Roads & Infrastructure sits down with Sam Turnbull, Flipscreen Chief Executive Officer, to learn how Liebherr products have helped his business succeed.
Flipscreen is a business built on a passion for innovation, problem solving, and a genuine desire to support the industries it serves.
In the mid-90s on a farm in Wagga Wagga, Sam Turnbull invented the Flipscreen – a multipurpose screening attachment with a multitude of uses, from construction, demolition, and landscaping, to mining, waste management and even military applications.
With the belief he had a game-changing product on his hands, he started the Flipscreen business in 2002, the start of what would become a global success story.
The business has since grown its presence world-wide, with distribution networks in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The Liebherr factor
The Liebherr story began more than 70 years ago when Hans Liebherr developed the first mobile tower crane. With its portability and simple on-site setup, the game-changing machine laid the cornerstone for the Liebherr business and set the standard for decades of breakthrough innovations.
Now a globally renowned machinery manufacturer, Liebherr has developed a reputation for durability, performance and efficiency.
Flipscreen recently added a T 36-7s telehandler to the already sizable Liebherr fleet at its Wagga Wagga site. The same farm where the business began still plays an important role in its ongoing research and development, and the T 36-7s has quickly proven itself a valuable and versatile addition.
Turnbull, now Flipscreen’s Chief Executive Officer, says his positive relationship with Liebherr started years earlier.
It was in Turnbull’s initial Flipscreen tests that he and his team discovered one important way Liebherr’s machines stood out: the performance of their hydraulics.
“The combination of our product and Liebherr’s just worked beautifully,” Turnbull says. “Liebherr’s hydraulics just knocked it out of the park. That’s when we realised – they really know what they’re doing.”
This was part of the inspiration for the Smart Valve, which Turnbull and his engineering team developed in 2012.
The Smart Valve is a device that allows for any hydraulic flow and pressure without modification of the carrier, something Turnbull says took Flipscreen to another level.
“Our customers were just wrapped. It really changed our business.”
Turnbull says these experiences have stuck with him, and played a major part in Flipscreen’s decision to purchase the T 36-7s, as well as many other Liebherr machines.
A tough all-rounder
The Liebherr T 36-7s telehandler features a range of features that make it a compelling option for a huge range of applications. Its seven-metre lift height and 3.6 tonne lift capacity make it a versatile workhorse, while low fuel consumption and easy maintenance keep operating costs down.
Liebherr’s drive concept is designed for high performance and excellent manoeuvrability, while the intelligent electronic controller for the hydrostatic travel drive guarantees maximum tractive force in every work situation.
Additionally, the interaction of the tried-and-tested drive components with the diesel engine and hydraulic system reduces fuel consumption at maximum performance.
Turnbull says the machine’s reliability and versatility has continued to save the Flipscreen team time and money.
“I can use it as a loader, to stack hay, or as a digger. I could dig a dam with it if I wanted to – you can really use it for anything,” he says.
Turnbull says Liebherr’s reputation for durability and toughness is also a big selling point.
“Telehandlers can be considered as a hybrid of mini-cranes and forklifts. One of its main purposes for us is to lift and place massive components of our new 30 cubic metre WL3000 Flipscreen, which is a pretty big unit,” he says.
“That’s another part of the reason we chose Liebherr. They started off as a crane company, so we can trust that when we pick something up and suspend it, it’s going to be safe,” he says.
With its comfortable and spacious cab, excellent all-around view, and ergonomic controls, Turnbull says the Liebherr telehandler has also been a big hit with his operators.
“They love it. We’ve got a bunch of older machines on site, and the operator in the brand new Liebherr is the envy of all the other guys right now.
“It really just runs perfectly. I’m always interested in a balanced approach to these things, but I can’t really think of any negatives. It just works and does whatever you ask.”
Turnbull says as his business continues to grow, the addition of a large loader or excavator to its local fleet could be on the cards – which may mean Flipscreen’s Liebherr collection could soon grow again.
“They’re always very pleasant and very helpful. If there ever is any trouble with a machine, they bend over backwards to get it sorted,” he says.
“With the way Liebherr have been to deal with to date, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to look to them again in the future.”
For more information, please visit: www.liebherr.com.au
This article was originally published in the September edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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