Jed Willman FINAL lrVictoria’s holiday coastline from Geelong down to Lorne is one of the State’s most popular locations, so it’s no surprise that many people are building their retirement dreams and holiday getaways to be close to beaches and coastal forest. Builders commonly specify piling that needs to be sunk deep into the sides of hills that overlook the beaches and valleys. Drilling and piling contractors such as Jed Willman are kept fully booked, as construction of housing remains buoyant in this high demand area.
With a busy workload and looking to expand into screw piling, Torquay-based Jed had already experienced considerable success with his hard worked Takeuchi TB145 excavator. The high torque specifications for screw piling meant he needed more hydraulic power, so he invested in a new Takeuchi TB260 excavator equipped with a Digga PD15 auger drive. Jed has run up to a 900mm diameter auger bit with a drilling depth of over 4.5 metres.
Hydraulic flow needed to be increased to deliver the 15,000 Nm torque required for screw piling, so the Takeuchi distributor Semco installed a switch that links all the hydraulic pumps on the TB260 excavator to increase hydraulic output for maximum flow. A visual pressure gauge within the cabin of the excavator allows the operator to monitor the hydraulic pressure that is being delivered to the auger drive.
The excavator operator is able to switch between standard or combined pump modes. Valves on the pumps limit flow to ensure sufficient hydraulic operating power is left in reserve for other machine functions.
Jed Willman FINAL 3 lr“Most of the earthwork involves drilling into the typical soft clay found in the coastal region, however we sometimes have to use our rock drill when the going gets tough. The combination of the TB 260 with its ample power has dramatically added to the productivity of the business. Since purchasing the equipment in April this year, the equipment has been running trouble-free every day. Even when using our existing standard auger, we have doubled the speed of our drilling operation”, said Jed.
The Takeuchi TB260 six tonne excavator and auger will be featured on the Semco stand # C39 at the ACE Expo 2015 in Melbourne.
