Established in 2008 by now co-Directors Ben Rose and Mitch Atkinson, Hulk Lifting seeks to supply high-quality engineered lifting solutions to whoever engages its services. Collaborating with German manufacturer and global supplier RUD Chains, Ben goes in-depth about the quality of RUD’s products and their impact on the lifting and rigging equipment industry.
In 2006, Ben Rose worked alongside his two colleagues Mitch Atkinson and Dan Bell in the gear locker for P&O Ports. The trio, doing their time in the stevedoring industry maintaining and inspecting lifting equipment, worked hard to keep all the products that came across their path up to a high standard while constantly seeking new ways to further develop the equipment on the Queensland port for cargo handling.
“Of course, it was at P&O Ports that we brainstormed and developed a self-equalising flat chain,” said Ben. “That was the inception of Hulk Lifting.”
Officially beginning in 2008 and now run by Ben and Mitch in the Brisbane suburb of Newmarket, the duo has expanded Hulk Lifting to distribute its lifting solutions across Australia. Designed predominantly for cargo handling in the stevedoring industry, Hulk Lifting products are capable of standing up in any environment: or, as Ben said, “to whoever wants to engage in our services and finds value in what we do”.
“We pride ourselves on creating innovative, engineered lifting solutions that are dependable, durable, and quality,” he said.
To supply the market with high-quality, bespoke lifting solutions, Ben is well aware that the foundation products need to come from high-quality manufacturing. As luck, fortune, serendipity, or - most likely - the importance of maintaining good relationships in the industry would have it, the team at Hulk Lifting already held a relationship with one such manufacturer: RUD Chains.
Globally renowned for its technical expertise in manufacturing and recently receiving a high appraisal from SureLift Crane Hire owner Mark ‘Chopper’ Read in the October issue of Cranes and Lifting as the “only products” he’ll use for lifting and lashing solutions, the German-based manufacturer’s product range features more than 700 lifting slings and lashing points. For Ben, the introduction to RUD’s products came in 2004 through Product Manager Stuart Nolan.
Since then, akin to SureLift’s experience, Hulk Lifting has consistently turned to RUD for any lifting and lashing solutions it needs, according to Ben.
“Knowing that we’re using RUD’s products provides us with a sense of comfort and reassurance,” he said.
“RUD really is ‘best-in-show’ for us: through the design, manufacturing and final build stages, everything is simply top-notch.”
Supplying its products across the country and, in some instances, globally, Ben is well aware of the importance of providing equipment that is structurally and physically sound, not least because of the safety element involved in the lifting, stevedoring and bulk-handling industries.
At the forefront of its products is the “globally renowned” flat chain sling that inspired the inception of Hulk Lifting; at the core of its flagship product is RUD’s Grade 120 chain.
RUD’s ICE Grade 120 chain carries 30 per cent less weight than the next nominal grade chain and a 60 per cent higher breaking force than a grade 80 chain, which offers a significant safety
advantage to anyone using its products. Designed and manufactured back at the company’s home base in Germany, the chain slings are then assembled and proof load-tested at its Australian facility in Brisbane, where the products go through a rigorous testing process to ensure the chains meet Australian Quality, Environmental and OH&S standards. On top of this, the global manufacturer also holds LEEA and NATA accreditation, ensuring it is part of the movement in the lifting and rigging industry that focuses on supplying the market with internationally accredited, quality products. For Ben, this gives the team at Hulk Lifting better peace of mind.
“We sleep easier at night with RUD’s engineering because, in our experience, it really is the safest,” he said. “We’ve worked with other products, and we’ve seen RUD’s chains consistently exceed others in their performance.”
Supplying the Australian lifting and rigging market with high-quality, durable, sustainable products comes at a price compared to its single, two-time, and maybe three-time use counterparts. The price, however, is one well worth paying, according to Ben, with the environmental, financial and operational benefits all paying large dividends to those who decide to invest.
“People who’ve worked with high-quality lifting and rigging equipment know the value of manufacturing such as RUDs,” he said. “Safety needs to be paramount in the lifting and rigging industry, which RUD’s chains provide to anyone using them.”
It’s not, however, just the ICE Grade 120 chains that put Ben and Mitch’s minds at ease. As a manufacturer, RUD also designs and creates a host of lifting beams, spreader beams and lifting and lashing points, with over 700 tested boltable and weldable lifting point variants featuring load ranges all the way up to 250 tonnes. Working with RUD to provide customised lifting solutions,
Ben points to the first production lug in the world, which was the 31.5-tonne capacity ABA, which the manufacturers shipped to Australia for Hulk Lifting to weld onto a lifting beam. As Ben was
quick to highlight, it’s that high level of commitment to anyone using RUD’s products and services that ensures the German manufacturer remains a high-quality partner, from product through to post-sale service.
“Whenever we get something in from RUD, there’s always an engineer coming afterwards to inspect the product and ensure that it’s performing exactly as it should,” he said. “RUD gives a top-end
service supplied by top-end people providing a top-end product to the Australian market.”
