SANY H9 Consumes 9
Cooper Specialised Handling Ltd, the UK’s premier one-stop-shop for port equipment supply has released details of real-time fuel use of the award-winning Sany H9 reach stacker. The results being that the fuel saving is considerably advanced on that which was expected or initially advertised.
The Maritime Transport Ltd rail terminal in Tilbury have employed two H9 stackers since December 2019. The duty is a standard rail and yard environment with 20 and 40’ laden containers being transited from rail to road via a stacking area and vice versa. It remains a busy terminal with a premium on turning inbound traffic around in minimal time.
Maritime Transport Ltd are also very ‘fuel-aware’ – both in terms of the cost of burning diesel but also its impact on the environment. They previously were used to a consumption of 22 litres for each hour the machines worked at the terminal.
Initially, the H9s were installed with factory default settings. Early indications showed fuel rate had reduced to under 12 litres per hour. However, following some trimming of the machine, where Cooper staff sit with the operator and adjust the operating parameters of the machine to find optimum performance, this has now fallen below 9 litres per hour in a busy fully-laden container handling environment.
Chris Barnes commented “To achieve 8.6 litres of fuel per hour in a laden container handling environment is truly remarkable – this is a reduction of over 50% and even less than an unladen container handler that employs a 7-litre engine. When we started with H9, we understood the savings to be nearer 30%”.
When pressed on why it was so low, Chris advised “The on-board energy-recovery system of course is taking away significant engine load, but this is not the only factor. Lower machine weight and balance, operational speed when static lifting all helps – the machine hardly rotates at more than 1500rpm so there is a bonus of reduced noise too”
Tom Glenn, National Plant Manager of MTL verified the fuel numbers and added he was “pleasantly surprised at how low the fuel burn-rate was but was equally keen to impress this is not as a consequence of long idling ratios – a practice that MTL have practically eliminated through a combination of training and technology”. Tom added “machine performance is not compromised either, we are moving the same volumes just at half the fuel costs and the operators are comfortable too”
This fuel rate is believed to be the lowest fuel rate in a heavy traffic reach stacker environment in the UK. As Chris Barnes points out “With the Chancellor’s abolition of red diesel pending in 2 years, fuel costs will become even more relevant. If you can save 12 litres per hour and the machine runs for 25000 hours, that is the capital cost of a reachstacker difference!”
The Sany H9 was launched in early 2019 and was the recipient of the FLTA Innovation awards for excellence in Spring last year. This recognition was added further with the 2020 IFOY Special Vehicle Award in Germany arranged by the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Sector Association. In both awards however, fuel saving was quoted at considerably less than these field trials have confirmed
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Editor’s Notes
Operating in all sectors of heavy lifting across the UK and Ireland, Cooper Specialised Handling is the exclusive UK distributor for SveTruck, RAM Spreaders, Telestack bulk material handling conveying systems and Sany mobile handling equipment, sole UK importer and exclusive distributor for Mantsinen cranes, Movella Translifters, TEC Containers and a long-term specialist in Konecranes lift trucks. The company, which celebrated 20 years in business in 2018, also has a dedicated after-sales division, Cooper Specialised Handling Ireland, which specialises in engineering support.
Independently owned, Cooper offers total solutions in both solids and bulk handling. Its customised solutions comprise high quality, high value products and reliable service for businesses operating in the most challenging heavy handling environments, including ports, freight handling, inter-modal terminals, manufacturing and other heavy lifting industries.