REACH FOR THE GOLDEN STAR

The Port Sutton Bridge Ltd sits just a few miles inland of the coastline of The Wash, historically one of the most important trading routes with our European cousins.

Originally opened in 1881, the port sits on the banks of the River Nene and is the only heavy-lift port on the river. Port Sutton Bridge has recently been incorporated into the Gold Star group of companies and provides a 350 metre long wharf accommodating between four and five vessels, with a maximum vessel length of 120 metres and 17 metre beam. Vessels up to 5000 DWT, with a draught of 6 metres can be accommodated at spring tide. “Whilst vessels of up to 5000 DWT can be accommodated on the highest tides, we can regularly handle vessels up to 3000 DWT on a daily basis.” Director Gavin Patrick commented. “We are essentially a dry goods port handling bagged sand and cement, scrap metals and bricks. Thanks to the substantial quayside construction, we are also building a reputation for the ability to handle a variety of heavy lift operations.”

"THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE FLEET WE HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF ISSUES WITH THE SENNEBOGEN PRODUCT, IT’S WELL BUILT AND DESIGNED TO HANDLE ALMOST ANY OPERATION"

Whilst the heavy lift projects are handled by one of the UK’s leading heavy logistics companies, the day-to-day cargo handling is undertaken in house by the experienced Port Sutton Bridge team. “When we purchased the site, the deal included a material handler which had seen better days.” Gavin commented. “Our plans to increase the throughput of material at the site meant we needed to find a suitable replacement. Already operating a small fleet of material handlers throughout the group’s other sites, we knew what we wanted for Sutton Bridge. Whilst our fleet is dominated by Sennebogen material handlers, they are all smaller machines, and we felt that we needed to look at the wider market before making such an important purchasing decision.”

With a selection of quotations received, the details were analysed before the decision to purchase a new Sennebogen 865E Hybrid was made. “We received cheaper quotes for the basic machine, but it was the entire package offered by Molson Green which made the decision a relatively easy one for us.” Gavin explained. “Throughout the rest of the fleet we have had very little in the way of issues with the Sennebogen product, it’s well built and designed to handle almost any operation.”

The 865E Hybrid is one of over 20 different material handling models in the German manufacturer’s range which are sold and serviced exclusively by Molson Green in the UK. “We can offer a huge range of material handling solutions from just 18 tonnes to over 400 tonnes in operating weight.” Brian Albiston, Molson Green’s Product Specialist commented. “As a manufacturer, Sennebogen are focussed on the material handling sector designing productive, operator friendly and fuel efficient machines just for this industry.”

When specifying the new material handler, Gavin was able to choose from a huge option list enabling him to build the machine to ideally suit all applications the port will see. With three wheeled and a crawler undercarriage to choose from, Gavin opted for the MP80 wheeled option which sits on four 26.5-25 solid rubber tyres. The heavy-duty undercarriage comes with four point outriggers which spread the weight of the machine when operating and provide a stable platform on any surface. At almost 2m high, the undercarriage is fitted with substantial galvanised steps and handrails allowing safe and easy access to the machine’s upper structure from any position. There is also a pair of large tool boxes incorporated into the chassis of the machine allowing a variety of tools and lifting accessories to be stored in a dray and safe location.

The huge green upper structure of the 865E Hybrid houses a 261Kw Cummins X12 diesel engine which meets Stage V emissions regulations and many of the Sennebogen range, is accessed through large gullwing style canopies on each side of the machine. A neat feature of the range is the fitment of a long rail along both sides of the bodywork to which a galvanised ladder is attached to give easy and safe access to the components inside. “It’s very rare we have to access the components as all daily checks can be carried out from inside the cab.” Gavin explains. “The ladder access is a safe and simple solution to a problem that can be made to be overcomplicated for no reason at all.”

Like the undercarriage, the cab and cab riser choice can be selected to suit a variety of applications. The Sutton Bridge machine has been specified with an E300/270 riser which allows the operator to lift and push forward the cab allowing them a better view into the hold of vessels they are loading or unloading. The large and spacious cab offers a host of ‘home comforts’ for main operator John Baggaley including a premium, air suspended and heated seat with a range of movement designed to suit any operating style. Along with the Bluetooth connectivity, DAB radio and ample storage solutions, the cab has been laid out to allow for easy and intuitive operation. “It’s a very comfortable cab to spend a long shift in.” John commented. “Whilst the large areas of glass allow great vision all around, my only criticism would be the cross member on the front windscreen.”

With the need to handle a variety of cargo types, the Sennebogen port range can be configured with a variety of boom and stick options. The 865E is available with eight different options ranging from 18m up to 25m. There are two boom options K for straight industrial and B for greater reach at depth. Both the K25 and B24 come in Port configuration offering the longer reach with more load capacity. The Port Sutton machine has been delivered with the B24 option giving a 24m reach and allows it to easily service the vessels of up to 17m beam the port accommodates. A standard fit camera has been joined by an additional unit on the stick allowing John to carefully direct the attachment where it is required. With a wide variety of cargo to handle at the port, the Sennebogen has been delivered with a sack lifter, carne hook with additional weigh loader and 1800 litre Rotobec orange peel grab.

“In the first three years of operating the port, we have almost doubled the volume of cargo handled year on year.” Gavin commented. “We are looking at almost 200,000 tonnes this year which has been made achievable with the addition of the 865E. Whilst we are increasing our productivity on the site, we have also been doing it with a lower fuel burn. Brian told us we could achieve around a 30% decrease in fuel consumption from the Sennebogen over our previous machine. We took it with a pinch a salt but have to admit the fuel figures don’t lie and we are currently seeing a 27% decrease in fuel burn which we estimate will save us around £19,000 per year! Add this to the higher availability we will see with the Sennebogen and the better residuals we will get for it and that small amount of extra money we paid for the machine soon disappears into insignificance.” The decrease in fuel consumption is partially down to the fitment of a third boom cylinder. Filled with nitrogen, the gas in the cylinder compresses as the boom lowers and expands when the boom raises. This expansion of the gas increases the lift power of the boom and lowers the need for the Cummins engine to rev harder and use more fuel.

VIEW GALLERY

At the time of our visit the arrival of a vessel from Europe had been delayed but John and the 865E weren’t standing still as the incoming piles of scrap were constantly growing and needed tidying up to allow for faster transhipment to the vessel once it arrived. Goldstar Metals own fleet of bulkers were constantly ferrying material in from their regional processing centres with John and an accompanying wheeled loader keeping the piles tidy. Sitting just a couple of metres in from the quay edge allowed John to reach the tipped material and stack it carefully, ready for the boat’s arrival. With the Sennebogen working adjacent to the river, the machine has been finished in a corrosion resistant paint to ensure it remains in the condition it was delivered in.

The machine was delivered in just two separate parts allowing the four-strong Molson team to quickly build it and get it up and running. “Both Brian and colleague Dave Peacock have been excellent in the way they have handled the whole process.” Gavin commented. “We’ve also been impressed with the service we’ve received since the machine started work. We had a pipe come loose late one afternoon and had to call in our back up machine to complete the vessel. We made the call and when I got in at 7am the following morning, the machine was up and running again. I simply can’t fault the service we’ve had from fitters Andy and Mike. Having this level of confidence in Molson and Salesman Andy Wilkinson has now meant we have placed an order for a second, identical machine to be delivered in the near future.”