Job Reports

Per started his company 2000 after having previously worked as an engineer. Most of the assignments are about fiber cable laying, cable earthwork and cable trouble shooting for the main players on the market.
“Already from the beginning it was a lot of cable excavation”, Per says. “Laying cable has become our specialty even if we work with a lot of other things as well. But perhaps more importantly, it’s not what we do, but how we do it."

"We try to be problem-solvers for our customers. To solve problems and answer questions that occur in most jobs in a flexible and rational way, is probably what leads to more return business. Added to the fact that we also deliver complete solutions including a wide range of fiber blowing, trouble-shooting and ground restoration work for our customers.”

All Per’s excavators are equipped with NOX Tiltrotators, which Per is very satisfied with. Among other machinery, Per runs three Bobcat excavators from three to five tons and three backhoes.

“It has been a fruitful journey for both of us”, Rolf Svensson, sales contact at RF, says. “To see Per’s company grow and to be able to assist both as “sounding board” in different questions and of course as supplier of really good products are things that make me happy. It is also very informative for us at RF to get Per’s thoughts and ideas on what can be done better. Several times over the years, Per has made requests and suggestions which have led to improvements in our overall product offering.”

“RF System in Vinslöv has been our main supplier of buckets and NOX Tiltrotators since I started the company”, Per says. “They think the same way I do. In other words, it is about delivering high quality and well thought-out products and to do it quickly and simply. In case a problem or breakdown arises, RF always solves it one way or another. Downtime is the worst thing that can happen for those like me, but fortunately it happens extremely rarely.”

Per’s three Bobcat excavators are all equipped with NOX tiltrotators from RF. The first was bought seven years ago and still works perfectly. The latest is just under a year old.
“There are several qualities I appreciate with the NOX”, Per says. “They are basically so well constructed, I have never had any breakdowns. We’re often digging very narrow and deep excavations, so it’s a great advantage to avoid protruding hydraulic pistons which are easily damaged. Another benefit is that they are very compact units, so the rotator doesn’t obscure the view for the operator. And the fact that all the hydraulics are inside the machine makes is possible to dig underwater without any problems, which is also incredibly useful’, Per adds..

“We have had some very good experiences in using the NOX Tiltrotator, which is made by Kinshofer, our German parent company”, Rolf says. “It is very well thought-out in every detail. No protruding pistons is a key benefit already mentioned by Per. Other benefits not visible straightaway include a high and constant tilt torque thanks to elliptic piston design, the best tilt angle on the market, low maintenance as the worm drive runs in a permanent oil bath and unique precision thanks to proportional control”.

“It just came along like this because I had been a customer of RF for about five years already”, Martin explains. “RF has good product and as the range is that wide, I can get everything I need from one single supplier. So I decided to get all attachments from them. And well, it is my style to always think about how you could improve different things. During the last years I have told RF some of my thoughts and ideas and they have listened and further developed them. The result has often been a new or improved product. Ok, sometimes it was just a bad idea that I tried to forget as soon as possible”, Martin laughs.

PEAB is the biggest customer

Martin is running the company Mr Lind AB in Hässleholm, Sweden. He has one employee and is working within a network of several small regional entrepreneurs.
“We are a great gang and we help each other out to get large and small works done in and around Hässleholm” Martin says. “It is actually quite nice that I don’t have a big business with a lot of red tape, and yet I can accept bigger tasks together with my network colleagues.

The basis of my machine park is a quite unusual French excavator and I am really happy with it. It is a 9t-Mecalac with a 3t load capacity. For its size it is very strong and flexible. And of course, it is equipped with a NOX Tiltrotator from RF.”

It is already Martin’s second one

“I had my first NOX for four years. But then I bought a bigger one, a TR11. The old one had already run 5.500 working hours without problems and I am sure the new owner will also use it a lot throughout the next years. I am an absolute NOX fan. In my opinion, it beats all the other models on the market. One big advantage is, that there are no pistons that could be damaged, obviously, yet it is very strong, it doesn’t limit the driver’s view and the new control system just rules. I’m not an IT freak and yet even for me it was super-easy to get all the settings of the new NOXPROP control done. It is very advanced and can be used intuitively.“

This cylinderless solution from Kinshofer (headquartered in Germany) was tested and evaluated by the operator.

"It took me about two to three weeks to get used to working with this tiltrotator. I haven‘t worked with one before, but I can still say that this cylinderless and compact design is an advantage", the operator tells us. "It is fast and strong and in the last three months that I have been working with the NOX I can see about 25% time savings. I am still using a co-worker, but the whole job is done so much faster."

