Reaching higher and further

Another recent launch is the MegaTransfer, with stabiliser legs that straddle the accompanying trailer when transferring containers to/from other chassis. It allows the other truck or trailer to drive away immediately the container has been lifted off its frame. “The design was developed after customers’ requests and it has been particularly successful in Australia and New Zealand, where load transfers are done frequently as an integral part of the job,” says the firm’s Anders Hallberg.

Steelbro’s most recent innovation is the SB450 sidelifter. The company’s previous largest machine was a 40-tonne capacity unit ‘but customers wanted more’.

“Large numbers of customers in Malaysia, South America, Africa and Papua New Guinea are seeing the benefits of the unit with its 45-tonne capacity.”

The SB450 was designed by Steelbro engineering manager Greg Muirsmeath and his New Zealand based design team. He emphasises that having a reliable steel supply is just as important as engineering skills when it comes to the integrity of any product or design.

“The critical role played by steel suppliers simply cannot be overstated. Because steel is rated based on its mechanical properties, knowing just how good these properties are allows manufacturers to calculate what can – and can’t – be achieved with those properties,” he says. “The advantage of having highly reliable steel supply is that we can actually be less conservative with the numbers we put into our calculations.”

The SB450 offers an outreach of 3.9 metres, crucial to ensure an efficient transfer of containers to and from companion vehicles, he adds.

“Where other machines need to drive very close to companion vehicles in trailer-to-trailer operations, this sidelifter will handle badly positioned containers and, in doing so, speed up the whole process.”