BSP has worked with Suffolk-based piling equipment contractor Colets Piling to design and build a new purpose-built piling rig. The new JX rig has been designed to drive piles for smaller projects with limited access, working space or weight.
The collaboration came about after the contractor and rental company had discussions with customers who had voiced a need for a piling rig to top drive steel or concrete foundation piles for small housing projects.
The main criteria outlined was ease of transportation without the need of movement orders, a reduction in the costs of piling mats and increased productivity with quicker set-up, faster drive times and greater reliability.
John Walter, Colet’s sales manager, said, “As BSP is one of the world’s leading manufacturers with over 110 years’ experience in designing and building foundation equipment, we decided to approach the Ipswich-based company to collaborate with us in the manufacture and development of an excavator-mounted piling rig, built to our recommendations and specifications.
“This collaboration between our two companies has resulted in the JX model, the first purpose-built piling rig of its type in the UK which was built and ready for work in six months.”
To provide the base machine, Colets Piling chose JCB to supply a number of JS excavator base units. These machines have already been introduced into the company’s contract and rental fleet in rotary drilling versions. A standard JS200 excavator, with a 20-ton operating weight and equipped with JCB’s latest Tier 4 final emission compliant diesel engine, was supplied as the base machine, but with a number of subtle changes to optimize the stability and performance of the completed JX unit.
As part of its involvement in the project, BSP offered two hammer options: the JX20-6, fitted with a 1.5-ton drop weight, and a 10m-long mast; or a JX25-8, fitted with a 2-ton drop weight hammer and a 13m-long mast. Research showed more interest in a machine that could cope with 8m-long piles, so the JX25-8 was the preferred option.
Ray Ransome, BSP senior sales manager, said, “During the building process we encountered a few technical problems but these were resolved quickly with minimum production delay. Now that the machine is working in the piling field, we are extremely confident it will prove to be a valuable addition to the Colet Piling fleet and ultimately provide many years of productive service.”
July 28, 2017
