Goldstar Goes Green with Molson’s Sennebogen Range

April 22, 2020

Based at Floods Farm, near March, Goldstar Metal Traders are one of the fastest growing recycling companies in the UK.

Operating from three sites, March, Wereham and Kings Lynn, Goldstar are specialists in servicing factory premises, demolition sites and waste transfer facilities. They have currently 400 skips and containers in service, throughout the Midlands and East Anglia.

The company export metal to worldwide destinations which is shipped out at their transfer facility at Kings Lynn where they have the capability to load shipping containers for bulk export.

Although a relatively young company the team have over 50 years combined experience in the Waste and Recycling Industry.

Recently the company have made a £2.3 million investment in four Sennebogen 830E and three 835E Material Handlers, which have all been supplied by Molson Green who are part of the Molson Group.

The machines have been put to work at all three sites, with four located in March, two in Kings Lynn which have banana booms and forward extending cabs and one machine in Wereham. The investment follows the purchase of another Sennebogen Material Handler in 2017 from the Molson Group which was made following the dissatisfaction in spares availability in another manufacturer.

Neil Bowers – MD, commented, “We were previously operating another make of Material Handler but had issues with spare part supply and service which left our machine out of service for unacceptable lengths of time.

“We therefore switched our allegiance to Sennebogen and purchased our first two years ago off Molson Green, who have proved to us that their support and service back-up is very reliable, hence the further investment in seven more machines for our three sites which have also been supplied by Molson Green.”

It’s a very busy operation at March where the scrap metal is handled by three 830E and one 835E material handlers. All fitted with orange peel grabs they easily move over 300,000 tonnes/annum of recycled metals. Most of this material is then transported to the Kings Lynn operation where it is either loaded into the ship or sent by containers to destinations around the world.

Neil, continued, “We have big contracts with the whole of Network Rail, Mick George and Wye Valley. We also deal with almost all of the local skip companies and have a good relationship with all the merchants in the area.

“When we started, we had two lorries, one skip lorry and an artic. Today we have twelve trucks and employ 50 people who are all passionate about the business. We don’t employ huge numbers but staff who bring something to the table and maintain efficiency by working smarter. It’s very important that we have very efficient equipment and the confidence in the supplier and Molson have given us that!”

SENNEBOGEN 830E material handler:
Three of the machines at the March operation are the Sennebogen 830E wheeled material handlers – an extremely popular model in the scrap metal application thanks to its high capacity and 17m working range.

Sennebogen have been long established as a manufacturer of the highest quality material handlers and the 830E is certainly a flagship product within the range. Boasting a 220Hp Cummins QSB 6.7 engine, this Bavarian green giant has a host of features that make it easy to maintain, a pleasure to operate and cost effective to run.

Day to day maintenance can all be carried out safely at ground level thanks to centralised undercarriage greasing points, with the uppercarriage serviced by a factory fitted auto lube system. A feature that has been made a standard option following customer feedback to the factory. Furthermore, these Sennebogen 830E’s have been fitted with the manufacturers own Hydroclean system that provides additional protection against contamination in the hydraulic system, improving reliability and reducing down-time.

Operator comfort is a clear focus in this machine thanks to Sennebogen’s high-rise maXcab, which has clearly designed with comfort and visibility in mind. The cab offers a large clean and clear space for the operator to control the machine without obstruction. The high-rise cab allows operators to reach a maximum viewing height of 5.6m while the joystick steering option allows an uninterrupted view of the working area as there is no steering wheel.

Goldstar have chosen to have their 830E’s fitted with the K14 ULM boom configuration which provided a total 17m reach to the arm pin. With an impressive 800l orange peel grab also fitted – the capacity and working range of these machines is perfectly suited to their March site.

Sennebogen 835E material handler:
In contrast the fourth machine at the March operation is an 835E wheeled material handler. Again, fitted with an orange peel grab its main duties are stockpiling and feeding the shear.

As part of the new generation machines the E series is a new generation of fuel-saving, environmentally friendly machines for demanding continuous use in material handling. Green Efficiency is the buzz word, good for the environment and easy on the wallet. The machine concept of the E-series impresses with its diverse range of equipment, maximum comfort for the operator and optimised technology. The Green Efficiency models combine the established high performance with low consumption, optimal operating comfort and maximum safety aspects for both man and machine.

Certainly, working hard in scrap recycling first impressions are consistently positive. The machine gets the job done quicker and its elegant to drive.

The 830E offers a comprehensive package of safety features for the driver and other workers in the vicinity. High-tech cameras at the rear and sides keep the driver fully aware of his surroundings. LED headlights provide clear illumination in the dark, and the sliding door with step and handrail, featured as standard, ensure safe and accident-free access to the machine.

Goldstar have selected a B18 banana boom configuration on their 835E’s that give a maximum working range of 18m to the arm pin. With all their 835E’s also fitted with a 1000l orange peel grab, these machines have an impressive volume handling capability.

Goldstar run an additional two 835E’s at their site in Kings Lynn that load ships. These units have been fitted with Sennebogen’s E300 maXcab that is both high-res and forward extending to allow operators to have clear visibility into the ship being loaded. The cab rises to a maximum viewing height of 5.9m, with an additional 2.6m of forward extension to enable more efficient loading times and maximum capacity to be reached on each load.

These Sennebogen’s are already proving to be highly efficient machines and assets for an expanding company like Goldstar; a positive investment and confidence in the Molson team who can back up the machines when called to do so.

Written by John Edwards for Hub-4 magazine.