [email protected] w www.elevatelifting.com.au

Lifting Victoria t +61 3 5229 9508 e [email protected] w www.liftingvictoria.com.au

CHAIN HOISTS

Allan Marketing Group t +61 394 667 840 e [email protected] w www.titanlifting.com

On Call Lifting t +61 2 4932 9979 e [email protected] w www.oncalllifting.com.au

The Rigging Shed t +61 8 9406 9999 e [email protected] w www.theriggingshed.com.au Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. t +61 1 300 792 464 e [email protected] w www.hesgroup.com.au

Schillings Hoisting Equipment t +61 8 8244 7611 e [email protected] w www.schillings.com.au CHAINS & FITTINGS

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. – OzBlok t +61 1 300 392 565 e [email protected] w www.ozblok.com.au

KITO PWB t +61 1300 792 262 w www.kitopwb.com.au CONDUCTOR SYSTEMS

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. t +61 1 300 792 464 e [email protected] w www.hesgroup.com.au

Schillings Hoisting Equipment t +61 8 8244 7611 e [email protected] w www.schillings.com.au CHAIN SLINGS

BY CARPEL SRL - ITALY t + 39 039 5320952 e [email protected] w www.bycarpel.it CUSTOM BUILT OVERHEAD CRANES AND HOISTS

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. – OzBlok t +61 1 300 392 565 e [email protected] w www.ozblok.com.au

All-Rig Lifting & Engineering Supplies Pty Ltd. t +61 7 4774 5508 e [email protected] w www.allrig.com.au

Combilift t +61 423 614 123 e [email protected] w www.combilift.com

25

DIRECTORY

Visit www.liftandhoistaustralasia.com/directory to view company profiles online

ELECTRIC CHAIN HOISTS

HOISTS

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. t +61 1 300 792 464 e [email protected] w www.hesgroup.com.au

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. t +61 1 300 792 464 e [email protected] w www.hesgroup.com.au

Pacific Hoists PTY LTD t +61 (0) 2 8825 6900 e [email protected] w www.pacifichoists.com.au

Pacific Hoists PTY LTD t +61 (0) 2 8825 6900 e [email protected] w www.pacifichoists.com.au

e [email protected] w www.titanlifting.com

All-Rig Lifting & Engineering Supplies Pty Ltd. t +61 7 4774 5508 e [email protected] w www.allrig.com.au

Andromeda Industries t +61 2 6760 3773 e [email protected] w www.andromedaindustries.com.au

ELECTRIC CRANES

JMG Cranes S.P.A t +39 0372 178 6738 e [email protected] w www.jmgcranes.com FESTOON SYSTEMS

BY CARPEL SRL - ITALY t + 39 039 5320952 e [email protected] w www.bycarpel.it FORKLIFTS

KITO PWB t +61 1300 792 262 w www.kitopwb.com.au HOSE AND CABLE REELS

CMC Lift t +39 080 532 6606 e [email protected] w www.cmclift.com

Demac S.r.l. t +39.02.9784488 e [email protected] w www.demac.it

Dynamic Rigging Hire t +61 3 8360 8910 e [email protected] w www.dynamicrigginghire.com.au

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS

Global Lifting Group t +61 4 1974 6044 e [email protected] w www.globallifting.com.au

Hubtex Australia t +61 1 300 365 621 e [email protected] w www.hubtex.com.au FORKLIFT TRUCK MANUFACTURERS

Lifting Equipment Engineers Association t +61 (0) 400 001 000 e [email protected] w www.leeaint.com

GH Cranes and Components t +34 618999017 e [email protected] w www.ghcranes.com

e [email protected] w www.nobles.com.au

Lifting Gear Hire & Sales t +61 4 2292 1728 e [email protected] w www.liftinggearhire.com.au

Lifting Victoria t +61 3 5229 9508 e [email protected] w www.liftingvictoria.com.au

LV Truck Cranes t +61 3 5280 8438 e [email protected] w www.lvtruckcranes.com.au

Mr Lift It Pty Ltd. t +61 2 9755 2225 e [email protected] w www.mrliftit.com.au

On Call Lifting t +61 2 4932 9979 e [email protected] w www.oncalllifting.com.au

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. t +61 1 300 792 464 e [email protected] w www.hesgroup.com.au

The Rigging Shed t +61 8 9406 9999 e [email protected] w www.theriggingshed.com.au

Hoisting Equipment Specialists Pty Ltd. – OzBlok t +61 1 300 392 565 e [email protected] w www.ozblok.com.au

