The Hyster RS 45-31 CH makes light work of loading shipping containers.
“Mate, if you want to have a look at a real good piece of
equipment then you should see our new Hyster Hi-Reach container
loader”.
Those were some of the words that Darcy Hart, manager of
transport, business development for Tapper Transport, said to me
over a beer. It took a few months to get around to viewing the
machine but it proved a worthy subject.
The 72-tonne Hyster RS 45-31 CH is one of two container loaders
that feed the 38 Tappers Transport container trucks. The machines
are staffed by 10 operators, being double-shifted over the working
week and single shifted on weekends.
On the day I visited with transport operations manager Darryl
Stewart, operator Neil Mallor was at the controls of the Hyster.
With a queue of trucks waiting, it was a good opportunity to see
the machine in action and Mallor made quick work of loading or
unloading the trucks with their containers.
To make this happen, the machine utilises a top-loading
mechanism which hydraulically adjusts to suit the size of the
container being picked up. It can also side-shift left or right by
up to 800mm, which means that positioning of the Hyster is not
entirely critical to line up the machine for a good lift. Probably
the main point of difference is that, like an excavator turntable,
the mechanism rotates 360 degrees which among other time-saving
benefits, enables a container to be spun so that its doors face the
right direction when it arrives at its destination. This is one of
its great features, says Stewart.
Another feature is the ability of the boom to angle up to 59
degrees and extend outward far enough to collect containers from a
stack three deep, negating the need to move the front two
containers. I also noted that anti-drop valves were fitted to
prevent a rapid drop should a hydraulic hose on the boom decide to
give out.
Mallor, who has been with Tappers Transport for three years,
tells me that the Hyster is “good to operate and it is easy to
spend a whole shift in there”. He particularly likes the electronic
greasing system which makes life easier. I asked about how they
know what container to pick up and was told that instructions are
fed from despatch to an in-cab display system situated in the
cab.
With something like 50 feet between the stacks of the
containers, there is not a lot of margin for error when spinning
containers around in the rows and it is always good watching
experienced operators going about their business. No doubt the good
vision available from the cab is a big factor in making the work
day less stressful.
Noise levels inside the cab are measured at 71dB(A). Apparently,
this roughly equates to a home air-conditioning unit turned up to
its maximum setting. Not too invasive and probably way quieter than
some of the other container lifters around the place.
Diesel power is supplied by a six-cylinder Cummins QSM11 engine,
which outputs 300hp at 2100rpm. Movement around the yard is
governed by a four-speed autoshift transmission, enabling a maximum
travel speed of 23kmh (unloaded) or 19kmh (loaded).
Unlike the earthmoving industry, where it is unusual to see
older machines in frontline roles, a drive around some container
yards reveals a few higher hour machines still plying the pavement.
Possibly this has something to do with cost and availability and it
must have been a major research project for Tappers Transport when
deciding to purchase a new machine. It looks like they have made a
wise decision and I’m pretty sure the staff operating the Hyster RS
45-31 CH must consider themselves lucky to have such a nice daily
work drive.