Steelbro’s New Next Generation SB363 Sidelifter
Read about Perth based Goldstar Transport who recently received the delivery of Steelbro’s new Next Gen sidelifters in an article publish on ATN – Steelbro’s New Next Generation SB363 Sidelifter
Stock Units Available Now
Steelbro have a limited number of units available for immediate delivery. Check out the list below or get in touch for details. Enquire Now
SB362 Goosneck
SB362 Steelbro Gooseneck Sidelifter – Cost effective transportation, loading and unloading of containers. Gooseneck trailer supports carrying of 20’ and 40’ HC containers in height restricted areas.
Stock Unit Product Features
- SB362 36 Tonne lifting capacity
- Gooseneck tunnel rigid 40ft chassis
- Blue chassis, White cranes
- Handles 20ft, 2 x 20ft, 40ft containers and double stacks
- 4.05 m outreach handling awkward or misaligned containers with ease.
- Fitted with Kubota engine power pack
- Includes container detection and toolbox
- Left hand lift
- Control Plus monitoring and control module fitted
- Lateral protection fitted
- Delivery ex stock Turkey.
For further details and pricing enquire now
SB450 rigid chassis – SB450RSH2040
Stock Unit SB9881 Product Features
- 45 Tonne lifting capacity
- Trailer is ex demo approx 5000kms, fitted cranes new
- Heavy duty rigid 2040 chassis
- Left hand lift
- Grey chassis, grey cranes
- Handles 20ft, 2 x 20ft, 40ft containers and double stacks
- 3.9 m outreach handling awkward or misaligned containers with ease.
- Fitted with Kubota engine power pack
- York axles and suspension
- ABS
- Analogue control
- Delivery ex stock China
For further details and pricing enquire now
Steelbro’s Latest Malaysia Sidelifter Offers the Best of Both Worlds
Steelbro is excited to introduce the SB362 sidelifter to the Malaysian market. This new model customised for Malaysia, gives transport operators a new option in sidelifter technology.
Operators wishing to transport and deliver lighter loads more economically may find this new model becomes their first choice. Simply put, the design seamlessly combines the very best of both worlds – low tare weight and proven strength and durability in one unit. Faced with two competing yet important design objectives, Steelbro set out to produce a sidelifter that met the optimum needs of low tare weight, while at the same time delivering proven strength and durability.
The SB362 has been tried and tested in New Zealand and Australia where it enjoys a strong presence in the commercial road transport market. For some years the SB362 has become a top selling product in those countries. Many operators approve of the technology and have been impressed by its performance, e.g. having the ability to lift up to a 36-tonne weight yet answering the payload challenge.
With a 36-tonne lifting capacity, the sidelifter is quick and stable and boasts an outreach of more than four metres to provide ease of operation. The SB362 is available with a separate power pack system with Kubota engine. This means that the sidelifter can operate with any truck without any specific hydraulic fittings, and gives more flexibility for operators with a fleet of trucks. In addition, this model will handle 20 ft containers, 40 ft containers as well as 2 x 20 ft containers side by side. It will also handle the double stacking of containers, an added feature when space is at a premium.
Although based on an existing successful design, the SB362 you’ll see in Malaysia has been carefully modified for the Malaysian market. Steelbro designers gave this customised unit a heavy-duty chassis to cater to the Malaysian environment and conditions. The design uses similar running gear to the already popular Steelbro model (SB450) for seamless integration with other units in the fleet. Sidelifters are also JPJ and Dosh compliant.
The New Malaysia model is not expected to replace the SB450 unit, but will offer an alternative choice, and in some cases supplement the existing fleet. According to Steelbro, operators are still expected to choose the SB450 when conditions are extreme and call for a more rugged sidelifter unit with a stronger lifting capacity. With the SB450, transfers of containers weighing up to 45 tonnes can be made easily within a safe working envelope.
Operators who include both models in their fleet will benefit from similar running gear on the chassis for ease of maintenance and spare parts. In addition, both the SB362 and the SB450 utilise the same controller, cable and remote which means that no additional operator training is required.
The Malaysian team is excited to launch this product into the country. Steelbro SE Asia Regional Manager, Andy Ersalle says, “Steelbro Malaysia strives to exceed the expectations of our customers as we now offer a range of options in the sidelifter product line i.e. units for both heavy duty use and regular use to meet customer demand. The new Steelbro SB362 sidelifter for regular use is being introduced at a competitive market price offering great value without compromising with quality. This long-awaited model to the market, for small and medium size industries is expected to deliver cost reduction savings for our customers as well as being capable of delivering a safe working load of up to 36 tonnes. It’s one of the best valued sidelifters in the industry designed with safety and stability in mind as well as offering a long service life.”
