Flexible solution to lifting and slinging
January 1st 2008 JCB's Teletruk is playing a key role in the removal
of production line robots for maintenance at
Halewood Operations, home to the Jaguar X-TYPE
and Land Rover Freelander 2
AJCB Teletruk has proved its
versatility in a novel application
serving a major automotive
production line. As part of Land Rover's
Freelander 2 programme, a TLT 35D
Teletruk fitted with a fork positioner is used
to facilitate the removal of a robot in the
event of a catastrophic failure. Previously
Halewood had to hire in a crane or
dismantle robots and repair them in-situ.
As the production line for Freelander 2
is located close to the X-Type line in the
plant, there are a host of access issues
that the Teletruk avoids thanks to its
forwards reach, making it a suitable
solution for a robot removal system.
A Teletruk was chosen for this job
because it provides an extending boom
with a low pivot design within the required
weight range and physical size. The 35D
has a full forward reach of 2.43m, which
allows it to lift 2100kg at a 2 metres
forward extension. It can also lift its 3.5t
capacity to a height of 4.4m. With no mast
to obscure the view, the Teletruk provides
the operator with clear forward vision.
Able to reach 90% of the applications, the
diesel powered Teletruk supplied through
the local Gunn JCB dealership provides a
flexible solution to the maintenance lifting
and slinging problems within Halewood's
body shop. The low pivot on the extending
boom allows operators to work under the
overhead systems without catching the
guarding while it still is capable of
reaching over the fence lines to provide a
safe slinging point.
"The Teletruk allows Halewood staff to
change the robot for a new one and repair
the unit offline," says Mark Roberts
Teletruk specialist at Gunn JCB. He
continues: "When it came to providing
maintenance access for slinging, a stacker
truck with a 'nose picker' was used
previously. As the Teletruk has a hydraulic
system using check valves it provides a
robust means of fixing a pulley block to
the end of the mast to sling equipment
from hard to reach places."
JCB was able to modify the Teletruk to
meet the specific needs of the plant. For
instance operators needed to be able to
slide the fork carriage sideways from the
cabin. "We advised Halewood to use a
sideshifting fork positioner, which gives the
operator the ability to move the forks to the
left and right as a fixed pair as well as the
ability to move the forks closer or wider
from a lever on the control bank inside the
cab," says Mark.
Both the JCB factory and the Gunn JCB
dealership were able to supply excellent
service and technical advice. Halewood
requested various demonstration units and
detailed information - from emission levels
to training packages - which JCB was able
to provide without delay.
Mark Roberts concludes: "There are
now many practical examples where the
Teletruk has been the focal point of a
major repair to the assembly lines. It is
used daily as part of routine maintenance
work and provides the team with a reliable
multi-use vehicle." More articles from JCB Industrial: | 
