Excavators without tilt- rotators - Engcon

Disability is no obstacle with
a specially adapted crawler
excavator
It looks just like any crawler excavator,
and the work is progressing exactly
as usual. The big difference is
the two guys taking turns to operate
the machine. Sebastian Lindéh and
Henrik Fredriksson are both wheelchair-bound.
“My dream is to work as an excavator
operator”, says Sebastian.
Henrik has had spinal nerve damage since
birth. But his disability hasn’t stopped him
from helping his dad operate a timber truck or
wheel loader in and around Borås. You could
say that he was also born with his passion for
machinery.
Sebastian’s story is slightly different. At the
age of 15, he enrolled in the automotive programme
in an independent day school in
Skåne, Sweden. A year later, he was a passenger
in a car crash. Sebastian was badly crushed,
and remained paralysed from the waist down.
“I’ve always loved machines, but after the accident
I thought it was the end of the road,” he
says.
It wasn’t. Thanks to Riksgymnasiet, an upper
secondary school for disabled students, Sebastian
and Henrik got the chance to realise their
dreams. Riksgymnasiet initiated a collaboration
with Wendesgymnasiet upper secondary
school in Kristianstad, and commissioned Delvator
to adapt an excavator for Sebastian’s and
Henrik’s special needs.
“Delvator did a truly excellent job,” says automotive
teacher Jörgen Lindström.
Technology box
New screw casing
Since September, engcon has gradually been installing
a new screw casing on its tiltrotators. The
main new feature is a hole in the casing that facilitates
the mounting of a central lubrication
system. The new screw casing is fully compatible
with the older model, and will replace it as a spare
part.
The new screw casing requires a new type of
shim. Unlike the old model, the new screw casing
is shimmed between the casing and body. This
makes the shimming easier and reduces wear.
8
The result was a disabled-adapted Hitachi
Zaxis 130 with an engcon EC15. Jörgen, Sebastian
and Henrik describe the most important
adaptations:
• Wider 700-bands and an extra entrance
step makes it easier for Henrik, who has partial
mobility, to get in and out.
• The pedal functions have been transferred
to two joysticks with rollers.
• The seat is air cushioned and can be adjusted
to various positions.
• A radio-controlled lift enables Sebastian to
get in and out of the machine.
Minister visits
engcon
At the end of last year, Migration Minister Tobias Billström
visited engcon. Impressed by engcon’s continued explosive
growth, he commented, “Companies like this are vital
growth engines in Swedish industry.”
CEO Stig Engström guided Billström around engcon’s facilities.
HR manager Mikael Persson stressed the importance
of integration, since Sweden can’t sustain the entire labour
market on domestic labour alone.
Sebastian Lindéh operates the school’s specially equipped Hitachi,
while Henrik Fredriksson instructs him with the help of various hand signs.
They both dream of becoming excavator operators after graduating.
“Delvator also chose to attach an engcon
EC15, and it works beautifully,” says Jörgen.
Sebastian and Henrik agree.
“The tiltrotator is a must in certain situations,
for example during sloping work,” says
Sebastian.
Dreams of loading trucks
Sebastian and Henrik are currently in their
third year of the 4-year programme. The reason
for the extra year is that they attend physiotherapy
sessions during school hours. Both
boys have been specialising in excavators and
excavator loaders since their second study year,
and will graduate in the summer term of
2009.
“Above all, I hope I get a job so I can continue
digging. That’s what I want to do. Most
of all, I’d like to load trucks,” Sebastian says.
After some reflection, Henrik says:
“When you’re in a wheelchair, you probably
don’t have a huge choice of jobs. I hope there’s
something out there for me too.”
Their teacher Jörgen will be happy to provide
references if necessary.
“The fact is that the boys are as good as any
other student machine operators once they’re
inside the machine. They have no problems at
all operating it,” he says proudly.
Vid montering av centralsmörjning är det Shimset går att vända åt alla håll då det är
förberett för slanggenomgång genom skruvkåpan. symetriskt.
Rekommendationerna är därför att vända hålet
enligt bilden.
engcon Head Office +46 670 17800 • engcon Denmark +45 202 035 84 • engcon Finland +35 8 63 222 81
engcon GmbH +49 9342 93485-0 • engcon UK +44 1564 785 161
www.engcon.com info@engcon.com
Så här ser det nya shimset till den nya skruvkåpan
ut, shimset är även kompatibelt med äldre
skruvkåpor
engcon supports
ice hockey both
home and away
engcon and the elite league hockey team
Skellefteå AIK will raise ice hockey in
Strömsund and Jämtland to new heights.
“Our aim is to make Strömsund an even
more attractive town – and of course it’s
also good publicity,” says engcon’s CEO
Stig Engström.
At the end of last year, a three-year agreement was
signed between engcon, Skellefteå AIK, the IFK
Strömsund sports club and the Hjalmar Strömerskolan
ice hockey high school in Strömsund. engcon’s
sponsorship of Skellefteå AIK won’t just give
us advertising space on sweaters and in the home
arena; it will also benefit Strömsund in various
ways.
For instance, Skellefteå AIK will hold a training
week in Strömsund once a year and play at least
one match against another elite league team.
What’s more, the students at the ice hockey high
school will have the opportunity to train with
Skellefteå AIK, and IFK Strömsund Hockey will
get help with training, material and cup events.
“The strong publicity generated by this agreement
has already raised Strömsund’s profile,” commented
Stig Engström when the agreement was
signed.
This will indirectly benefit local industry. The
positive publicity and increased appeal will make it
easier for businesses to attract the necessary manpower
to Strömsund, which is currently in a phase
of expansion.
“Although there’s still good manpower available
here, we sometimes need to import spearhead
expertise. Then it helps to be able to offer something
in addition to the work itself,” explains Stig
Engström.
engcon invests
in Germany
engcon has operated on the German market
since the mid-1990s, and has built up a dealer
network with its own sales office in Berlin.
Now engcon is strengthening its German
presence still further by founding its own company,
engcon Germany GmbH, which will be
fully integrated with the market and customers.
“We’ll review our German dealer network,
with the aim of covering the whole country
with either our own resources or skilled partners,”
says sales manager Christer Zander, who
previously worked for Volvo CE.
Our German business
will be presented in more
detail in the next issue of
Tilt & Rotate.
Christer Zander, sales manager
at engcon Germany GmbH, previ-
ously worked in the marketing de-
partment of Volvo CE in Germany.
Tilt & Rotate is published by engcon Nordic AB
Official publisher: Sten Strömgren,
sten.stromgren@engcon.se
Postal address:
Box 111, SE-833 22 Strömsund, Sweden
Street address:
Industricentravägen, Strömsund, Sweden
Phone: +46 (0)670 178 00
Fax: +46 (0)670 178 28
Website: www.engcon.com
Tilt & Rotate is produced in collaboration with
Strateg Marknadsföring AB, Örebro, Sweden.