Elmira, New York: Picture a 30-acre site in Elmira, New York. This is a high volume scrap yard where trucks and rail cars are brought in to be loaded with ferrous and non-ferrous scrap on their way to the mills. Alongside this operation, the Shulman Company also handles waste paper and has an industrial refuse removal and container service.

	A Genesis GMS 500R weighing almost 12,000 lbs. is mounted on a Sennebogen 88,200 lb. wheeled machine.

"Today, the secret for any successful operator, is to make sure that each of your operations is running as efficiently as possible. Then, the sum total of all the parts will be greater than the whole." That, according to Zach Shulman is how he and his father Steve run the family operation. As second and third generation family members, they continue to bring a new and modern business perspectives to the operation.

The Search Begins

Their search for the right material handler started over a year ago. For the longest time, they had operated Caterpillar machines. However, it was time to change machines. They no longer met the criteria associated with their business philosophy. "It’s not that they were not good machines, but they required too much service and therefore, we were not meeting our productivity numbers," said Shulman. As well, they determined that they were looking for purpose built machines. With the duty cycles that are built into the scrap business, they felt that they could no longer operate converted or modified excavators. They also felt that it was time to find a unit with a cab that offered their operators the environment they were looking for. Therefore, cab ergonomics and operator comfort was part of the wish list.

	The 835M reaches out and cuts up pipe in yard.

The other element that they felt quite strongly about was the need for rubber tired machines. This would give them the mobility and the productivity they needed. It also meant that they could bring the machines up to the blacktop and not risk damaging it quickly and efficiently. They wanted to move faster than a crawler would allow.

Their first purchase was a Sennebogen 835M material handler (rubber tired model). Initially, they looked at a number of different machines…all capable of doing the job, but the one that impressed them the most was the Sennebogen unit. They felt that it was more machine. They really liked the stability of the machine under load. They also liked the fact that the lifting capacity was greater than they had previously experienced.

Additionally, with the Sennebogen machine, they could lift the weights they were after, without dragging around more weight. This meant that the fuel economy would be better. Furthermore, Zach and his team worked with the people at Sennebogen and they enjoyed the experience. According to Shulman, "When Sennebogen promises, they deliver. It’s always great to do business with people like that."

	The all-round visibility from the cab of the 835M, makes the machine highly productive and operator friendly.

Furthermore, Shulman found that they stood behind the product and were very responsive to a unit-down situation. "We were having a problem with a magnet and we called them on a Friday. On Saturday, Jim Westlake, the National Service Manager showed up, as promised, identified the problem, and got us up and running."

"It was this attention to customer satisfaction that won them the second order", said Shulman. When it was time to retire their shear that was on a Caterpillar tracked machine, they called Keith Ahlstrom, National Sales Manager at Sennebogen.

Shear Power on Wheels

"In our operation, we need to maximize the weight when we ship containers to the mill. That sometimes means bringing the machine to the side of the rail car and if necessary, cutting the steel right in the container", explained Zach. Shulman explained that previously, to accomplish this task, a cutter would have to be brought in or the material would have to be moved to the shears and then back, adding labor and cost to the process. As well, they were finding it highly unproductive to keep moving the tracked machine from one end of the yard to the other.

They found that the densification of the material was improving the productivity and that the containers were maxing out on weight instead of space. In their operation, the objective is always to be efficient as possible. If they were going to speed up the system and process more material in more rail cars, then they needed to put their shear on a more mobile unit.

	This machine, equipped with a standard 54 ft. boom, has plenty of reach and is very stable in every area of the yard.

Zach had already decided that his next unit was going to be a Sennebogen. It just made good business sense to standardize on Sennebogen for parts, maintenance procedures and operationally, we could move operators from one machine to another. Furthermore, the operators really liked the Sennebogen machine. It was, according to them, "A great place to work." They could check the fluids from ground level, which ensured they got done on schedule. It offered the right combination of all round visibility, comfort and convenience. As well, with their closed center hydraulic system, the response time was quick and the cycle times were faster. From a maintenance standpoint, it made great economic sense. By standardizing on Sennebogen, their mechanic would only have to learn one system.

