FEATURE

TWO-IN-ONE

When it comes to meeting customer requirements, Case Construction Equipment and its North West of England dealer Dennis Barnfield Ltd have no hesitation in pulling out all the stops as Andy Barnes, one of the owners/directors of Terra Firma Environmental Ltd, can well testify.

This highly experienced company based in Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire specialises in upland restoration projects in areas across the UK that are remote and difficult to access and much of the equipment they use has to be modified to cope with the terrain.

The latest addition to the company’s fleet is a custom-built ‘two-in-one’ CASE midi excavator which we saw at work on a wild and damp hillside far from any main roads at Thirlmere which sits between Keswick and Grasmere in the English Lake District.

The machine was acquired by Terra Firma Environmental from Dennis Barnfield Ltd who have been supplying and servicing plant and construction machinery across the North West of England for over 60 years, having taken on the CASE range in 1983 and today remain the longest serving dealership in the UK.

It has been the ‘go to’ source for Terra Firma Environmental for over eight years during which time they have built up a trusted and respected working partnership. “They totally understand our business and know exactly what our requirements are,” said Andy Barnes when Awesome Earthmovers met up with him to find out why he needed this specially designed machine.

The company was working on behalf of Cumbria Wildlife Trust who are involved in a peatland restoration project in partnership with other conservation bodies and the local water utility company. The scheme aims to enhance biodiversity, store carbon, and improve water quality and flood resilience in the area which is under pressure from climate change, historical drainage, and erosion.

Peat bogs are the UK's largest carbon store, with an estimated 28.5 million tonnes in the Lake District alone. When damaged, they release carbon dioxide and lose their natural ability to filter water and slow its flow.

“WE ARE FORTUNATE IN THAT AS A MANUFACTURER WE ARE ABLE TO BUILD OUR MACHINES TO A CUSTOMER’S UNIQUE SPECIFICATIONS WHICH MEANS THEY COME WITH A FULL WARRANTY AND BACK-UP SERVICE PACKAGE...”

Low Ground Pressure Excavators

As Andy Barnes explained to us, Terra Firma Environmental is carrying out a number of different tasks to create an ideal environment for sphagnum moss to thrive, which is the primary peat-forming plant. The work involves blocking historic peat drains, installing bunds to create pools of water and re-profiling damaged and eroding peat faces into a more stable angle to stop continued erosion.

“We are using different types of bunding techniques to raise the water table and improve water flow which will increase the quality of the peat as well as help improve diversity of vegetation cover and because we are operating on soft and very sensitive terrain we need machines with a low ground pressure – somewhere in the region of 2 to 3psi - to prevent any unnecessary damage,” said Andy.

“We considered various options and designs as we were looking for a lighter smaller machine around 6 tonnes, one with a good reach and that would be relatively easy to adapt to our needs. We looked at a CASE CX70E which compared very favourably against other excavators on the market. We liked its shape and the size of the undercarriage and knew that carrying out the necessary modifications would be relatively straightforward.”

Meeting the Customers Needs

That’s when he approached Tom Barnfield, confident that he and CASE would come up with what was required because he had dealt with them in the past when he needed two eight tonne CASE CX75C excavators to be adapted.

Although Barnfields were able to meet some of the required modifications on the new machine, the bulk of the work this time was undertaken back at the factory by CASE who have their own Special Projects Department.

Commented Hayden Bale, Product Specialist/Demonstrator (Northern Europe) at CASE Construction Equipment.: “Basically, what we ended up with was a combination of two machines, the upper structure being a six tonne CX60D with a seven tonne CX70E chassis. The standard pads of 450mm were also replaced with 800mm pads resulting in a much lower ground pressure.

“We are fortunate in that as a manufacturer we are able to build our machines to a customer’s unique specifications which means they come with a full warranty and backup service package rather than having to depend on an aftermarket supplier.”

Added Tom Barnfield: “We were able to complete the remaining modifications in our own workshops, such as fitting quick release couplings for the hitch and adding some other features, including a welfare kit located on the roof of the cab which was required because the customer operates in isolated areas difficult to reach in cases of emergency.”

Because the machine is operating on environmentally sensitive ground, a spillage kit was also installed which would be used to prevent or deal with any potential oil or fuel leaks.

“WE HAVE BEEN WITH CASE FOR OVER FOUR DECADES AND WE HAVE LEAD ENGINEERS WHO HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR THE BEST PART OF 30 YEARS.”

Going the Extra Mile

Another underlying reason why Terra Firma favoured the CASE brand was the relationship they have built up with dealers Dennis Barnfield Ltd. “Operating in remote areas it is essential we have a back-up service that we can depend on when something goes wrong. The team at Barnfield will always go the extra mile when needed if any issues can’t be resolved with a telephone call.

“Take this site here in the Lake District, for example. It is a long way from the main road and takes about an hour to reach in a vehicle. Often, we have to walk because it is not very accessible, and we are only on the edge of the site. It stretches for another six or seven kilometres which would add another day to reach with the excavator.

“Dealing with Tom Barnfield has been faultless. He and Case Construction Equipment will always find a way to meet whatever we need from a machine, and the back-up service is second to none. He guides us through the process of fixing any simple issues over the phone whereas it would take a fitter maybe a day to reach us here on site, and if the problem is more serious, he will always get to us.”

It is that level of aftersales support that Dennis Barnfield Ltd are rightly proud of. “When my grandad set up the business he drummed into me at a young age the importance of aftersales support,” says Tom. “We have been with CASE for over four decades and we have lead engineers who have been with us for the best part of 30 years, so they know the CASE machines like the back of their hand, and they are more than willing to travel to isolated spots when problems can’t be sorted out with a phone call.”