Tiger Lifting t +886 2 2831 3035 e [email protected] w www.tigerlifting.com

LIFTING BEAMS

Combilift t +61 423 614 123 e [email protected] w www.combilift.com GANTRY CRANES

Dynamic Rigging Hire t +61 3 8360 8910 e [email protected] w www.dynamicrigginghire.com.au LIFTING EQUIPMENT

Combilift t +61 423 614 123 e [email protected] w www.combilift.com

26

Allan Marketing Group t +61 394 667 840

A. Noble & Son Ltd. t +61 300 711 559

Total Lifting & Rigging t +61 8 9143 1511 e [email protected] w www.totallifting.com.au

Visit www.liftandhoistaustralasia.com/directory to view company profiles online

e [email protected] w www.totallifting.com.au

Winch Hire Australia t (07) 3376 2888 e [email protected] w www.winchhire.com.au LIFTING EQUIPMENT STORAGE

MEASURING, MONITORING AND INSPECTION

InspectAll Software t (+1) 678 918 7066 e [email protected] w www.inspectall.com MINICRANES

SlingRakz Systems t +61 8 6201 6679 e [email protected] w www.slingrakz.com LOAD CELLS

Lifting Gear Hire & Sales t +61 4 2292 1728 e [email protected] w www.liftinggearhire.com.au LOAD TESTING

Jekko s.r.l. t +39 0438 1410083 e [email protected] w www.jekko-cranes.com

JMG Cranes S.P.A t +39 0372 178 6738 e [email protected] w www.jmgcranes.com PICK AND CARRY CRANES

Dynamic Rigging Hire t +61 3 8360 8910 e [email protected] w www.dynamicrigginghire.com.au

Lifting Victoria t +61 3 5229 9508 e [email protected] w www.liftingvictoria.com.au

Jekko s.r.l. t +39 0438 1410083 e [email protected] w www.jekko-cranes.com

JMG Cranes S.P.A t +39 0372 178 6738 e [email protected] w www.jmgcranes.com REMOTE CONTROLS

On Call Lifting t +61 2 4932 9979 e [email protected] w www.oncalllifting.com.au

The Rigging Shed t +61 8 9406 9999 e [email protected] w www.theriggingshed.com.au

Total Lifting & Rigging t +61 8 9143 1511

ELCA SRL RADIOCONTROLS t +39 0424 578500 e [email protected] w www.elcaradio.com RIGGING EQUIPMENT

Allan Marketing Group t +61 394 667 840 e [email protected] w www.titanlifting.com

DIRECTORY

e [email protected] w www.ranger.com.au Andromeda Industries t +61 2 6760 3773 e [email protected] w www.andromedaindustries.com.au

All-Rig Lifting & Engineering Supplies Pty Ltd. t +61 7 4774 5508 e [email protected] w www.allrig.com.au

A. Noble & Son Ltd. t +61 300 711 559 e [email protected] w www.nobles.com.au

Ranger – Lifting Rigging Safety (Vic) t +61 3 8317 9940 e [email protected] w www.ranger.com.au

Ranger – Lifting Rigging Safety (NSW) t +61 2 9679 9944 e [email protected] w www.ranger.com.au RIGGING RACKS

Ranger – Lifting Rigging Safety (NSW) t +61 2 9679 9944 e [email protected] w www.ranger.com.au

Total Lifting & Rigging t +61 8 9143 1511 e [email protected] w www.totallifting.com.au SPIDER LIFTS

Ahern Australia Pty t +61 2 9609 8500 e [email protected] w www.ahernaustralia.com.au

CMC Lift t +39 080 532 6606 e [email protected] w www.cmclift.com TELEHANDLERS

Ahern Australia Pty t +61 2 9609 8500 e [email protected] w www.ahernaustralia.com.au

SlingRakz Systems t +61 8 6201 6679 e [email protected] w www.slingrakz.com

TELESCOPIC CRANES

SLINGS

Jekko s.r.l. t +39 0438 1410083 e [email protected] w www.jekko-cranes.com

A. Noble & Son Ltd. t +61 300 711 559 e [email protected] w www.nobles.com.au

Ranger – Lifting Rigging Safety (Vic) t +61 3 8317 9940

WINCHES

Winch Hire Australia t (07) 3376 2888 e [email protected] w www.winchhire.com.au

27

LIVERING G DE R TELEMATICS AS STANDARD

AUSTRALIA

ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS

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