MightyGrip
THE CHALLENGE
Morepork Forest Harvesting while working on a forestry skid faced some unique challenges, access was tight with large near vertical drops either side plus the changing weather just added to the problems faced. The terrain with a sandstone base was accessible when dry but when wet access was very limited. The challenge was the need for foresty tracks to be cut to access all logs, this required the operation of heavy machinery on slopes of up to 43° and in very soft and unstable ground. Most areas also had forestry debris which added an unstable layer on top of the ground.
Brian who has over 20 years of forestry experience, contacted Trackgrip to provide a second set of Mighty Grips for his new excavator, he has been using his previous set for 4 years. The Sumitomo SH240 has 700mm double grousers and 30 ton plus undercarriage. This required the heavy duty Mighty Grips specifically designed to handle the weight and thickness of the track.
The Solution
The Sumitomo SH240 pictured was fitted with 30 MGF-700-H Trackgrips to provide additional stability and traction allowing work to continue in marginal conditions. Less time was spent with the bucket on the ground providing stability and more time was spent operating. The operator noted the following improvements to his working conditions: –
- Ability to operate with stability when climbing or descending a slope
- Dramatically improved traction and stability when operating on forestry debris
- Improved fuel efficiency
- Exceptional sideways protection when on a slope and walking across on an angle
The Outcome
The use of Trackgrip allowed for improved safety and the ability to work in the mixed weather conditions, savings were realised in the time taken and fuel used. The flexibility of the bolt on and bolt off grips allowed the contractor to use the machine for a variety of work without permanent modification of the tracks plus providing the ultimate in sideways protection.