Steelbro will be at the Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo (MCVE) in Kuala Lumpur from 20-22 June 2019 and the team looks forward to demonstrating the features of this new sidelifter.
First published in Asian Trucker Issue May/June 2019
Steelbro Keeping a Keen Eye on Safety
As more and more Malaysian operators place safety high on their priorities, Steelbro works hard to make their sidelifter one of the safest units on the market.
Designers at Steelbro are constantly improving their rugged SB450 sidelifter without compromising on ‘safety’ which continues to be their number one focus. Throughout the design process, a constant eye is kept on safety. Although the SB450 sidelifter was built to work under the most extreme of conditions, transfers of containers weighing up to 45 tonnes can still be made easily within a “safe” working envelope.
An emergency stop button is located on the remote control that will shut down the engine and stop all operations once the button is activated.
The sidelifter stabiliser legs are fitted with an interlock system that prevent lifts from being attempted without the stabiliser legs being deployed. A plunger switch is fitted to the stabiliser housing and is activated when the foot has positive downward pressure. Until that time, the lifting arms are disabled.
The hydraulic system is fitted with pilot operated over-centre valves on the crane arm cylinders. These are factory pre-set to cope with unforeseen shock loads or attempts to lift more than the crane’s maximum lifting capacity.
Special over-centre valves:
- Prevent the arms from moving unless there is a pressure signal from the main hydraulic valve.
- Help keep the movement of the load controlled and constant when being lowered, regardless of the pressure that may be in the cylinder.
- Ensure that the cylinders are held in position, should the hydraulic system lose pressure. This stops the arms from dropping and prevents any run away of the load in the event of a hose failure.
The hydraulic system is also fitted with a High Speed/Load Sense Unloader Valve which limits working pressure when operating in high speed mode. This prevents the engine from overload.
The team at Steelbro has also developed a way of operating a sidelifter with safe and speedy precision. They found a way of achieving smoother, more stable container loading and unloading that gives more speed control, allows for higher speeds, and reduced stress fatigue on the crane arms. This is known as “Proportional Control”.
Using “Proportional Control”, loading a container onto a sidelifter is possible in less than five minutes. The Danfoss proportional controls built into each system provide for smooth control of the container load at all times, ensuring maximum safety and product reliability. The Steelbro sidelifter can be used to place a shipping container with precision anywhere a truck can access. Containers are handled with fine movements and with varying amounts of speed and can be positioned accurately, quickly, easily and – importantly – safely, irrespective of weight.
Support for the Proportional Control system is overwhelming. In Malaysia, operators at SMG Mega Sappire described the sidelifter “…as having more customer control than other units. They are more reliable and safer to load and unload heavy containers. They were found to be safer to operate with the joystick.”
Safety is key for a growing number of Malaysian operators. Mr Tee Wah Meng, Director of Viva Haulage Sdn Bhd says “The sidelifter has increased the speed of our operation and the volume of containers we can handle. Our operators at Viva have described the Steelbro units as convenient to use and safe to operate.”
Sidelifter operators at Nova Haulage are huge fans too. One operator described the Steelbro unit as “…very safe to work with. It has improved the way I do my work.” Another operator said “it’s the most reliable sidelifter to work with in any conditions.” According to Nova’s Mr Siva, “We have used competitor units – they are commercially more expensive and generally result in more downtime in operation due to their lightweight design and manufacture. We chose the Steelbro units based price, durability and safety and we like the double stacking feature. We consider Steelbro to be the pioneer in Malaysia.”
Manager of Klang based Troplast, Ms Lee says “The fleet of Steelbro sidelifters is crucial to the efficiency of our operation. The units have definitely helped our operation by increasing the number of containers we can move and safety is improved significantly… the company faces new growth challenges and will continue to strive to achieve quality services, whilst keeping safety as a top priority.”
When choosing Steelbro as the supplier, Ng Yau Hon, Operations Manager at Yal Bulk Packing Services SDN BHD, says “Choosing the right equipment is essential for our business. We looked at price, safety, durability and return on investment.”