Have you checked our YouTube videos? Click here to visit the RUD YouTube channel.
Article copyright to Cranes & Lifting; this information is accurate at the time of publication and RUD Australia takes no responsibility for any errors, inadvertent or otherwise. Some pictures are for illustration only.
For more details on how RUD can help with your lifting requirements, please call us on 07 3809 1300 or fill out an enquiry form here.
Sources:
This is taken from the article published in Cranes & Lifting Oct 2023 issue. Click here to read the original article.
Director of SureLift Crane Hire Mark ‘Chopper’ Read discusses his business and why the company consistently chooses RUD.
“They’re the best chains in the industry,” says Chopper. “All of RUD’s lifting and lashing equipment consistently performs on safety and durability measures; it’s because of the way we’ve seen RUD’s products perform that we don’t buy anything but RUD.”
Chopper himself holds an extensive career in the mining industry; working in and around shutdowns in the mining industry before starting Surelift; he’s seen it all; and that’s why when he labels RUD’s chains and slings as the “best”, he’s worked with, there’s an added element of legitimacy to his words.
SureLift Crane Hire was conceived in the mining town of Moranbah and began its operations with just one 20-tonne Franna crane. Since then, the Queensland-based company has expanded its fleet to include seven Franna P&C cranes, seven all-terrain cranes, a 280-tonne crawler crane and a variety of truck and trailer combinations.
“Initially, when I started the business, I reflected on my time in the shutdown industry and I saw the potential for more crane hire in the market,” he says. “I decided to try it out, and we’ve eventually grown into the business we are today.”
At the core of its operations, SureLift provides crane hire and transport services to businesses and individuals in Moranbah and its surrounding regions. Frequently employed by contractors working in the mining, construction, maintenance and industrial sectors, Surelift’s team of 48 full-time employees is well-versed in the crane and logistics industry, thanks to the company’s 17 years of experience.
“The biggest problem that we experienced when starting SureLift was just attracting the work,” says Chopper. “But we kept our heads down and worked hard, and eventually, things fell our way; today, we own over 16 cranes and operate across a range of projects.”
Part of working across a range of projects in the crane industry requires versatile, durable, safe lifting and rigging equipment.
“Although we’re general hire, the chains consistently stand up for us no matter what environment they’re placed in,” he says. “I initially came across RUD’s chains early on in my career and they have not disappointed me.”
The other blatant testimony to the working capacities of RUD's products is the industries in which they appear. According to Chopper, working with a range of clients in the defence, infrastructure, energy and engineering industries, RUD’s chains offer “capacity, versatility, and unique features” that other chains “just don’t have”.
RUD ICE Grade 120 range of lifting chains weigh 30% less than the next nominal grade chain but possess 60% higher breaking force than the Grade 80 chains. Also, when used with a balancer, a RUD ICE 16mm chain can lift up to 48 tonnes, the highest in its class.
“The balancer is a huge point of difference when compared to other options on the market,” says Chopper. “It allows us to lift at a higher capacity with the same level of safety.”
Aside from using its range of lifting chains and slings, Chopper is also highly complimentary of the lifting and lashing points that RUD supplies to SureLift. The German manufacturer offers more than 700 tested boltable and weldable lifting point variants with load ranges all the way up to 250 tonnes. Stringently tested and certified according to LEEA and NATA standards, Chopper says the versatility offered by the products is “incomparable”.
“Working in the shutdown industry, it’s imperative to get things right with dependable, durable products,” he says. “The weld on lift-points that we use are exactly that; having versatile gear that holds many applications at many ranges is essential.”
All these products collectively feature for Chopper are safety and excellent post-sale service and support. Talking about his relationship with RUD Chains and its after-sale service, Chopper says no stone is left unturned for RUD when it comes to ensuring the company supplies the right product according to Surelift’s needs.
“Their post-sale service is excellent; anything you need to talk to them about – whether it be the maintenance of the product, a new range that’s just come out, or different lifting solutions – they’re there,” he says. “Additionally, if we need any advice for setting up new slings or purchasing any new items, RUD are always on the other end of the phone, ready and willing to give us a helping hand – or, in this case, a sling.”
For the team at Surelift, since RUD’s products are manufactured, tested and maintained in accordance with Australian Quality, Environmental, and OH&S standards, including LEEA and NATA accreditations, this is more important than RUD’s high-quality post-sale service. Chopper believes RUD’s products tick all these boxes.
“At the start of the day, everyone’s got a right to go to work; at the end of the day, everyone’s got the right to go home safely,” says Chopper. “We feel that using RUD’s chains embodies that message of safety.”
RUD will be exhibiting at the Crane Industry Lifting Conference - CICA 2023 from 26-28 Oct 2023. Visit us in Booth #27/28 at the Perth Convention Centre to discuss our Lifting and Lashing Solutions for the crane industry.
Article copyright to Cranes & Lifting; this information is accurate at the time of publication and RUD Australia takes no responsibility for any errors, inadvertent or otherwise.
Read More Articles on the Cranes & Lifting portal:
