Dedicated to the task
Published by Sara Simper,
Editorial Assistant
World Pipelines,
Mitch Fedie, Pettibone/Traverse Lift LLC, USA, discusses how purpose-built machines for handling heavy pipe create a safer operating experience.
From operator training to machine design standards, much care across the pipeline industry goes into ensuring the jobsite is as safe as possible. For material handling tasks in particular, a significant safety challenge revolves around utilising the proper equipment depending on the size, shape, weight or quantity of the items being moved. Equipment manufacturers have developed several solutions to best fit a given operating environment or application. However, there are certain segments of the industry that occasionally rely on a machine because of its versatility, even though purpose-built options exist.
Moving pipe
One such example is handling heavy pipe, whether moving loads around stockyards or placing materials during construction in the field. Material handling personnel have commonly relied on wheel loaders for this work, equipping them with fork and baler attachments for lifting pipe. Wheel loaders are known for their versatility, but what’s sometimes forgotten is that a wheel loader is primarily designed to move dirt; users have to compromise on certain performance characteristics when using it for a secondary handling function.
Meanwhile, there are dedicated pieces of equipment, such as rough terrain forklifts, that are engineered specifically for material handling applications like lifting and placing pipe …
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Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/special-reports/15122022/dedicated-to-the-task/
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