Edge Renewables get the edge with new Manitou

The new Manitou MLT 960 with its 6 tons load capacity has increased productivity and efficiency at Edge Renewables where 16,000 tonnes of wood chip is handled at the Much Wenlock site in Shropshire. Edge Renewables has seen business grow year on year since the company was formed in 2011 and the Manitou MLT 960 is an important part of the company’s strategy for investing in the latest modern machinery, to tackle not just the current work load but future demands.

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The Manitou MLT 960 at Edge Renewables was the first of the new model, which was launched at the beginning of 2015, to be delivered and already it has established a “fan club” with the operators at the Much Wenlock Site. Amongst the initial feedback has been the impressive power and performance of the new Manitou, especially when handling wet wood chip material. The operators appreciate the spacious cab and the comfortable driving position which facilitates excellent visibility. The two armrests in the cab are an additional bonus to reduce operator fatigue. Safety features include an operator presence detector on the seat and an easy connect system for changing front end attachments.

The hydrostatic transmission gives seamless changes of speed in ‘road mode’ with fast acceleration or a ‘handling mode’ with progressive range and the ability to ‘inch’ with the brake pedal at maximum revs for optimum hydraulic performance. Engine Power of 140 hp comes from a John Deere engine which meets the stage 3B compliance, featuring exhaust gas recirculation, diesel oxidisation catalyst and diesel particle filter which all help reduce engine emissions.   

The Manitou MLT 960, equipped with a 4 cubic metre capacity bucket, helps to ensure there is a 48 hour turnaround from reception of the round wood to dry woodchip, as it is involved with all the loading and handling of the woodchip. Soft wood round timber arrives at the Much Wenlock site on lorries and is then “chipped” before being stockpiled as “wet chip” prior to loading into driers, which are powered by their own “wood fuel” from Edge Renewables, from where the material is then stockpiled as “dry chip. The final part of the process before it is loaded onto bulk lorries for distribution to the customer base of trade and domestic users in the Welsh border areas. The full process sees a 26 tonne load of round timber reduced to 18 tonnes of dry wood chip. 

Owners, Simon Lloyd-Jones and Chris Bickerton have a dedicated team of thirty staff at Edge Renewables where the wood fuel business is allied to a nationwide Biomass boiler supply and installation enterprise. The latest addition of the new Manitou MLT 960 underlines their ambition to invest in the latest machine technology. 

“Our expectation or the new Manitou has been exceeded by its enhanced performance, it is capable of loading our ‘walking floor’ lorry much quicker and easier with greater visibility and its versatility for general yard handling duties is outstanding. The Manitou even tidies up the yard with a power brush attachment!” - Simon Lloyd-Jones