Heavy lifting and rigging specialists Lovemore Bros Mechanical Projects division has reached the tail end of a substantial assembly project for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions South Africa (WW Solutions), a subsidiary of global shipping and logistics solutions provider Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

The project entailed the assembly of 15 wheel loaders and eight excavators, which made up part of an import shipment being managed by WW Solutions for one of its clients, a China-based heavy machinery manufacturer.

The machine parts were transported to Durban port and then by road to Lovemore Bros’ Boksburg branch, in Gauteng.

Lovemore Bros used its overhead gantries and equipment to offload the parts.

From there, every machine was assembled by the Mechanical Projects division technicians and millwrights according to WW Solutions and the client’s instructions using a parts catalogue.

“Each build took, on average, a day and a half,” says Lovemore Bros technical sales consultant and project manager Tyler Bingham.

The wheel loaders weigh about 41 t each when assembled and the excavators about 25 t; more than 850 t of parts passed through Lovemore Bros’ premises during the project.

Bingham adds that the project is a first of its kind for the company.

There are few local manufacturers that make wheel loaders and excavators, and most brands in South Africa are imported.

“We were able to secure the project at the end of May and have – in less than three months – delivered on the project.

“We did experience some challenges with logistics from the port, as the shipment required careful coordination of a great deal of specialised moving equipment.”

However, once at the Lovemore Bros site in Boksburg, everything ran smoothly without any glitches, he adds.

The project was completed by Lovemore Bros’ in-house staff, who displayed great expertise and know-how in completing the scope of work.

“XCMG assisted with the assembly of the first few units; however, after realising our capabilities, they allowed us to continue the project independently,” Bingham adds.

The mechanical projects division has received another order to build a front loader, and subsequent orders are expected over the next few years.

“We have proven our mettle and look forward to continuing to work with WW Solutions on similar future projects that they have planned,” he concludes