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Frequently Asked Questions about our Straddle Carriers
The Mobicon weighs only 13 Tonnes.
A Mobicon is much safer than a forklift or a reach stacker due to the fact that containers are transported at only 300mm (one foot) off the ground, the Mobicon cannot tip over like forklifts or reach stackers. Also, the operator is safely away from the load while driving. With a Mobicon, dangerous loading docks are also no longer needed.
A Mobicon is serviced every 300 hours, or twice a year. A service typically takes 3 hours. Read more about servicing your Mobicon here.
The Mobicon has lifting attachments that fit into the side hole of a container corner casting.
Maintenance is very simple. Most components used are comparable with forklifts. A forklift mechanic finds the Mobicon easier to repair and maintain than a forklift.
Only the drive pump is electronically controlled with an “Amplifier”, supplied by Bosch-Rexroth.
Hydraulic wheel motors drive the four front wheels. A Bosch-Rexroth transmission pump is driven by the engine.
It takes around 2 minutes to pick up a container.The whole operation of picking up a container, and placing it on a vehicle takes around 5 minutes.
The Mobicon is flexible in the way it can handle any length of container, from 20 foot onwards, including 60 foot containers, and all other type of containers, including flat racks, open top containers, tank containers, half height containers and curtain-sided containers. This is a huge advantage over many other container handlers that often are limited in carrying some types of containers because of their lifting frames. The Mobicon is also very flexible in where it can place containers.The Mobicon moves containers length wise, and not width wise as forklift trucks do, and therefore needs less space to manoeuvre.The Mobicon can also work under low awnings and can even bring containers inside a building, close to where the goods are, saving time to load and unload the container, and at the same time keeping the goods protected from the elements. Cargo security can also be improved by placing containers inside.
Yes, the Mobicon only needs a 5 meter wide by 4 meter high doorway. Many Mobicon users bring containers inside, or place them under low awnings.
Because the Mobicon has 8 wheels, and the load is evenly spread over all 8 wheels, the wheel pressures are very low.
For example: loaded with a 25 tonne container, the maximum wheel pressure is only 5,500 kg.
The Mobicon can handle all ISO containers, including Flat Racks (bolsters), 62 foot containers, and Open Top containers.
The standard Mobicon is fitted with a Hatz air cooled diesel engine If very low noise levels are required, a “silenced Hatz engine is used. In some countries a water cooled Isuzu is fitted. Mobicon Systems are quite flexible in the engines that can be fitted.
The lift height is 1.75 meters.
The four wheels of the front tower are driven and steered. The wheels of the rear tower do not have drive or steering.
A simple 24 Volt Automotive electrical system is used. All cables are tagged for easy fault finding.
The maximum height the Mobicon can handle is 10’6”. Any higher, and the Mobicon needs to be modified, which for example has been done for the glass industry, where large glass panels are transported in open top containers.
The Mobicon consists of two towers, which are coupled together when there is no container being handled.When a container is picked up, the rear tower is connected to the container first.Then the two towers are un-coupled, and the front tower is driven to the front of the container.The front tower is then coupled to the front of the container.The Mobicon then lifts the container for transport. The container acts as the chassis, keeping the front and the rear towers together.
Like all machinery, training is required.
In most cases, a 3 hour training session is sufficient. After that, it is recommended that for the first (say) 50 containers a spotter helps the operator to ensure safe operations.
The operator has an excellent view of the surroundings of the Mobicon. In the cabin is a CCTV monitor, and 4 cameras are fitted around the straddle carrier.
The Mobicon is a one man operator machine.
The Mobicon can drive 8km/hr.
The Mobicon, compared with much heavier forklifts and reach stackers is extremely economical. Depending on the driving distances, one litre of diesel (distillate) per container is normally enough, or plan for 5 litres of fuel per hour, 20% that of reach stackers and heavy forklifts.
In Australia, and most other countries, no license is required. Local regulations must be checked though. Competency training is supplied as part of the commissioning of the new Mobicon.
Unlike container forklift trucks and reach stackers, which have huge axle loads, Mobicons can work on most concrete, bitumen, pavers or compacted gravel surfaces. Most surfaces that are suitable for a truck or trailer are suitable for the Mobicon. If in doubt, a surface test should be done. The wheel pressures at different container loads can be supplied.
Many different kinds of companies can use a Mobicon including Logistics industry, e.g. third party logistics providers and transport companies, Importers and Exporters, Wine Industry, Food Industry, Dairies, Meat Industry, Grain and Seed Industry, Steel Industry,Chemical Industry, Removalists, Stevedoring, Mining, Building Industry and Customs Departments. Generally they are companies that, with some exceptions, handle between 5 and 200 containers per week. Some clients who do larger numbers have more than one Mobicon in their operation.
There are many good reasons to use a Mobicon: