International high-pressure hydraulic tools manufacturer Hi-Force introduced the HBR series spring eye bush replacement toolkit and the HPR series pin and bush replacement toolkit onto the local market in January.

Hi-Force group marketing manager Laura Thompson says both kits are offered with the option of manual or air-driven hydraulic pump units, or they can be supplied without a pump, should a user have a suitable 700 bar pump in his or her tool store.

“With a maximum working pressure of 700 bar and hydraulic power of 18 t, each kit incorporates a standard lightweight Hi-Force HHA182 aluminium hydraulic cylinder, making the kit portable and easy to fit to a variety of applications,” she highlights.

Further, Thompson tells Engineering News that the HPR replacement toolkits offer a choice of 37 t or 50 t of hydraulic power capacity, while incorporating a Hi-Force HHA372 aluminium hydraulic cylinder or a Hi-Force HHA504 aluminium hydraulic cylinder respectively.

“Both kits are supplied in a metal storage case for easy transportation and storage and include a range of standard tooling, with nonstandard and special tooling available on request.”

Thompson says that, despite the toolkits being relatively new to the South African market and to the Hi-Force product range, the sales of the toolkits have been good.

She attributes this to the products’ safe and simple operation, as well as the time required to change bushes being significantly less, compared with the traditional hammer and heat methods.

“The HBR and HPR toolkits are primarily targeted at commercial vehicle manufacturers and service centres, as well as heavy plant vehicle workshops in the construction and mining industries,” explains Thompson.

She adds that the demand for the HBR and HPR range of spring eye bush replace- ment toolkits was identified through feed- back from companies that required a fast and user-friendly method of effectively removing bushes.

Product Promotion

Thompson says the unique requirement for the toolkits has meant that Hi-Force had to target “a specific and niche area of the engineering market”, which, in turn, required a varied approach to promoting the toolkits.

The varied approach differed from the approach followed when promoting the com- pany’s more mainstream ranges of products within the Hi-Force range, including its cylinders, pumps, bolting products for the oil and gas industry, and ToughLift jacking systems for the mining industry.

“In the South African market, the Hi-Force sales team is offering end-users demonstrations of the toolkits to highlight the various features and benefits, including increased safety and improved time efficiencies, compared with traditional hammer and heat methods,” she explains.

Moreover, Thompson informs Engineering News that the company will exhibit the toolkits at the 2014 Electra Mining exhibition, which will run from September 15 to 19 at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg.

“Hi-Force is a regular exhibitor at this event. Visitors can view the toolkits, as well as a comprehensive range of other hydraulic and pneumatic tools available from the Hi-Force product offering,” she notes, adding that Hi-Force will be located in Hall 6, Stand A24, during the exhibition.

Hi-Force is a UK-based manufacturing company, headquartered in Daventry, Northamptonshire, with nine operations worldwide, including South Africa.

The company’s manufacturing facility comprises a 4 645 m2 manufacturing section and a further 1 858 m2 of outside yard area.

Thompson says this large facility has enabled Hi-Force to combine its machine shop, inspection, assembly, testing, finishing, stores, logistics, sales, marketing and group finance divisions into purpose-built premises.

“In March, the facility welcomed its eleventh Mori Seiki computer numerically controlled machine SL603 lathe, which is to be used primarily for the manufacturing of high-tonnage cylinders and for all models of Hi-Force ToughLift cylinders.”

Thompson notes that the SL603 lathe has a chuck diameter of 600 mm and can machine cylinder bodies up to a capacity of 1 000 t, with stroke lengths of about 760 mm.

“This latest addition to the Hi-Force manufacturing facility is expected to significantly reduce the delivery time for higher-tonnage and special-design cylinders, which are key products for the South African market,” she stresses.

Thompson adds that Hi-Force South Africa caters mainly to the mining, construction and engineering industries throughout Southern Africa and to neighbouring markets.

“With more than 30 years of hydraulic tool manufacturing and technical sales experience, Hi-Force is certainly a company that can be trusted with current and future hydraulic tool demands,” she concludes.