First published in Asian Trucker Issue 46
Heritage, Innovation and Success – 140 Years
Steelbro fascinating history dates back to 1878 when brothers Joseph and David Steel started the Steel Bros. Coach factory with just £5 capital each.
In 1890 Steel Bros. took their first tentative step into producing motor carriages. By 1930, the Company was in full swing designing and building motor bodies. During the war years grenade castings, concrete mixers, landing craft and dummy aircraft were produced.
Steel Bros. grew to become New Zealand’s leading motor body building and engineering company in the 1950s and 60s, later introducing the Hiab truck-mounted crane into New Zealand.
As well as building truck bodies, Steel Bros. was also assembling Toyota cars by the 1970s. The Company even built the Lotus sports car at this time.
The 1980s saw the wind down of its vehicle assembly and motor body building business. Steelbro, as the Company was now known, decided to concentrate on developing the concept of container transportation – the revolutionary sidelifter was born.
In 2015 Steelbro was acquired by Howard Porter Pty Ltd. Western Australian based Howard Porter origins were similar to Steelbro’s, a family based pioneering coachbuilder in Australia with origins dating back to 1936. Today they are a manufacturer of road transport equipment with a strong focus on innovation and quality products. Since acquiring the Steelbro business, Howard Porter has provided substantial investment in quality manufacturing, new innovation and market development.
Things have come a long way since the early days of horse drawn wagons, coaches, gigs and drays.
“The Steelbro Head Office and Design Centre are based in Christchurch and continue our long association with the region – but we’re internationally focused and always looking for opportunities for growth”, says Roy Lombardi, Managing Director. “It’s important to be innovative and responsive to market requirements – we have provided imaginative and successful solutions to more than 100 countries.”
The Christchurch office is the centre for design excellence, after sales support and marketing.
“The sidelifter you see today is the result of ongoing consultation and development between our design team, customers, suppliers and our design and manufacturing centres in China and Australia,” says Roy. “We regularly interact with customers internationally and work with local transport operators who test our latest innovations until we are satisfied the sidelifter meets the right performance, reliability and durability standards. The rigorous development process has enabled Steelbro to produce reliable products that stand the test of time – much like the organisation itself.”
The company is now a truly international company with offices in NZ, Australia, Malaysia, Brazil and Sweden and an extensive growing network of distributors and agents.
New Product Development at Steelbro is focused on delivering increased speed of operation and low manufacturing costs, plus safety and reliability. Ultimately delivering a cost effective container handling solution for our customers in all markets. Today’s portfolio contains many variants optimised for sidelifter market applications such as the Gooseneck model, suited for markets with low hanging power lines and tunnels which restrict load height, and the trombone, an extendable/retractable chassis, ideal for narrow roads but with extra capacity for large containers.
“We are honoured to be celebrating our 140th anniversary this year,” says Roy – “It’s an extraordinary milestone. We are extremely proud to continue growing with the same values, commitment, and vision that led Joseph and David Steel to establish the company. From the early days, we have continued to develop and diversify. The company has experienced the highs and lows of the business cycle and has demonstrated resilience to prosper over 140 years. We will always remain very proud of both our heritage and our achievements.”
Then
Now
Steelbro – Heritage, Innovation and Growth
The New Zealand sidelifter specialist Steelbro has a long history. For 137 years the Steelbro name has been synonymous with successful solutions for the transport industry. Things have come a long way since 1878 when brothers Joseph and David Steel set out to manufacture high quality horse drawn wagons, coaches, gigs and drays. Over the years Steelbro has had to evolve its business and its products to meet the changing demands of a global market.
Malaysia Among First Markets to Use Sidelifter
When the ground breaking sidelifter was developed in the to “stuff” and “de-stuff” their containers on the ground, rather than on the back of a trailer would save time and improve the sidelifter and the brand continues to enjoy a strong and reputable presence in the country.
Steelbro had over 40 sidelifters operating in the country when in 1996 the Malaysian operation began in Kuala Lumpur. The workshop was set up to focus on parts supply, repair work, maintenance and the assembly of new sidelifters.
“Kuala Lumpur is a large port area so there is obviously a big market for our product here,” says Steve James, General Manager International Market Development – pointing out that setting up a local entity has been a success from day one. “Since 1996, the workshop in Kuala Lumpur has more than doubled in developed, based on a solid reputation for quality and product support. It was just a natural progression to set up a local manufacturing presence as it enables us to immediately react to a changing market.”
