Babcock’s newly appointed General Manager SDLG, Grant Sheppard, says 2014 will herald a new era for the SDLG brand in southern Africa, with a significant investment poised to gear up all activities associated with this value-added range of wheel loaders, graders and vibratory rollers.

Babcock has been the exclusive distributor of SDLG construction machinery in southern Africa since early 2012. With the focus on aftermarket support for the SDLG product range, sales of these machines across the region have exceeded expectations.

“SDLG equipment is recognised worldwide as a high quality, value-added product and in southern Africa it’s backed by an FTSE 100-listed UK company and a comprehensive network of local support centres,” says Sheppard. “SDLG is characterised by its simplicity, cost effectiveness and fit-for-purpose design, making these machines ideal for applications in the re-handling, construction, quarrying, agricultural and aggregate industries. They offer extended trouble-free operation and are very maintenance friendly, since they are fitted with basic electronics and standard components.

“The Babcock mantra is ‘Trusted to Deliver’, so the aim is to ensure that no machine will have unnecessary downtime as Babcock is able to offer 100% parts supply to ensure the customers’ SDLG machine returns to work in the shortest possible time. The strength of any brand is built on customer satisfaction and in our case this translates to operating uptime.”

Sheppard adds that SDLG service enhancement plans include increasing sales and service personnel across the region. The strategy is to ensure that each Babcock/SDLG centre is fully geared to service the expanding range of equipment being sold across southern Africa. This includes a comprehensive stockholding of spare parts.

Recent introductions
In addition to the popular LG918, LG938, LG958 and LG978 wheel loaders, recent introductions to the SDLG range include a 16 ton LG9190 grader and a 12 ton RS7120 hydrostatic compact roller. In conjunction with the new grader, the hydrostatic compact roller is ideal for municipal activities and general roadwork.

The LG9190 grader, launched at Bauma Africa 2013, is currently being field tested at a number of customers to establish comparative performance against existing equipment. SDLG machines are fitted with either fuel-efficient Cummins or Deutz diesel engines and feature quiet, ergonomically designed cabs that are air-conditioned as standard and ROPS/FOPS certified, ensuring the SDLG range meets with internationally accepted safety standards.

“There are more than 150 units mostly wheel loaders  already at work across southern Africa and Babcock intends to double this during 2014,” Sheppard says. “With the planned addition of new personnel, enhanced service capabilities and new SDLG models, we will be well positioned to penetrate every corner of our target market. Customers in this market segment are rapidly recognising that the SDLG range comprises well-supported, well-priced products and it’s attracting particular attention where the requirement is for value versus premium brands.”

One of Babcock’s prime reference installations is the inclusion of SDLG wheel loaders at South African Bulk Terminal’s (SABT) soya, fluorspar and maize facilities, where they have been deployed to unload grains and materials from the holds of incoming ships.  SABT chose Babcock to supply the SDLG wheel loaders among stiff competition, based on their superlative performance in a comparative test run. The SDLG units were able to work in the ships’ holds without showing any sign of overheating, at the same time achieving higher productivity with lower fuel consumption than competitor machines. This productivity level is important, as penalties apply if the holds are not unloaded within a specific time frame.