Thanks to this universal joint, the excavator has to be repositioned much less, adding up to time savings and working security.
"I just need to move the excavator when the job is not reachable distance-wise or I need to change my work tools. I had seen videos of the NOX and I really like the cylinderless solution, because there is tighter trenching possible, there are less disturbing parts and less greasing. My best buddy at the industry uses convenient cylinder tiltrotators and he tried to convince me into these, but I didn‘t like the cylinder."

Asked about the control system, the operator added "all over a perfect combination, fast and strong but sensitive at the same time with just moving the rollers to the right position. Really cool!"

The drainage between the highway and the neighboring streets and buildings did not only have to be cleared, but also put back in shape with gently slanting slopes - the perfect challenge for the Kinshofer TR14NOX Tiltrotator with 360° rotation and 2 x 50° tilt angle.
This cylinderless solution from Kinshofer (headquartered in Germany) was tested and evaluated by the operator.
"I had a four-hour training with the NOX, but that was enough for me", the operator tells us. "I have been working with the tiltrotator for one week now and I am impressed", he adds.

"The advantages for me are clear: much less travel and it gives easy access to restricted areas. Normally to clean this ditch I need about a week since I have to remove everything around and it only took me two days with the NOX!" he smiles.
Thanks to this universal joint, the excavator has to be repositioned much less, adding up to time savings and working security.

One of its current projects involves clearing an area of trees and undergrowth in Gloucestershire’s picturesque Forest of Dean to restore it to heathland.

It was during a visit to the Hillhead Show around 2003/2004 when they spotted a tilt rotator being demonstrated. “We were so impressed by its performance that we bought that demonstration unit at the show, realizing that it had great potential for shaping Tee’s and Bunkers on golf courses. The logic was that contours could be achieved with far fewer maneuvers which in turn would create less ground disruption plus a time saving benefit,” says company director Shaun Hancox.

“We at that stage were amongst some of the very first users of tilt rotators in this country, and as the years have progressed, we have purchased more tiltrotators from various manufacturers. During this time, we have identified the advantages and in some cases the disadvantages of one product versus another.”
So what’s the big attraction of the Kinshofer tiltrotator that’s employed on the Forest of Dean project?
“In choosing the Kinshofer the deciding factors were compactness and smoothness of operation, with no rams for tilt
function. Rams in some applications are very vulnerable and their replacement comes with the cost both materially and downtime. If this could be avoided the advantages are obvious. We got a lot of damage inflicted to rams on the other brands, and still do, but that’s been eliminated by the Kinshofer. We are always looking to improve the way
we work and if we see something better that’s what we’ll go for. We are definitely a convert to the ramless system.
So far, we have been very impressed by the Kinshofer fitted to our new Doosan 140 excavator, which is proving to be a well-matched combination. So impressed that we have now placed a further order for another Doosan Kinshofer combination, specifically designed for forestry work.”

Shaun was also impressed with its ‘sandwich’ configuration. “We’ve always had direct mount before, but obviously you get occasions when you may want to put a breaker or another attachment, for example, on the machine; the sandwich configuration means you can simply drop off the Kinshofer to do so.”
Shaun adds: “If the Kinshofer continues to perform as well as it is at the present we will probably switch entirely to the brand; I think the manufacturer, in my opinion, has definitely hit on something with a design that represents a big leap forward in tiltrotators.”

"The service of RF is just great," says Sebastian Hartman, owner of Raildiggers. "We have been working closely with RF for about a year now. They offer a large and good range of railway attachments, that just work great," Sebastian adds. 

"And the service is great, I have never felt to be in such good hands before. One example, some time ago we had a machine downtime in Gävle due to a wrong adjustment. When that happened, a technician from RF jumped into the car straightaway and drove all the way from Vinslöv to Gävle to make sure we could soon work again. Now that’s what I call service!"

"We have been working quite some time already with a NOX Tiltrotator on our Hydrema excavator and it clicks like clockwork. It is strong and smooth and it helps a lot that there are no cylinders covering the view."

Emil Nilsson, operator at Raildiggers, is very happy with the TR19NOX Tiltrotator, he has been working with the last six months.

"No doubt, the NOX has a lot of advantages," Emil tells Johan Sjögren from RF System.

