December 2011, Vol. 66 No. 12
Features
Sherman & Reilly Launch ‘Revolution’
Sherman & Reilly, long a leading manufacturer of equipment for installing power and communications cable, has introduced the first models of its new Revolution Series, a generation of equipment focusing on safety, ergonomics and efficiency.
Two of the first four new Revolution models primarily apply to power cable construction — the smallest unit can be used for electrical cable and short runs of communications cable, including fiber optic cable, and one larger model is designed primarily for underground installations of both power and communications cable.
Several Revolution Series models are now available.
The CP-50 is a short-range powered capstan puller for pulling secondary wire from the primary to the meter base. Weighing 40 pounds, the CP-50 is easily portable and can be set up and operated by one person. Fully self contained, no external power source is required. The unit produces 500 pounds pulling force at 70 feet per minute (fpm).
The HPLW-1004 is an hydraulically-powered four-drum pilot line winder/puller that develops a maximum of 1,000 pounds of line pull on each drum, each equipped with an aluminum-bronze disc payout brake. Rope comes in four different colors for ease of identification during stringing operations. The deck rotates 360 degrees, locking every 15 degrees. The single-axel trailer is easily maneuverable and four independent outriggers with drop-pin jacks secure the unit for pulling. The Safe-Zone Cab (see sidebar for details) rotates with the turret and allows the operator to remain off the ground at all times during operation.
The T2608 is a transmission-class bullwheel tensioner for deployment of conductors for 230 to 345KV installations. The unit has two pairs of 60-inch, five groove bullwheels with 8,000 pounds maximum tensioning of each conductor. Each bullwheel has its own planetary gearbox and hydraulic motor with spring applied hydraulic release brake. A Continuous-cast bullwheel liner assures continuous conductor support for minimum stress on conductors and maximizes liner life. Dual-axel, I-beam trailer provides stability and durability under rough conditions and is designed for fast set-up and low maintenance. The T2608 is equipped with a Safe-Zone Cab.
The U7500 is a bullwheel puller for underground installation of conductor and optical communications cable. The U7500 has a single platform modular design with the choice of 7,500- or 10,000-pound pulling capacity. Powered by a 35-horsepower, liquid-cooled diesel engine, hydraulically-driven twin capstan bullwheels provide smooth, controlled, reliable pulls. The transmission has two forward speeds plus reverse to meet demand payout for flexibility and power and elimination of overspin of cable storage reels and time-consuming cable tangles that can result. The hydraulically-positioned extendable boom with 170-degree swing arc facilitates pulling from underground pad-mounted transformers and other tight openings. A video-boom camera assists the operator in positioning the boom. The U7500 has a Safe-Zone Cab.
New approach
Michael Dunn, Sherman & Reilly chairman and chief executive officer, says the Revolution Series is so named because it represents a revolutionary approach to product design applied to cable pulling and stringing equipment.
“We’ve taken an observational science approach in developing designs for these new products,” he explained. “By observing how equipment functions, and how users operate it, and studying safety history involving cable pulling and stringing, points of focus emerged that we then addressed. Watching people work told us a lot.”
Dunn notes that most every type of construction equipment has an operator’s enclosure or work station, and that other manufacturers recognize that operator comfort leads to greater output and improved quality of work, in addition to safety factors.
“We learned that for safety with cable pulling equipment, we needed to get operators off the ground,” said Dunn. “Yet, observations revealed that often even with machines that had an operator’s seat, operators often still stood on the ground and reached back to the machine’s controls. Revolution Series models feature a new Safe Zone Cab with full electronics, everything digital, full diagnostic capabilities and attention to ergonomics in an area insulated from weather with comfortable seats.”
Common features of the Revolution Series include trailers with low centers of gravity to improve on-the-road stability and maneuverability on job sites. Products within families may be upgraded with new features and capabilities, extending usable life and equipment budgets, and the revolutionary Safe-Zone Cab.
“Ergonomics, efficiency and safety elements in terms of design and production combined in the Sherman & Reilly Revolution Series provide better products at better prices,” concluded Dunn.
Based in Chattanooga, TN, Sherman & Reilly is an established manufacturer of tools and equipment for underground and aerial transmission, and distribution of electrical power and communications systems, including a complete line of bundle blocks, pullers, tensioners and reel trailers. Telecommunications products include fiber Cablejet, Superjet and Microjet cable “blowing” equipment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sherman & Reilly Inc., (423) 756-5300, www.sherman-reilly.com
Safe-Zone Cab
The Safe-Zone Cab is a signature feature of the new Sherman & Reilly Revolution Series cable pullers, setting them apart from all other equipment of a similar type says Michael Dunn, Sherman & Reilly chairman and chief executive officer.
Safe Zone Cabs provide a fully-controlled operator environment, Dunn continues. Configurations and options relate to individual product models, and they include half-cab, sitting; full-frame, sitting; and full-frame, sitting and standing.
Revolution models include a full set of intuitive operator controls, monitors, and gauges; one-button, auto-leveling hydraulic jack system; joystick control of hydraulically-powered booms; video displays from boom-mounted cameras; wireless remote controls: adjustable, ergonomic transportation-class seat; operator-controlled work area and task lighting; and wireless remote controls.
Benefits of Safe-Zone Cabs, Dunn says, are reduced risk of operator error resulting in faster task completion and more work completed each operator shift; improved safety for operators and crew; and improved operator comfort with reduced fatigue over each work shift.
“Operator comfort is one of the most important considerations in the design of Safe-Zone Cabs,” says Dunn. “During our observation and evaluations of equipment operators, we witnessed one machine’s operator repeatedly shifting in his seat. We asked why. His answer was that his back hurt, and he could not get comfortable. A comfortable operator is a more productive operator.”
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