The Miller Power Latch Tilt is the attachment of choice for Yorkshire based engineering and development consultancy, JN Bentley as they successfully complete a civil engineering project in the north of England. JN Bentley is part of the global management, engineering and development consultancy Mott MacDonald, providing a full range of services in the water sector and other engineering and construction markets in the UK.
As part of work to relocate Stocksbridge waste water treatment works, JN Bentley were contracted to lay new pipes along Manchester Road. Space was restricted and the team looked at a number of different means to find the best way to break out the rock. Using a 13T Komatsu PC138 machine which was initially fitted with a standard quick hitch, the team began by shearing the walls by hand. Due to the single lane closure, the 13T Komatsu had to stay central to the dig and therefore the team encountered challenges with breaking through rock in a restricted working area. The team tried a number of traditional and new alternative methods, such as using a lightweight, remote controlled excavator with a breaker.
Still searching for a more pragmatic solution, the JN Bentley team then trialed a Miller PowerLatch Tilting Quick Hitch. The PowerLatch Tilt operates the same as a traditional automatic quick hitch (i.e. ease for connecting buckets, same lifting capacity), with the added capability of 180 degree tilt. This increased versatility allowed the team to use a breaker to shear the sides therefore eliminating HAVS associated with breaking out by hand, whilst being far more cost effective compared to other methods. The tilt motion was also beneficial using the bucket to scrape the clay side walls.
Andy Ball, Plant Manager commented, “The team at Stocksbridge faced quite a few challenges in terms of breaking out rock from a narrow trench in a restricted working area. To their credit, they looked several alternative options to help break the rock out. The PowerLatch Tilt provided a simple and flexible solution, allowing the team to angle the breaker to shear the sidewalls of the trench without the need to constantly reposition the machine. It saved the team time, money and avoided the need for colleagues to work in the trench, exposing them to vibration / HAVS associated with traditional methods.”
Brendan Quill, Miller UK sales and Marketing Director said, “Tilt couplers, like the Miller PowerLatch Coupler allows current attachments, whether that’s a bucket, breaker or grapple, to be rotated up to 180 degrees, giving operators much greater power and versatility on site than ever before without having to invest in costly new attachments” he also added, “Miller have managed to deliver the lightest tilt frame in the marketplace with the lowest profile to offer optimised breakout force whilst increasing strength in traditionally highly stressed areas. Furthermore, the top bolted attachment method removes a notoriously troublesome welded connection seen in a number of other tilt couplers available on the market, which makes it the ideal choice for JN Bentley.”