"For those of us that are working at night when the trains don’t pass so frequently, it is incredibly important to avoid downtimes. With RF we are sure not only to have a great equipment but also partners that provide a fast service throughout the country in case something happens – even when it is 2 o’clock in the morning."

Emil is also praising the strength and stability of the NOX as well as the gripper, an integrated gripping module. The new gripper that is made of a stronger material and can pick up even small things like a broomstick is very much appreciated by Emil. "The gripper is an important component," Emil explains. "The new gripper we have mounted on the NOX is stronger than the carrier. I often list bundles of rails and when it is too heavy, it is not the Gripper that sets the limit. It is the carrier."

We meet with Emil and Peter Viktorsson, who had been working as a service technician on behalf of RF for many years, in Vallåkra, where Emil had just finished a task.

"I have worked many years for RF," Peter says while he is replacing a valve at Raildiggers’ NOX. "It is a completely new developed valve that will further improve the load holding properties," he adds. "Today we can test the new valve with Email. When it works the way it is supposed to, it might become a standard in the future," Peter says.

Peter, who has been installing and maintaining RF attachments for many years is very content with the NOX from a technical point of view.
"One thing I really appreciate being a technician is, that everything on the NOX is easily accessible," Peter explains. "The tool needs a higher hydraulic pressure and it is important to adjust it correctly. Only in doing so, you will get a strong, fast and flexible tiltrotator with all advantages the NOX provides thanks to its large tilt angle, the missing cylinders and the improved view. Additionally having the best gripper on the market as an accessory is just one more plus."

They chose a sandwich configuration to take up buckets with conventional pins.

“We met with Kinshofer France on our construction site for a supermarket in Brienne-le-Château in Aube district. We were spreading parking layers there. A child’s play”, as Franck, the driver points out.

“With the NOX control on the joysticks, I place the bucket really the way I want.
Thanks to cylinders less, I can also work in trench shielding without to take out my NOX.
Now the job site foreman calls on me for this type of work.
I also take care of the maintenance of the equipment inside the company and last upgrade on the placement of the greasing ports are much easier to access than before.”

Near Krottenthal, a new turn-off lane is to be constructed without obstructing or stopping the regular traffic. Hence, there is often only a small, narrow path available to work at. Thanks to the NOX Tiltrotator by the close-by headquartered company Kinshofer GmbH, these premises do not cause any problem. Since January 2014, this new, large TR25NOX Tiltrotator for excavators with up to 25t / 55,000 lbs operating weight is operated by Max Westermeier, operator at the company Christian Kerndl GmbH. And according to him, the overall impression is „just great“. 

Due to the mobile, cylinderless Tiltrotator, the time-consuming repositioning of the excavator is not necessary anymore.
„Every corner can be cut out or reached without any problem and without changing the excavator’s position“, Westermeier explains. After a short training of only half an hour, the operator could start to work with the Tiltrotator immediately. „The joystick control is very precise and just ingenious. The harmony between the tool and the control is also just great“, Westermeier adds. 

Finally, Max Westermeier climbs up into his excavator and starts to work again with the TR25NOX and a smile on his face. 

“I have worked really well with RF from the start,” says Conny. “They are always busy developing great tools. The collaboration has evolved into a partnership in which we help to develop and test rail construction tools that make work easier and more efficient. It is a win-win situation in which we at CEAB can show, that we are at the forefront in terms of technology and efficiency, and in which RF can present intelligent products and solutions that are carefully tested in practice and have been developed from a user perspective.“
The scope of innovations has also led to Conny receiving a well-deserved honorable mention as Genius 2019 by the industry at the Infrastrukturdagen 2020 in Stockholm.
We visit Conny Andersson, who has been owning and managing the successful company CEAB in Höör with 20 to 25 employees since 2009. The company specializes in rail construction and maintenance. Conny Andersson started working in the construction industry immediately after leaving school and founded Connys Entreprenad in 2009, which is currently in a transition phase to the shorter CEAB brand.
One of the latest projects that RF has carried out together with CEAB is a complete concept for laying a rail track, which is now already fully operational.  

“In 2017 we started to work with RF on the development of a special sleeper layer”, says Conny. “We wanted it to be perfect and after a series of prototypes and careful testing, we are now happy with the result. RF has already sold some sleeper layers both in Sweden and abroad. This solution is perfect for building shorter routes. When the conditions are right, we are able to lay abuot 400 meters of rails per day with three people.”

