Sennebogen to develop Green Line machines for demolition

In a major move, German manufacturer Sennebogen is introducing two new demolition machines based on its material handlers. Lindsay Gale reports

Sennebogen is currently examining sectors other than materials handling where it thinks its base machines could serve well, and the demolition sector is one that offers potential. This has been confirmed by requests it has received over the years from contractors who wanted a Sennebogen carrier because of its design, making it obvious there is potential demand for demolition versions of its machines

The first product of this is a demolition machine that makes use of a crawler waste handler carrier. The 43 tonne D-series 830R is available in two versions, the K15 ULM with a working height of 15 m (49 ft) and the K17 ULM, with a working height of 17 m (66 ft). It features a stable, hydraulically extendable (to 4.5 m) and reinforced undercarriage and can carry a 3 tonne tool at full height. In addition it can work with this tool weight in the full 360° radius.

One of the most striking features of the machine is the hydraulically raising and tilting cab, which puts the operator that much closer to the business end of the machine. The cab of course will be fully protected as will the hydraulic systems required for it to function. Sennebogen believes it is essential to guarantee the safety of the driver and give him good visibility to the area he is working on and the site around him.

Sennebogen’s plan is to enter the demolition market with the 830 followed by an 840 crawler model, The 65 tonne 840 model, currently under development, will have a working height of 21 m (69 ft) or perhaps even 22 m (72 ft). Its counterweight and track elements will be removable, reducing the carrier weight to 30 tonnes to allow easy transport.

Depending on how the two machines are received by the demolition industry, Sennebogen hopes to produce a demolition version of all its crawler material handler models, up to and including the 880.

Sennebogen has no current plans to produce wheeled versions, since demolition sites do not suit the use of wheeled machines and deploying the stabilisers properly would be difficult because of the ground conditions that are encountered. The higher travel speed offered by wheeled machines is not of great importance in the demolition role, Sennebogen believes.

One key benefit of the approach it has adopted is that their machine will provide a multi-function role without a boom change. Simply mounting a grab in place of the demolition attachment turns the machine into a material handler that can carry out a wide range of applications, from loading through sorting etc. The machine can even do a limited degree of earthmoving fitted with a bucket.

At first glance, it might seem to have been a considerable investment for the company to make but in reality it is not that great. Sennebogen is a firm believer in modularity when it comes to its equipment, therefore to produce these machines is simply a matter of designing them using components already available and in use, and given the number of boom options it already has, designing the demolition boom was just part of its normal day-to-day work. In terms of machine cost, Sennebogen says that their solution will be less expensive than a comparable excavator modified with a high reach boom of similar height.

Sennebogen expects the 830 to be formally launched in September of this year, with the 840 following at the beginning of 2009.