Flying high with the telescopic farm loader

• What was needed: E2/000 energy chain
• Industry: Agricultural technology
• Success for the customer: The energy chain allows hoses with hydraulic fluid to be guided safely to the top of the telescopic mast

A "proper" farm loader has an articulated joint in the centre so that it can also move in confined spaces. This is an (almost) unbreakable rule among manufacturers and users of these flexible and compact machines, which are used on many farms, but also in the trades and in the construction industry. However, this rule only applied until the time was ripe for a new concept. Thaler GmbH & Co KG in Polling/Bavaria was the first farm loader manufacturer to realise such a concept. Manfred Thaler, managing partner of the company: "The latest generation of forage wagons are so high that they can hardly be loaded with conventional articulated loaders, which reach lifting heights of up to around 4.60 metres. These machines have reached their physical limits. This was the trigger for us to develop a fundamentally new vehicle architecture."

It was possible to borrow from the much larger telescopic forklift trucks that are often seen on construction sites. On these, the attachments are not attached to an articulated boom, but to a straight telescopic mast, which is located in the longitudinal axis of the vehicle - with the pivot point at the rear. And instead of articulated steering, they have a locking chassis with four-wheel steering and therefore achieve a high level of stability even when moving larger loads. This concept was realised for the first time in a yard loader with the 48T18. The very compact machine is powerful thanks to the 48 hp Yanmar engine, while the four-wheel drive ensures that the power is also available on the track or in the yard. The extremely compact dimensions (1.60 m wide; 1.94 m high) together with the four-wheel steering ensure great manoeuvrability. At the same time, the 48T18 achieves significantly greater working heights than articulated loaders (4.90 m stroke height), a higher payload (1800 kg at the bucket pivot point) and a greater tipping angle (68o)

The idea convinced the customers - and, incidentally, also the competitors, who then developed similar machines. One of the challenges that Manfred Thaler and his design engineers had to overcome during development was the selection and arrangement of the engine: "It had to be a 45 hp four-cylinder engine to provide plenty of power and traction. But the installation space next to the telescope, opposite the driver's cab, was extremely cramped. We then installed a 48 hp engine transversely, which is not only powerful, but also very efficient and economical - and easily accessible." This arrangement also ensures even weight distribution on all four wheels.

The question arose: How does the hydraulic fluid get to the attachment at the top of the telescopic mast? The answer was quickly found: An igus®-energy chain of type E2/000 is mounted on the top of the fixed telescopic section and connected to the tip of the movable boom. When the telescope is extended, the cables move along with it, well protected. The E2/000 is a truly universal energy chain that is used in mechanical engineering as well as in construction and agricultural machinery and in conveyor and handling technology. It offers outstanding mechanical stability and is also very easy to install thanks to the two-part chain links. The chain mainly contains hydraulic lines that provide energy for the rotary movement of the attachment (bucket, snow pusher, forks, etc.) and for the working functions of attachments such as flail mowers. If the customer has ordered work lights on the telescope, for example, power cables are also laid in the chain.

The energy chains from igus® are also used in Thaler's articulated loaders with telescopic masts. Here, however, they are not visible: the chain is fitted internally. Thaler has become successful with its articulated boom devices. Manfred Thaler's father, who owned a metalworking shop, developed the first appliance in 1999 for his own use. Series production began in 2002. Thaler is now one of the three largest yard loader manufacturers in Europe - even though competition is constantly increasing. Manfred Thaler: "When we started, there were only three notable suppliers of yard loaders. Today there are more than twenty." Around 900 machines are produced in Polling every year with a very high vertical range of manufacture and always customised, because every user has a precise idea of the equipment they want for their farm loader. However, an igus®-energy chain is always included if the machine has a telescopic mast - for articulated loaders as well as for side telescopic loaders.