Scotline Buys Liebherr Long-reach Materials Handler

Inverness Harbour is currently undertaking a major extension to provide new berths and storage facilities and major importer-exporter Scotline has planned for new business and increased bulk cargo volumes by investing in one of Liebherr's impressive long-reach materials handlers. A new Liebherr A 954C HD Litronic is now employed loading and unloading a variety of bulk materials from cargo vessels at the dockside, ranging from logs to wood fibre, animal feeds to road salt. Additionally, the long and high-reach industrial equipment and parallelogram hydraulically elevating cab are proving vital attributes for loading and unloading the ships - both with regard to the safest possible working procedure by raising the cab for optimum operator line of site into the cargo holds and for coping with the high tide rise and fall experienced on this particular stretch of coastline. Scotline's Managing Director Sandy Catto commented "We are currently handling up to 3,500 tonnes of bulk materials a day and expect this to grow. The Liebherr machine fulfils all our requirements both in terms of productivity and safe operation. We are looking to load and discharge cargo from the modern box hold vessels in our fleet as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible to keep demurrage to a minimum. Our new Liebherr materials handler is proving to be well up to the task".

The Scotline Group has multiple interests in bulk cargo shipping, import and export, logs, wood chips, bark and fibre trading and transportation. The Group has a fleet of specialist timber and woodpulp liners with numerous established routes to continental Europe and Scandinavia, operating to and from facilities in Inverness, Goole, Rochester, Hull, Newport, Shoreham, Wicklow and Belfast. Other Group companies are involved in ship management, ship broking and inland transportation with a large fleet of vehicles providing distribution of forest products throughout the United Kingdom.

The Liebherr A 954C HD Litronic is one of a range of specialist industrial long-reach wheeled materials handlers. A 70 tonnes class machine, the A 954C is powered by a turbocharged and intercooled Liebherr diesel engine that complies with Tier 3/Stage 3A emission limits, developing 240kW at 1800RPM. The undercarriage features heavy-duty axles with an oscillating steering axle, special solid tyres, and hydraulically operating four-point outriggers for optimum stability. The industrial equipment on the Scotline machine is comprised of an 11.5m angled monobloc boom and a 10m industrial stick which combine to give a maximum reach of 21.7m and height of 21m. In this configuration, the A 954C is capable of lifting up to 6.1 tonnes at a working radius of 19.5 metres. This materials handler is equipped with a 3.5m³ clamshell grab and has also been fitted with Liebherr's own unique Likufix MH110 quick coupler system, which allows operators to change hydraulic attachments without leaving the cab; this particular Likufix system was launched at Bauma earlier this year and Scotline's is one of the first in the UK.

The spacious operator's cab features automatic air-conditioning, full instrumentation, safe load indicator and monitor screen displaying Litronic engine and hydraulics systems management. The ergonomically designed seat in the cab can be moved to a wide range of positions and adjusted to match the driver's weight; attachment functions are controlled by multi-directional joystick levers integrated into the seat armrests. The hydraulically elevating cab can be raised by 3.57 metres, giving an operator's eyeline of 7.6 metres - essential when loading or discharging cargo vessels. Fully automatic lubrication is standard.

Scotline Group has been a Liebherr customer for many years and already owns a number of materials handlers from this world-class manufacturer. The A 954C HD Litronic works alongside an L 514 Stereo wheeled loading shovel at Inverness and the group is adding another Liebherr machine to its fleet with a recent order for an L 556_2plus2 High Lift articulated wheeled loading shovel with a 7m³ hi-tip bucket, which is due for delivery at the end of the year.

For further information, please contact:                           
Liebherr-Great Britain Limited
Telephone: 01767-602100
Fax: 01767-602110