14.02.2005

HMF complete off road platform project

In 1998, Vestjyske Net Service A/S, a Danish company with the contract to maintain the electrical network in Western Denmark, began looking for a truck-mounted loader crane and aerial platform to work on the repair and maintenance of high tension lines.

Vestjyske Net Service is responsible for the maintenance of the high-voltage electricity network covering an area of 7,700 km², and therefore high reach access is frequently required. In order to make sure that it acquired the right product the company carried out a detailed research of all the tasks that such a machine needed to accomplish.
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Vestjyske Net Service A/S ordered the special Actros off-road truck with HMF crane/Platform

Peter Svendsen, a line assistant at Vestjyske, said “the research clearly indicated that the company needed an off-road truck that could drive almost everywhere. The loader crane had to be bigger with a higher reach than existing products fitted with personnel basket. The sourcing project came to a halt when it was clear that a standard product was not available”.

When HMF launched its new Odin and Thor loaders the possibility meeting the requirements with a standard and thus cost effective, product became at least a possibility as the new models offered both the lift capacity and the required reach when fitted with a personnel basket.

Vestjyske then purchased a special purpose four axle, All wheel drive Mercedes Actros truck and specified two sets of wheels and tyres. The first set (size 445/65 22,5) for driving on public roads and the second set (wide wheels) for off-road.applications.

The vehicle body consists of a loader subframe made by HMF that incorporates a demountable tipper body, with a specially formed low rear end to incorporate a 5th wheel at a practical height, the rear stabilizer beam is also fabricated into the subframe so that the whole truck serves as a counter-weight.

The crane itself is an HMF ODIN 52.4 tonne/metre, OK6 with 1200 K6 Fly-Jib t providing a maximum lift height of 34.5 metres.

The crane offers up to15 degrees articulation on the second boom and 19 degrees on the Fly-Jib. A Scanreco remote control unit with HMF “InfoCenter” indicates the load of both main boom and Fly-Jib in actual and percentage terms as well as the cause of any lock out, The info centre also shows the Hydraulic oil temperature and battery status, etc...
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HMF Odin 52.4 T/m, OK6 with 1200 K6 Fly-Jib

As an extra security measure for the work platform, the unit includes the HMF EVS-system (Electronic Vehicle Stability System) which includes electronic tilt sensors which very precisely determine the lateral and longitudinal angle of the vehicle to a fraction of a degree accuracy. During the work with the loader, the sensors monitor the vehicle angle constantly.. As soon as the vehicle starts to tilt, the alarm sounds. If the operator ignores the alarm, the EVS stops the loader before the load moment reaches the critical limit area, and only allows movements that will reduce the load moment.

HMF’s stability system offers the main advantage that the stability of the vehicle is ensured, even if the stabilizers are not completely extended, or if they are not in contact with the ground, which is often the case when high-voltage electricity lines have to be repaired.