New Owners
In December 2014, the New Zealand based company, announced that it had been purchased by Australian transport equipment manufacturer Howard Porter. The new owner also started life as a family based pioneering coachbuilder whose origins date back to the late 1800s. Howard Porter recognised Steelbro’s strengths and has shown great commitment to growing the brand and supporting the sidelifter growth strategy. They plan to continue to invest in and strengthen market presence.
“The support we have received from customers is acknowledged and we are committed to strengthening the foundations of the brand and growing the Steelbro brand globally.” said Roy Lombardi, Managing Director of Howard Porter.
The new owners are committed to provide adequate funding and capital expenditure to support innovation, quality manufacturing and transport return on investment for customers.
Steelbro now has the opportunity and backing to fulfil its potential in the Malaysian and world market. This move will significantly increase Steelbro’s ability to provide innovative engineering and support to their valued customers. It provides a formidable growth opportunity for the company. “Our experienced manufacturing, engineering, sales and marketing and management teams look forward with high expectations for the future of Steelbro Sidelifters within the Howard Porter operations,” says Roy.
“Following the new ownership we are now able to focus strongly on reducing lead times with units being held in stock to feed the increasing demand we are experiencing throughout Malaysia,” says Steve James.
Andy Ersalle, Steelbro’s Regional Manager South East Asia, is based in the Malaysian office. He added ” Other initiatives in Malaysia are the improved 24 hour/7 day service and support operating out of our wholly owned service facility. Among the improved resource and capabilities being introduced are new fully equipped service support vehicles, more factory trained technicians and an expanding regional support network.
We have also introduced new service and maintenance packages to help optimise efficiency, reliability and sidelifter resale value. Packages can be tailored to meet each customer’s specific needs.
These initiatives have been a result of listening to the markets needs and wants through extensive customer visits and consultation and ensuring we action them.”
Quality Focus
“The team will continue to focus on the stringent maintenance of quality standards across our manufacturing centres and through the very best quality materials and components in our equipment. We are proud to be associated with globally recognised manufacturers, that help us ensure commitment to quality, availability and support,” adds Lombardi.
Right product for the right market
“Having the right product for the right market is crucial,” says Steve James. Steelbro believe they managed to get it right with the SB450 sidelifter. Designed for heavy-duty use and demanding work environments, the 45 tonne unit has been optimised to suit the Malaysian market and has revolutionised the local wharf sector.
“In earlier times, the highest lift capacity we could safely offer was 40 tonnes,” says Steve. “The SB450 has a massive 45 tonne safe working load rating, enabling it to safely transport very heavy containers.”
He adds, “The market demanded added capacity, and we now know that the SB450 is the best solution. This is an example of Steelbro’s ability to adjust the product offering according to changing customer expectations. Customers across Malaysia have seen the huge benefits of a 45 tonne unit and recognise that smooth, efficient delivery solutions are the key to success in today’s challenging and fast moving transport market.”
One selling point that has convinced Malaysian customers is the SB450’s outreach of 3.9 metres, measured from the centre of the trailer to the centre of the lifted container. “The SB450 can lift to its full hydraulic capacity at a further distance than previous models, giving the operator more freedom and less reason to take risks. The unit is still very stable which is especially useful when transferring containers from sidelifter to a trailer and from sidelifter to rail wagon,” says Steve.
According to Steelbro, having a superior outreach is crucial to ensuring an efficient transfer of shipping containers to and from companion vehicles. Having a bigger outreach increases the efficiency of the whole operation by providing greater flexibility when lining up containers. Where other machines need to drive very close to companion vehicles in trailer-to-trailer operations, this sidelifter will even handle badly positioned or misaligned containers and in doing so speed up the whole process.
“Being a stronger, more powerful unit, less stress is placed on the unit, extending the life of the componentry and reducing the overall cost of life of the unit,”
A stand-alone power pack reduces running costs and adds fleet flexibility as can be sued with any head truck.
The idea behind the sidelifter concept is simple, yet revolutionary. A sidelifters ability to shift containers between different transport systems means operators can save time and thereby increase efficiency. The option to load and unload containers on the ground also increases efficiency and safety. To most organisations, this will eventually add more to the bottom line. In Malaysia, the concept has been embraced on the spot. ” Malaysia is a significant market for us and being present here helps us understand all the requirements of our customers in order to provide the best solutions for their current needs,” says Steve.
First published in Asian Trucker – September 2015
