The Super-Heavy-Duty, Battery-Powered, Remote-controlled ECO-Skate® eMotion load skate loads and moves up to 40 tonnes without any additional push or pull support.
New Zealand electricity distribution and service contractor, Northpower, is leading the way in finding safer methods to upgrade essential electrical network infrastructure.
Under a company-wide initiative to make work safer, Northpower is investing in new equipment to reduce manual handling and increase worker safety.
Northpower regularly removes, replaces and installs heavy switch gear and transformers. These projects often involve moving the large and heavy loads through tight spaces in buildings.
Traditionally, jacks, rollers and bars were the tools used to move these heavy loads of up to 4 tonnes into place. This could involve as many as 6 staff, for 2 days, to move a new transformer into location.
After a global search, the Northpower team located innovative new equipment, Made in Germany, that would greatly increase safety, plus reduce the time and staff needed for such projects.
After discussions with leading New Zealand-owned Specialised Equipment supplier, HTC Ltd, the new equipment was secured from Germany and recently delivered to Northpower.
The Super-Heavy-Duty, Battery-Powered, Remote-controlled ECO-Skate® eMotion load skate loads and moves up to 40 tonnes without any additional push or pull support.
On three points of support, simultaneous driving and steering is possible at up to 8 m/min. Speed and safe positioning is possible with the one-joystick, proportional function remote control.
Powered by state-of-the-art 48V, 60 Ah lithium-ion phosphate battery technology and a running time of at least 3 hours under maximum load, the eMotion can handle gradients of up to 3%.
Space-saving gearboxes in the drive wheels make the eMotion an extremely compact vehicle with small external dimensions and a low installation height.
With the ECO-Skate®, a recent transformer installation took the Northpower team only 15 mins and involved 2 staff.
If the traditional jacks, rollers and bars method had been used, the project manager estimates the task would have needed 2 days, 6 staff and more safety risks to manage.
The ECO-Skate® eMotion load skate is just one of the many innovative load handling tools and equipment available from HTC Ltd – the Specialised Tool and Equipment Experts.
Call the HTC team today, to discuss your load handling needs or next project on 0800 48 2000.