Sennebogen and Genesis Combine to Deliver

Enter Genesis. Initially there were some concerns about putting the GMS 500R on the end of the boom but in reality, the weight of the shear at almost 12,000 lbs. was about the same as a stick and a magnet. The next issue was the Genesis concern about being able to tuck the shear up and be able to move about the yard. The last concern was related to the cutting position of the shear in operation.

According to Kevin Bakke, CEO and Chairman of Genesis Equipment and Manufacturing Inc., they had recent success in a similar application, but they had never installed a GMS 500R rotating shear in a Sennebogen unit. "With the number of Sennebogen units now in operation here in North America, it was strictly a matter of time. We also were not concerned about the shear or its capacity, it just became a matter of determining if it was the right match," said Bakke.

		Sennebogen 835M rubber tired machine quickly moves about the yard increasing productivity

Therefore, before they got the green light for the Sennebogen Green Line Machine for this application, Genesis’ engineering staff did a complete study on lift capacity, articulation, hydraulic flow and pressure. The answer they got was, "It’s a go!" As a matter of fact, they felt that it was the perfect marriage of two machines. According to Keith Ahlstrom, National Sales Manager for Sennebogen LLC, "Sennebogen’s increased gpm and resulting pressure made the shears work at an ideal speed and it was able to cut through anything they put in front of it."

"Traditionally, a shear of this size is mounted on a tracked machine. "However," said Bakke," we are getting more requests all the time to mount a shear to a rubber tired machine. This combination provides increased productivity through better and faster machine positioning in order to work efficiently. As well, with the environmental issues surrounding paved yards, it is clear that this is going to be a continuing trend."

Industry reports show that with paved yards becoming a requirement, there are only a few places left to derive savings and one of them is increasing the overall productivity of the equipment

	Sennebogen 835M Green Line machine hydraulic cab and Genesis GMS 500R quickly gets into position for work.

Shulman continues to report a high level of satisfaction with his two recent decisions. He is pleased to have found that the people at Sennebogen continue to deliver on their word; he is pleased to be working with the people at Genesis, who understand what it is that they needed to do and most of all, he is pleased with the level of productivity and mobility that he has achieved with his two machines that work perfectly in tandem or apart.

The Shulman Company Inc was started in 1938. The business is presently being run and operated by Steve and Zach Shulman on a 30-acre site in Elmira, New York. The Shulman Company is a broker and processor or ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals, wastepaper and operates an industrial refuse removal and container service.

	2 Sennebogen 835M machines work in tandem. Machine on the left is equipped with 1st Genesis GMS 500R Shear on a machine of this weight classification.

 

FEATURES OF THE SENNEBOGEN 835M

Engine: 226 Hp (166 kW)
Working Radius: standard 54' with optional equipment up to 61'8"
Lifting Capacity: up to 44,092 lbs.
Operating Weight: 88,200 lbs.
Travel Speeds: Off road up to 3.5 mph
On road: up to 12.5 mph

• State-of-the-art load-sensing hydraulic system
• Powerful, maintenance friendly design
• Water-cooled Deutz Diesel Engine, with large fuel tanks for extra time on the job between refuelling
• Swing speed 0 - 8 rpm
• F2000 cab with excellent all-around visibility
• Fixed or hydraulic elevated cabs available
• Built-in sound absorbing sound insulation
• Safety check-valve for lifting cylinder and stick cylinder- more -
SDS Sennebogen Diagnostic System monitors the operating performance of the equipment providing feedback to the operator as well as service personnel to keep the machine running at peak performance

SPECIFICATIONS ON THE GENESIS GMS 500R

• Shear force 1105 US tons
• Shear weight 11,900 lbs.
• Jaw opening 32"
• Jaw depth 33"
• Standard reach 12’ 0"