UltraGrip
THE CHALLENGE
Peter Vagne contacted TrackGrip to help with a particularly difficult job that had some access restrictions. Perisher Ski Field in the Snowy Mountains of Australia conducts maintenance to the snow making machines, base and drains of the ski field in the off season. Normal access would be gained by benching all the way up the slope to get to the parts requiring work and then putting all the dirt back afterwards. More time would be spent doing access work than the parts requiring attention. The soil is fine and clogs the triple bar shoes easily leading to severe loss of traction, ski field gradients which are on average from 22° to 40°+ added to the issues.
THE SOLUTION
The Hitachi ZX120 pictured was fitted with 14 ITG-500-MH Trackgrips to provide additional stability and traction. The design using a combination of medium and high tensile steel allows them to be used in sub-zero temperatures. The teeth are specifically designed to penetrate through shale and hard packed clays while the side spikes provide exceptional sideways protection. Less time was spent benching to do work. Peter 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 hard packed clays and loose shale.
- Massive savings on the time taken to complete the job.
- 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 mountainous and sub-zero 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.
