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COMBILIFT SHIFTS TONNES AT DUGGAN STEEL
drawback of other sideloader brands. The robust JCB axle includes an automatic locking differential which gives good traction to the rear wheels for easy operation on potentially difficult ground conditions. This makes them ideal for Duggan Steel as Rafter reckons each truck covers at least 20 miles day across the 16 acre site and clocks up over 2,000 hours a year. “It’s the best model for the weights we lift, the surfaces in the yard and the harsh environment and has proved very reliable. Although Combilift exports worldwide we see them as a local company that can match any product we could import, and we like the fact that the manufacturer is just a few hours away and that we have a local factory - trained service engineer on hand.”
Duggan Steel Group’s trucks were struggling to keep up with the pressure of clocking up over 2,000 hours a year, until Combilift’s range provided the solution
T
he Duggan Steel Group, incorporating Duggan Steel (Irl) Ltd and Duggan
Profiles & Steel Service Centre Ltd, operates from three factories in Kilkenny and a depot in Co. Cork, Ireland. The company supplies steel construction components to the agricultural and industrial sectors and handles well in excess of 50,000 tonnes of various steel products every year.
CHALLENGES At the steel stockholding site in Kilkenny, long products, plate, hollow sections and merchant bar are stored in the 70,000ft² warehouse and also outside. Managing the safe and efficient movement of these hefty loads around the premises is a challenging task, and one that is now in the hands – or the forks, to be more accurate – of five Combilift four-wheel sideloaders. Duggan Steel’s first Combilift was
acquired in 2004 and a mix of models has followed since then which are used at its various sites, including a multidirectional C4000 and a 5 tonne capacity Combi-SL. The new 4WSL diesel powered models were brought in to
6 JUNE 2018 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
replace other brands that had been used for decades, as Group Procurement Manager Pat Rafter explains: “This site is set up for two-directional sideloader operation so when Combilift added this to its portfolio we felt it was worth looking at. It was a bit of a leap of faith to switch manufacturers after such a long time, but it turned out to be a wise decision.” It’s a tough life for the trucks in
Kilkenny, where there is pressure to “get a lot done” according to Rafter. Working a nine and a half hour shift daily, they offload incoming deliveries of products which can be as long as 18.5m and weigh up to 5t, and put them into specific storage areas. As soon as they have finished dealing with incoming stock they start moving outgoing loads for next day despatch to 32 counties across Ireland.
COMBILIFT’S RANGE Combilift’s 4WSL range, with 5t or 6t capacities, was developed for operations that require reliable, robust and fast speeds across extensive sites without any risk of overheating which is a major
Combilift worked with Duggan Steel Group on the 4WSL to refine and improve the product
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK Combilift designers take customer feedback seriously during new product development and Rafter and his drivers played a major part in the ongoing refinement of the 4WSL. “The collaboration between Combilift and Duggan Steel proved the old saying that ‘the customer knows best’ and we were happy to act upon suggestions which helped to make the 4WSL the excellent product that it now is,” says Noel O’Dowd, Irish sales manager for Combilift.
Combilift
www.combilift.com T: +353 47 80500 / 07870 976758
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