Skip to main content

Sheffield duty for a Miller PowerLatch

The Miller PowerLatch Tilt was recently the attachment of choice for Yorkshire-based engineering consultancy JN Bentley, part of global engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald.
June 3, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Miller PowerLatch Tilting Quick Hitch: a 180° tilt

The Miller PowerLatch Tilt was recently the attachment of choice for Yorkshire-based engineering consultancy JN 6197 Bentley, part of global engineering consultancy 2579 Mott MacDonald.

As part of the work to relocate waste treatment works in Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, England, Bentley laid new pipes along Manchester Road.

But space was restricted and the team looked at a different way to break out the rock. Using a 13T 2300 Komatsu PC138 excavator initially fitted with a standard quick hitch, the team started shearing the walls by hand. Due to the single-lane closure, the 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 trialled a number of traditional and alternative methods, such as using a lightweight, remote controlled excavator with a breaker.

Then the team trialed a Miller PowerLatch Tilting Quick Hitch. It operates the same as a traditional automatic quick hitch, easily connecting buckets but with the added capability of 180° tilt.

The team could then use a breaker to shear the sides. This meant eliminating HAVS - hand-arm vibration syndrome - associated with breaking out by hand while being far more cost -effective compared to other methods. The tilt motion was also beneficial using the bucket to scrape the clay side walls.

“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,” said Andy Ball, Bentley’s plant manager. “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.” 

“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,” said Brendan Quill, 6739 Miller UK’s marketing director.

“The top bolted attachment method removes a notoriously troublesome welded connection seen in a number of other tilt couplers available on the market.”  

 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Caterpillar’s improved wheeled excavators being introduced
    July 5, 2016
    Caterpillar is introducing its improved M315F and M317F wheeled excavators. The firm claims that the machines offer agility on site, combined with reliable performance and low cost of operation. These compact radius wheeled excavators are in addition to the conventional radius F series models, while offering compact design. The firm says that the new machines offer high performance, power and stability, featuring large working envelopes, high breakout forces, and high lifting capacities. The firm has
  • FM Conway and TfL set “benchmark” for RAP use in A40 project
    November 30, 2017
    Infrastructure services company FM Conway and the UK’s Transport for London (TfL) have set “a new benchmark” for recycling in the highways industry.
  • Yorkshire Water’s time-saving 3M manhole cover repair kit
    September 26, 2013
    A novel application for an existing 3M product has given Yorkshire Water a time-saving manhole cover repair solution. When staff at the company, which maintains just under 1,000kms of water and sewerage pipework, and deploys a team of street furniture operatives to deal with reports of damaged covers, realised that in many cases the manhole cover frame was compliant but the lid had dropped within, they approached 3M to discuss a solution that would avoid excavations and time-consuming replacements. “W
  • Importance of road/tunnel drainage systems
    April 10, 2012
    A variety of systems are available for quickly and efficiently removing water from roads as Patrick Smith reports The presence of water in a highway layer reduces the bearing capacity of the road, and in doing so it also reduces the structure's lifetime. Indeed, the recent extremely cold winter in many parts of Europe has shown that in colder climates there is a risk of frost damage when water is present resulting in costly potholes, so drainage systems performing properly are important in road design.