When Salvage Management and Disposals (SMD), one of South Africa’s leading vehicle management and sales companies, wanted to update its older forklift fleet the company looked beyond traditional replacements. Having analyzed a number of options for the specialized vehicle handling work, the company settled on customized SDLG wheel loaders from Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (known as Lingong).
SMD purchased two SDLG LG938L wheel loaders, with a 3-ton lift capacity, and had each fitted with special attachments to suit their specific workload. The machines were supplied by Babcock International Group, the exclusive distributor of SDLG machinery in southern Africa.
Consistent quality, minimal costs
SMD provides a variety of vehicle services, including collection, processing, storage and sales from several locations across South Africa. The company specializes in vehicles that have been repossessed or damaged.
The SDLG wheel loaders have been modified to handle specific tasks which include moving accident-damaged vehicles around the company’s yard. To do this they have been fitted with forks and a customized platform to improve the loading process. The modifications provide a stable and safe way of moving loads. The forklifts that previously handled the work had encountered mobility and stability issues on the yard’s rough terrain, but the uneven ground poses no problems for the SDLG units.
“The modified LG938L wheel loaders are working well, doing a very demanding job,” says Lourie Yssel, Head of Salvage at SMD. “The machines provide high power and excellent stability, while the in-cab air conditioning and easy transmission shift patterns make them very popular with our operators.”
Five SMD operators have been trained by Babcock to drive the LG938L wheel loaders. Each received a certificate of competence from the dealer at the end of their course.
The LG938L has been engineered to provide maximum power and performance while keeping costs to a minimum, eliminating waste and improving efficiency. The machines have a long wheel base which means they can stay stable on virtually any terrain while delivering fast, efficient operation. Power for the LG938L comes from a China-built Dongfeng Cummins 6BT5.9 engine which delivers 97 kW of power at 2,200 rpm and 560 Nm of torque. Maximum forward speed is 36 km/h and the machines travel through four forward and three reverse gears.
International success
The LG938L is manufactured along with other wheel loaders, excavators, road machinery and construction equipment at Lingong’s production facility in Linyi, Shandong Province, China. SDLG machines are built using the manufacturer’s unique Lingong Production System, which incorporates industry-leading lean manufacturing processes. This means costs are kept to a minimum and savings are passed on to the customer. SDLG machinery offers versatile solutions to a variety of tough jobs, and their multi-purpose wheel loaders have been introduced to a diverse range of industrial sectors - from mining to agriculture, and from materials handling to cement production.
In recent years the company has been expanding quickly in markets outside its native China, as customers recognize the quality and cost efficiency the machines bring. In South Africa, Babcock has been enjoying considerable success with the brand.
“Considering that Babcock has only been distributing and supporting this range since February 2012, the uptake of SDLG equipment across southern Africa has been substantial,” says Stefan Bach, SDLG Business Manager for Africa. “We have machines operating in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Swaziland and Mozambique, and the feedback we’re getting from our customers is unanimously positive.”
Founded in 1891, Babcock International is a leading engineering support services organization and an established and trusted dealer of construction equipment, supplying to the energy, process, mining and construction industries throughout Africa.
