Turkmen (left) and Fakhoury with the Bobcat S205H high flow skid-steer loader.
Dogan sings praise of Bobcat model
A Bobcat skid-steer loader fitted with the first WS18 wheel saw to be sold in Oman has been applauded by Dogan Engineering, which is using it for trenching works at Muscat International Airport expansion project.
01 April 2012
A NEW Bobcat WS18 wheel saw mounted on a new Bobcat S205H high flow skid-steer loader is providing increased productivity for Dogan Engineering on the Muscat International Airport expansion project in Oman.
Supplied by International Heavy Equipment Company (IHE), this is the first wheel saw from Bobcat to be sold in Oman and Dogan is reported to be delighted with the results, producing around 500 m of trenching for electrical and optical cables per shift per day (based on a 10-hour shift) in hard ground conditions.
Dogan is working as a subcontractor for the main contractor CCC-TAV, a joint venture between CCC of Greece and TAV of Turkey.
Mustafa Turkmen, project manager for Dogan Engineering, says: “Initially, we were using a Bobcat S130 skid-steer loader with the Bobcat LT313 trencher attachment, which we are still using elsewhere on the project. With its ability to work on this harder ground surface and the very high productivity it offers, the new wheel saw has opened up a new perspective on how best to implement jobs of this kind.”
Karl Fakhoury, district attachments manager Middle East and Africa for Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment, which owns the Bobcat brand, agrees. “In Oman and throughout the Middle East and Africa, one of the keys to the success of the Bobcat skid-steer loader is its versatility and productivity as an excellent tool carrier for the wide selection of attachments we offer,” he says. “The Bobcat range of wheel saws can cut through a variety of surfaces including asphalt and reinforced concrete, making them ideal for demolition, road repair and creating trenches for utilities such as water, gas, electric or fibre optic cable services.”
The trenching depth on the WS18 wheel saw ranges from 150 to 450 mm. Fixed-section trenches can be cut with precision and without damaging the surrounding environment. The WS18 can be fitted with a variety of wheel width sizes of 80, 130, 160, 180 or 200 mm. Dogan Engineering is using a model equipped with a 200-mm-wide wheel.
Most Bobcat attachments are powered by the standard hydraulics on Bobcat loaders, but the wheel saw is one of a number of attachments that require higher flow capability, hence the choice of the S205H high-flow loader to power the WS18 at Dogan Engineering.
The compact size of the WS18/S205H combination results in minimal traffic disturbance and its manoeuvrability makes it ideal for digging trenches on roads or in areas where movement is restricted such as town centres, inside existing structures, secondary roads or even mountain roads, Fakhoury says.
Equipped with a hydraulic depth adjuster for increased control, the wheel saw attachment comes complete with a hydraulic side shift, allowing the operator to make adjustments of up to 650 mm, in order to change the position of the wheel saw. This function removes the need for the operator to continually reposition the Bobcat loader, consequently saving time.
The Bobcat wheel saw also features a trench cleaner, a hydraulically lifted and lowered trench cleaning device that ensures the total clearing of the trench as the wheel cuts.
The operator has full control of the trenching depth at all times. The depth gauge helps to provide uniform depth control, but the operator has the ability to make depth adjustments from within the cab, without stopping the wheel for optimum efficiency and productivity. The wheel saw has an enclosed design and remains enclosed when working at all depths. This design together with the high level of visibility ensures maximum operational safety.
“All attachments are mounted on Bobcat compact loaders via the unique Bob-Tach quick-change attachment system, which allows attachments to be fitted to the machine in seconds, with wear-compensating wedges that ensure a secure fit time after time. Since the Bob-Tach frame on all Bobcat compact loaders is identical, attachments can be exchanged quickly and easily from one machine to another, giving fleet owners and operators a maximum of flexibility with tool carrier-attachment combinations,” says Fakhoury.
Operating from the Ghala area in Muscat, IHE is the authorised distributor for the Bobcat range of compact loaders, mini-excavators, telescopic handlers, utility vehicles and attachments in Oman. The success of IHE has been recognised by the number of awards the company has been bestowed by Bobcat for achieving marketing targets and for the excellence of the company’s after sales support.
IHE has Bobcat-trained engineers and technicians to support the complete range of Bobcat products and maintains a huge inventory of Bobcat parts, including tyres, batteries and so on, to meet all the needs of customers in Oman. In addition, IHE’s parts and service operation is open seven days a week to offer extended support to Bobcat customers in the sultanate.
IHE is the trucks, buses and equipment company of the Zubair Corporation, one of the most respected names in Oman and the Middle East. The corporation began as the Muscat Trading Company, a small shop in Muscat suq and today has become a major business group comprising nearly 60 wholly-owned companies, subsidiaries and associates in Oman, the Middle East, India, North Africa, the Far East and the US.
