On board with JCB
A new JCB 520-50 Loadall telescopic handler is being used by Caledonian Slag Cement for ship unloading duties. Its primary role is moving ground granulated blast-furnace slag (ggbs) within the hull of the ships used to deliver the material.
The company’s depot at King George V Dock, Glasgow, has a storage capacity of 10,000 tonnes of ggbs, which is received from sister company Civil and Marine Slag Cement Ltd’s works at Port Talbot. The ggbs is unloaded from the ship using a dock-mounted unloading screw and is transferred to two 5,000-tonne silos for storage.
The JCB 520-50 is used to shovel the ggbs into position, allowing the unloading screw to extract it from the vessel. The 520-50 is able to operate in deep powder and can therefore reach higher up the stockpile, increasing productivity. Previously used skid-steer models were less effective as they were unable to grip the base of the ship’s holding area.
