Sennebogen electric dragline for Hanson Brick

HANSON Building Products’ Brick division has recently taken delivery of a 180-tonne Sennebogen 6180HD electric dragline – one of the largest draglines to be sold in the UK for several years.

Supplied by UK Sennebogen distributors E. H. Hassell of Stoke-on-Trent, the new machine will operate at Must Farm Quarry, near Whittlesey, in Cambridgeshire, supplying material to the Kings Dyke and Saxon brick factories.

Driven by a 450kW electric motor and with a line pull of up to 2 x 30 tonnes, the 6180HD features a state-of-the-art hydraulic system, electric speed sensing, additional hydraulics and is said to offer precise control and high line speeds, while being robust and service friendly.

Hassell’s brief was to supply a machine that was capable of supplying the two factories with enough material to operate both day and night production shifts. However, to meet planning restrictions and minimize environmental impacts, all the material has to be supplied to a clay store which operates on a day shift only.

Commenting on the new machine, Geoffrey Howson, operations manager at Hanson Bricks (South), said: ‘Over a period of two years we met with many dragline manufacturers to source a machine that would not only meet our production capacities, but also satisfy strict planning guidelines.

‘Having met with Ian Hassell and viewed a 6180 machine in operation, we agreed a specification that would require the machine to be electrically powered to reduce the impact the dragline will have on the local environment.

‘Ian, together with Sennebogen, took into account our needs and offered the first 6180HD electric dragline to be manufactured in the Sennebogen factory. The machine is one of the largest draglines to be supplied in the UK for many years and we are confident it will satisfy our requirements.’