Delivery of four MBL 1600s to New York State DOT
The New York State Department of Transportation took possession of four MOOG bucket type units to use for bridge inspection and light repair work. This is in addition to the ten MOOG platform type units it already owns. The four MBL 1600s were mounted on American-made chassis supplied by INTERNATIONAL Trucks and delivered to the customer between March and May 2014. They are located in 4 different regions of New York and are already in operation.
The MBL 1600 as a bucket type unit has some clear advantages to the MBI platform type units — apart from the lowering depth of 57 ft. 3 in. and the horizontal range under the bridge of 52 ft. 6 in., the unit is also able reach a working height of up to 67 ft. Inspections of steel cables (on cable bridges) or replacing of the luminaries of street lights pose no problem for these units. The unit can be operated directly from the bucket in all working positions while driving at a creep speed.
The bucket of the unit is 53 in. x 49 in. and has a maximum load of 620 lbs. Additionally, it is equipped with and supported by a diesel generator so it is possible to use electrical tools while working in the bucket. Pneumatic tools can also be supported by the on-board air compressor.
Both rotation areas of the unit – on the one hand the 270° rotation area at the rotation tower and on the other hand the 180° rotation area for the boom – enable extremely flexible application possibilities for the unit, especially when inspecting timber framings.
Handling and operating the unit is very easy because of the clear arrangement of the operating controls – the operating staff of NYSDOT were trained for 4 days on the operation and maintenance of the unit in April 2014. They are now using the units in their first applications. The training took place in Lockport, New York.
