Hyundai shovel is the key for Smiths

August 16, 2021

The UK’s drive to recycling has spurred many companies into offering more in-depth waste services for their clients.

Long gone are the days in the UK where a builder’s skip is tipped into a hole in the ground and tracked over. These days every little bit of ‘waste’ is picked through, sorted and sent off for either recycling or, in very rare occasions, landfill.

One leading exponents of the recycling trade is Smith’s (Gloucester) Ltd. Not only do they offer a waste recycling service to the community in and around their Stonehouse base, but they also undertake a wide range of construction and demolition services across the South West and South Wales

Along with their own waste generating activities, the company handles a wide variety of waste from multiple sources with it ending up at tone of their four strategically placed recycling depots across the region. With additional demands placed on the recycling sector, Smiths have recently taken on a large depot in Avonmouth to service their growing customer base in the area. To assist in delivering a productive service at the centre the company has taken on a number of new machines from Molson Green situated just next door.

Avonmouth joins three other facilities handling thousands of tonnes of mixed materials on an annual basis. To do this, Operations Director Paul Smith explains the need for a fleet of robust and reliable material handling equipment. “We have a long-standing relationship with the team at Molson and know we can rely on them to deliver machinery that is capable of keeping our business going forward.” Paul comments “The nature of our waste handling and recycling operations requires sturdy and reliable equipment, something we know we get from them every time.”

The company has recently taken delivery of a pair of machines from Sales Manager Tom Wilson in the shape of a Sennebogen 818E XL material handler and a Hyundai HL960A HDXT wheeled loader to undertake the handling of the material entering the waste stream at the plant.

The Tier 5 engined Sennebogen undertakes a variety of work at the site in handling and sorting the incoming waste to loading the bulk trailers exporting recyclable material across the country. The material handler also looks after the loading of incoming waste wood products into a Hanmel wood shredder. Capable of providing the shredder with a steady flow of material, the Sennebogen is seen as the ideal tool for this application. With an operating weight of almost 22 tonnes, the 818E XL has been specified with a K10 ULM boom and arm configuration giving almost 11m reach at ground level and a potential load-over height almost the same. The Sennebogen carries a 450-litre capacity NPK selector grab, also supplied by Molson. “We like the fact that if there is an issue with the machine or the grab, it’s one call to Molson.” Paul explains “It takes the messing about away from a deal and makes it easy for our lads on site.”

The 818E XL rides on an all-wheel-drive undercarriage sitting on eight 10.00-20 solid tyres, perfect for the environment it is working in. Four-point stabilisers ensure the material handler remains upright at all times and provides a solid base for the machine. The upper structure is dominated by the Sennebogen MaXcab. Seen as a comfortable and practical working environment, the cab has been fitted with a protective front screen to avoid potential damage from flying debris.

Power to the material handler comes from a 4.5 litre Cummins mounted along the offside of the machine with the cooling pack situated just in front of it. Both modules are easily accessible thanks to the large, wide-opening gullwing doors. The opposite side of the upper structure contains the pumps and IP protected fuse box, all of which can be reached from ground level.

The second addition from the Molson Green portfolio is the Hyundai HL960A HDXT.

Based around the 19.5t award winning HL960A, the HDXT version is a dedicated and uprated model specifically designed for the waste industry.

From the axles up, the loader has been built to tackle the waste industry head on. The loader sits on uprated axles with hydraulic lock differential to the front and open differential to the rear with the underside of the loader clad in a heavy-duty belly plates. The rear of the machine sports a heavy-duty, swing-away guard over the radiator cover to protect it from damage. All of the LED lights have been protected with sturdy steel guards and the front screen also sports its own substantial guarding.

The guts of the loader remain the same as the standard machine with a fuel efficient 6.7 litre Cummins providing power to the 4-speed transmission and the load sensing hydraulic system, all of which is easily accessed through the large, tilting bonnet. A combination of DOC, DPF and SCR systems bring the loader in line with the latest emissions regulations.

The HL960A sports the latest Hyundai operator cabin, a well-appointed and well laid out space for the driver. Clean and easy to use, the machine has been specified with a single loader control although fingertip controls can be specified should they be favoured as can joystick steering.

The business end of the loader is made up of a set of straight loader arms giving an increase in load over height of over 530mm over the standard loader’s 4.15mm. Smith’s have increased this further with the addition of a 5.5m3 hi-tip bucket from Ulrich.

The loader’s primary task is the stockpiling and loading out of the various materials on the site. Thanks to the straight arm and hi-tip bucket combination, the loader is able to push the material into larger stockpiles without having to climb up the material as a shorter reach machine would have. The added reach is ideal for loading the numerous bulk transfer trailer leaving the site on a daily basis.

The arrival of both machines at the site have helped increase the productivity of the site and with the full service and support package offered by their neighbours, Smith’s can be confident the productivity of the site can be kept up.