“The coming years look very positive for us”, says Conny. “There is a lot of major rail construction going on in southern Sweden and the demand is high. We are looking for companies with experience, knowledge and good resources; simply companies that offer complete solutions. We have a strong team that has a good knowledge and the right attitude, so we have great opportunities to get business.“

The Demarec Multi-Quick Processor has a great strength/weight/jaw opening ratio. Thanks to the unique DemaLink system the jaws can be exchanged hydraulically fast and easy.

Within only some minutes, the function of the MQP can be changed from scrap shear to a concrete pulverizer or crusher. There are no needless downtimes and you always have the right tool for the present task. Thanks to the DemaLink system the jaws can be exchanged safely on site by only one person. 

Additionally, the cylinder has up to 20% more performance compared to conventional cylinders thanks to the use of 4 pressure chambers.

This time, the company Van de Kraats and Bouw chose the Extreme-version of the DSP-30. It is equipped with the patented DemaPower-System 2.0. This unique cylinder technique has been developed by the Demarec engineers. The DemaPower-System possesses a double-acting differential technology, resulting in extremely fast cycle times oft he pulverizer. The jaws open and close within 5 seconds only.

Furthermore, the cylinder achieves up to 20% more power then conventional cylinders thanks to the use of 4 pressure chambers. This results in an enormous performance increase during work that can reach up to 30%. Demarec is always a very economic solution.

Wim Bouw: “The fact, that Demarec pulverizers have so many exchangeable wear parts, was crucial for the decision to buy.”

Van de Kraats en Bouw B.V. was founded 52 years ago and its 10 employees are working in demolition, recycling and trade of used construction materials – always focusing on quality and safety.  

The office is responsible for the daily administative work like e.g. the calculation and planning of demolition jobs. Futhermore, the waste recycling is also coordinated from there.
Wim Bouw: “Our clients are mainly demolition colleagues, the government and companies from the area Ede, Utrecht, Apeldoorn and Anrhem. Our vision for the future is not so much growth, but to keep the quality of our service consistent.”

Lommerde: “When we were working at the banks of river Schie in Holland, fixing frames there, we came across so much debris, that it was impossible to place a piling wall without first removing gravel, washed up wood and iron from the ground.” 

To make that happen we used a Demarec DRG with a special modification. A hole was drilled into the rotor’s housing to prevent too much dirt being collected inside, that could damage the mechanism.”
He adds that is had been part of the same project to place the cornerstone for the pier protection beforehand.
Lommerde describes the relation with Demarec as very pleasing. “There are no long waiting times and the employees always think outcome-oriented in collaboration with the customer. When we ordered the second grab, they visited us to make sure what kind of modifications had to be done. And they deliver high-quality products, that is why we only use DRG-grabs in the water.”

In fact, it was this added efficiency along with build quality and maintenance-friendly benefits which
saw the Doherty Snaplock+ Tilt become a preferred attachment for Paul and his team. With an impressive 180 degrees of tilt, and no unwanted movement, it provided the increased maneuverability and versatility they needed.
“The Doherty Tilt is definitely stronger and a better build quality than others, with the smoothest operation of any tilt hitch I’ve used!”

In addition, the Snaplock+ Tilt has been purposely designed with an eye to machinery maintenance
schedules and costs - the actuator only has two moving parts and is triple sealed with no daily
maintenance required. Jeremy further explains, “Less time in the workshop means more time on-site, giving increased productivity and more money in your pocket.
Buying the right gear can save you thousands of dollars over the product’s lifetime.”
With its efficiency and double locking features, Paul agrees the Snaplock+ tilt has provided safety for
operators and a natural increase in throughput for business.

Established in 2018, this specialized contracting firm has secured some detailed projects, and as a result, owner-operator Mike Bowe and office administrator wife Katy haven’t looked back.

Equipped with 3D Machine control technology and a Hitachi ZX130-5B, Mike says he prefers to concentrate on the business end of the excavator, ensuring he’s kitted out with quality earthmoving attachments to get the job done right first time. With multiple subdivision projects having varied tasks and requiring different types and sized attachments, keeping downtime to a minimum and getting great service from an attachment supplier is a top priority.

“As we see changes in the industry, the work evolves and prices get tighter, contractors need to invest in good reliable and productive gear to be able to make a dollar,” says Mike. “Our aim is to do it right first time. We don’t muck around; we do what needs to be done and find the most efficient
way to do it.”

