THE first Kobelco excavator in Kinetic Demolition’s fleet was recently put to work on an internal office strip out project at Hamilton Technology Park.
The Stage V-compliant SK140SRLC with two-position boom was bought for small demolition applications such as indoor industrial unit tasks and for jobs where space is tight. The 14-tonne machine, purchased from Molson Young, has been specified with rubber block pads, upgraded belly plate, sideguards, and ram guards.
Kinetic Demolition general manager Ray Harvey said, “We were looking to add another machine to our fleet. We were getting a lot of internal strip out jobs and needed a small, compact machine to carry out that type of work.
“We went out to the market to see what was available, spoke to Molson, looked at the Kobelco product, looked at the capability of it, and decided to make a move on this particular machine because it ticked all the boxes.
“The machine has been performing very well to date. We’ve not really tested it to its full capability as of yet, but operator feedback is great. Attachment-wise, the machine’s got plenty of power. We’re just learning about the capability and what we can actually put on the machine.”
The technology park project involved a soft strip back to shell with an element of mechanical demolition. The office space featured a mezzanine deck with concrete floor. Kinetic’s task was to clear the space for the client ahead of a new tenant moving in.
Ray added, “This is the first job we’ve had a proper attachment on the Kobelco. A selector grab came with it. We, for the first time, put a shear on it, put a muncher on in, a concrete pulveriser, so we weren’t too sure of the capability of it. It was a bit of a learning curve.”
Edinburgh-based Kinetic Demolition carries out a wide variety of projects, from small residential demolitions through to large scale industrial dismantling applications. Prior to buying the Kobelco, Ray explained that the machines in the fleet were too big for this type of office strip out task.
“We were looking for a machine, a bit of a Swiss Army Knife really, zero tail swing, two-position boom so it can work in tight against the side of the building, but we can also stretch the boom out to work at height,” he added. “We looked at various different manufacturers. The predominant factor from our perspective was lead times for availability for equipment.
“This is our first experience of Kobelco in the fleet. We’ve had no issues at all; I can see it being a useful addition to our fleet for sure. We do a lot for the defence sector, oil and gas, residential. We’ve probably not tested it fully yet, but so far so good.”
Referring to the relationship with Molson, Ray described the business as ‘very reactive’ and offers a ‘great service’. “We’ve obviously got a lot of questions considering it’s a new machine,” he explained. “We’re not used to Kobelco as a product, so we’re learning about it. (Molson is) always on hand to answer any questions.”
