Equipment hire and sales company Austrack Equipment recently unveiled two new initiatives set to shake up the pipeline industry.
Attendees to the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association Convention, which took place in Adelaide in October, can all attest to one fact: there was no missing Austrack Equipment’s impressive stand.
The company debuted its newly minted Hitachi ZX 170 SafeVac SV200 combination. This powerful amalgam takes vacuum lifting to new heights, pairing the powerful wheeled excavator body of the Hitachi with the ingenuity of the SafeVac lifting system. Together, the system has a lifting capacity of 1400kg, or 2500kg when counterweighted.
These lifting capacities, combined with the ground speed of the excavator, make this combination ideal for handling and placing HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe. With minimal adjustments, the unit is also highly effective for lifting concrete slabs, steel plates, and a wide range of other materials within its safe working load. The wheeled configuration offers the added advantage of being able to operate in environments where tracked units may be unsuitable, such as street works, where speed and manoeuvrability are key considerations.
“Austrack’s SafeVac SV200 and Hitachi ZX170 are truly a killer combination, delivering unmatched performance and versatility in a range of lifting applications,” Austrack Equipment Managing Director Michael Benson said.
Like its big brother, the SV400, the SV200 is engineered to the highest performance and safety standards, fully compliant with the stringent EN 13155 European Standard.
A product of meticulous engineering, Austrack Equipment has customised the natural void in the dipper arm to function as a vacuum chamber, supplying the vacuum pressure required for lifting operations. This innovative design eliminates the need for a conventional spreader bar, offering significant weight-saving benefits.
Another key advantage of this design is that the vacuum tank in the dipper arm is positioned directly above the single vacuum shoe, ensuring rapid and secure engagement with lifted objects.
The SV200 is also equipped with the same advanced datalogging capabilities that have made the SV400 so highly valued. New to the SV200 and Hitachi ZX170 combo is the improved in-cabin system controller, which provides critical operational information to the operator such as vacuum pressure performance, pitch and roll data for the single shoe, which is all delivered in real time.
This also includes safety features such as comprehensive screen information, which removes the need for manual inspection of many features such as oil level; an audible alarm that warns of proximity of lifted pipe to cabin; and pre-start electronic logging.
Difco All-Star screening buckets
As impressive as the SV200 was up close, it wasn’t the only star of the show for Austrack Equipment. The company also seized the opportunity at the annual convention to announce its new partnership with a leading name in screening buckets in Europe.
Austrack Equipment is now the exclusive agent for Difco All-Star screening buckets in the Australian and New Zealand markets.
The buckets, which attach to skid steers, excavators, and diggers, are used to screen topsoil. This allows topsoil to be separated from heavier aggregates which, in the pipeline industry, makes for ideal pipe bedding and padding material.
But unlike other screening buckets on the market, the All-Star’s sifting components are constructed of high-grade polyurethane, making it incredibly light for its size. The other benefit of these replaceable plastic components is low operating noise, minimising the toll on workers, the environment, and surrounding community. Perhaps the All Star’s single most important benefit is that the units can be serviced on site, rather than the usual requirement of having to take them offsite to a workshop. That means less downtime and more efficiency.
All-Star buckets come in a range of different bucket and sifter sizes, with sifter shafts ranging from 10mm to 50mm, and buckets from one tonne up to larger units suitable for 35-tonne diggers.
And now Difco has extended its range with the introduction of the 31-50-tonne bucket, ideal for Australian conditions where quality backfill and high material throughput are critical.
With single point greasing and shift change sifting shafts, All-Star buckets are simple and affordable to maintain.
Benson said Austrack Equipment is excited to bring these exciting products to the Australian market.
“Whether you’re dealing with topsoil, stone, excavated spoil or even the toughest construction debris, this bucket is built to handle the most demanding environments,” he said.
“There’s no need for extra machinery or high transport costs – with just one operator and one machine, the All-Star gets the job done.”
With the SafeVac SV200 and an exclusive partnership with Difco under its belt, Austrack Equipment is poised for an exciting 2025.
For more information, visit the website.
This feature also appears in the November edition of The Australian Pipeliner.
