2. Soft Terrain and Beach Mobicon

Soft Terrain and Beach Mobicon

Introduction

Defence Forces, and in particular Armies and Navies, need to handle containers in the field, in remote places, often involving soft surfaces and beaches.

The Problem

• Bogging and surface damage - Heavy container handlers have an extremely high axle weight.  Almost all the weight of the machine plus the container “balances” on one axle. This results in these axles digging themselves into the surface. The machine gets stuck, and the ground surface is damaged.
• Time consuming - To prevent heavy machinery getting stuck, matting can be used to improve the surface. This is a time consuming and expensive exercise with often limited success.
• Unsafe - On soft surfaces, heavy container handlers can tip over, especially when one of the front wheels hits a soft spot.
• Limited use - Because of their size and weight, Reach Stackers and Container Forklifts cannot always be used where needed.  Allowances have to be made when choosing a site for landing and handling containers.  A strategically good site may not be suitable for the container handler, and another, less suitable site may have to be chosen to allow containers to be handled.
• Heavy and unstable on barges - The weight of Reach Stackers and Container Forklift Trucks often prohibits them from being used on barges.  Barges may be in danger of tipping over when these heavy machines are transported.
• Hard to transport - Bringing a heavy Reach Stacker or Container Forklift to the place of requirement can be costly and complicated.  Special heavy chassis are required to transport these machines.  They can only be transported by air using C17 or equivalent planes.

The Solution

Mobicon Systems has developed a special Soft Terrain Straddle Carrier for any Army and Navy that needs a container handler that can negotiate beaches and other soft surfaces.  This Mobicon has 8-wheel steering and all 8 wheels are driven. It is fitted with two engines.  All wheels have anti slip differential locks.

The Benefits

• Less bogging - The Mobicon has the lightest wheel weights of any container handler in the world. The axle weights of a Mobicon with a 20,000 kg (44,000 Pound) container are only about 15% of that of a comparable Container Forklift or Reach Stacker.
• Less yard damage - The Mobicon will not damage a yard as other heavy container handlers do.
• Less need for special surface preparation - The light surface pressure means that in many cases special preparation (matting) of surfaces is not required when using the Mobicon Straddle Carrier in soft terrain.
• Usable in more locations - The Mobicon can be used where heavier container handlers cannot, this vastly expands to locations where containers can be handled.  A more strategic location may be chosen when ground surfaces are not a critical controlling factor as with other heavier container handlers.
• Usable on wharfs in developing countries - The Mobicon can be used on light surfaces such as older wharves in developing countries.  Often these wharves are not suitable for heavy container handlers.
• Transportable by landing barges - The Mobicon is very light, and has a very low centre of gravity. This means that a Mobicon can travel on a landing barge with much more stability than a Reach Stacker or a Container Forklift.
• Easy to transport to the required location - The weight and size of a Mobicon Straddle Carrier makes it much easier to transport to where it is required.  With some adjustment it would even fit into a C130 plane.
• Safer - Containers are carried at a height of only 300mm (1 ft) and the Mobicon cannot tip over, even when one of the wheels hits a “soft spot”.

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