After using many different types of brands and seeing the flaws in shape, strength, capacity, and ergonomics, Mike says he decided to do his own research comparing various attachment companies.
“It became clear that as technology evolved, this had created better products and service from some suppliers, which I could pass onto my customers.”
Based on his research results, Mike started using Doherty Couplers and Attachments after he saw what they had created for the civil works.
“It really was a no-brainer to go with Doherty. Their attachments ensure we achieve the efficiencies we’re after.”

Our fully compliant Snaplock+ range focuses on high safety specifications with both couplers and tilts having a dual pin locking system,” explains Chris. “This system ensures attachments remain securely engaged on both pins in the event of loss of engagement force.”
The Powerdig Series has been designed to maximize breakout and minimize fuel usage, the shape of the Powerdig cuts through the ground with minimal resistance while the deep,
double-radius design achieves maximum payload.
“The unique shape allows the operator to fill the bucket to 100% capacity,” Chris says.
“This provides a bucket that not only digs faster but also reduces fuel consumption.”

In December 2018, KPN Telecom started laying fibre optics cables in four Dutch cities. Part of the telecommunications company's new strategy is that it wants to connect one million households to the fibre network by 2021. This strategy is accelerating KPN's transformation from a telephone company into a modern telecommunications company. T-Mobile has also received approval in Rotterdam to provide 35,000 houses with fibre connections. An estimated 32,000 km or more of cable will be laid in the ground in the coming years.

Atsa Infra Tel is one of the bigger parties that carry out their own excavation work for laying cables. The above-mentioned developments mean that without expansion, Atsa Infra Tel cannot take on any more new business until 2023! Owner Mr Harun Sarac says: ‘We now excavate most trenches for fibre optics cables using our Takeuchi TB216 machines equipped with a trenching bucket. Considering the large amount of work in the market, we cannot stand still, and we are thus always looking for innovative solutions. As we have been a customer of Verhoeven for years now, we joined forces in looking for new possibilities. The question was a simple one: how can we cut our trenches more efficiently and effectively?”

On a Takeuchi TB240, operator Marc Kursten demonstrates the Auger Torque MT600 with a 100 mm HD chain weighing 254 kg. He achieved an average of two metres a minute, including avoiding tree roots and removing rubble. The test proved that the Auger Torque trencher is the perfect answer to the prevailing market demand for a solution for cutting trenches effectively and efficiently. Sarac was also very impressed. ‘This works fabulously, at least it gets the job done quicker!’, he said. The machine's power in combination with the trencher ensures significantly better performances compared with separate trenchers that are available on caterpillars.

Drawing the trench is just as simple as reversing the mini excavator. You can cut a perfect trench at a steady pace. Even less experienced operators will find cutting a trench a piece of cake. Sarac concludes by telling colleague companies that ‘the combination of a trencher and an excavator is extremely suitable for laying fibre optics cables such as those provided for by Asta Infra Tel, but certainly also for companies that lay piping from A to B in greenhouses, for example, or companies that provide drainage solutions. There is plenty of work!’

Kinshofer grapple saw KM 634-0,35-3Z was the perfect tool for what Mark was looking at. Fallsway Equipment is the distributor of CAT, Mitsubishi, Jungheinrich, Kalmar, and Manitou manufacturers in Canton, Akron, Youngstown, Mansfield, and Marion, Ohio.  
Fallsway is also a truck and warehouse equipment distributor in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The company has been a reliable dealer of Kinshofer crane products for many years.

When meeting with Pete in 2017, Sebastien Berche, product manager for crane attachments in North America, made him aware of the Kinshofer range of products, including the grapple saw for telehandlers. So, when the Kidron Tree Service project started back in March 2018, Pete reached out to Kinshofer to get more information on the grapple saw we offer.

As the Manitou telehandler was used, Kinshofer had also to provide the mounting bracket onto the grapple saw to fit the Manitou. The project went through several discussions and was finally done in July 2018 for a delivery in October 2018.

The grapple saw has already worked more than 600 hours and shows no sign of weakness.

Kidron Tree Service has only replaced the saw blade a couple of times; “it is a 10-minute job to replace the blade”, said one of the Kidron Tree Service employees.Mark really likes the grapple saw. He says that he can achieve jobs that he would have declined before and he saves a lot of time on daily jobs he is used to work on.

About this project, Pete Maraldo (Fallsway) said that once Kinshofer agreed on providing the grapple saw equipped with all what was needed to mount it onto the telehandler, he was very confident with the deal.
Pete is now advertising the grapple saw in the northeast Ohio area and he is sure he will get more deals done in the next future.