Smart and Safe Loading of Demolition Debris with Twinca
Published: 21/12, 2021
Twinca is probably the demolition industry’s most environmentally friendly dumper with efficient and smart loading of demolition debris. Optimal barrows with scissor lift and 85-degree tip angle, battery powered that eliminates pollution and noise, smooth maneuvering with optimal outer dimensions and solid rubber tires are some of the advantages.
Internal demolition work in connection with refurbishment work is the most common type of demolition work. Like all demolition, a lot of demolition material is generated that must be unloaded in an efficient and flexible way.
The predominant aid for unloading has been various types of skid steer loaders and motorized wheelbarrows that transport the material to containers or bulkheads for further processing and transport. But there are other flexible and environmentally friendly solutions for efficient and safe unloading of different types of demolition materials, drill cuttings, concrete drill cores, beams and more.
Danish manufacturer Twinca’s dumper is a battery-powered trolley that is easily driven and maneuvered with an ergonomic handle/controller connected to the dumper’s swivel front wheel axle. While similar types of dumpers have fixed wheels or crawler tracks that make them difficult to navigate or require the operator to stand or sit on the machine, Twinca’s solution makes the dumper particularly flexible in tight spaces. And, the dumpers are all tiltable up to 85 degrees.
Twinca dump trucks are available in four basic models—E -500, E500 Slim, E-500 Plus, and E-800. The Twinca E-500 is the smallest battery-powered unit and has a load capacity of up to 1,100 lb (500 kg). The dumper is perfect in tight spaces and measures 30 in (797) wide and 68 in (1,717 long).
An inch thinner than the E-500, the E-500 Slim is the small battery-powered unloader for the really cramped jobs, such as confined bathroom renovations where old tiles are to be demolished and excellent in combination with a small demolition robot. The E-500 Plus has a load capacity of 1,322 lb (600 kg) and has more engine power and larger battery packs. The largest model is the E-800 with a load capacity of 1,764 lb (800 kg) and is perfect for larger demolition projects where the requirements are higher for unloading rate and capacity. Variants of the ES-500, ES-500 Slim, and ES-800 are equipped with scissor lifts with a lifting height of more than 55 in (1,400 mm) allowing material to be tipped into a container. All offer tilting angles of up to 85 degrees as well.
Long-lasting batteries
All Twinca models have been designed to facilitate the operator’s working day, eliminate heavy and harmful lifting and, above all, eliminate contamination through battery operation. The dumpers are powered by maintenance-free batteries that contribute to easy and pollution-free use indoors. They can work a full working day on a single charge and can be fully charged again in 4 to 5 hours.
Twinca dumpers are also designed for high safety through a safety device on the steering handle that reverses the direction of travel when activated, which eliminates the risk of the operator getting trapped. The dumper has a maximum driving speed of 4 mph (6.5 kph) and can be continuously adjusted as necessary. Another important advantage is that the dumpers are almost noise-free in themselves and are far below the prescribed levels that require hearing protection.
The dumpers’ tipping point is correctly positioned in relation to the front axle, preventing the unit from tipping forward and ensuring operator stability and safety. The tipping platform itself is geometrically designed so that sticky or difficult-to-handle material can be easily tipped out of the trapezoidal-shaped platform. The barrow is made of high-quality steel which thereby reduces the dead weight without compromising on durability and strength.
Another competitive feature of Twinca is the price, which is in very good competition with similar competing brands. For the cost of a petrol-powered dump truck, which is also always equipped with crawler tracks, users can buy nearly two battery-powered Twinca dumpers with flexible and soft rubber wheels that make them easily accessible in the workplace.
“Made in Scandinavia”
A strength of Twinca is that the products have been developed in Scandinavia, more specifically Vinderup in Danish Jutland. It all started with the twin brothers Klaus and Mads Strøm Kristensen founding the company in 1991. The fact that they were twin brothers gave inspiration to the name Twinca. Today, the company is run entirely by Klaus and his family. When it all started, the business was completely different, namely the manufacture of feeding machines for minks. Until the coronavirus pandemic shut down the industry, Denmark was been the world’s largest breeder of minks. With the change in market conditions, it was natural to look to the company’s strengths. The Twinca Dumper with annual sales of almost 100 units despite lack of marketing or export became the obvious choice, and the process of shifting focus and manufacturing increased pace. The transition to construction machinery has been underway since 2015.
“The original product models needed major upgrades, so we chose to dump existing models and invest in a completely new design,” explains Klaus Kristensen. “That’s how the Twinca dump truck came about. At first, we also had petrol-powered models, but we are phasing them out completely and investing only in battery operation.”
“We have had some really tough years in the company building up the new production line for the dumpers and then managing the loss to end the production of the feeding machines, but we are now very optimistic about the future,” says Twinica export manager Pornnapa Sawangpakdee. “Our dumpers are attractive in many different ways, not least when it comes to price. Just the fact that they are completely battery-powered also affects the final price to the customer a lot. At the moment, we have very little competition.”
Going global
While Europe currently account for about 80 percent of Twinica sales, the US, Australia, and New Zealond are considered to be strong and emerging markets, especially among contractors who work with demolition robots and concrete cutting systems. In January, Twinca will exhibit at the World of Concrete trade fair in Las Vegas together with its American retailer Cratos Equipment, located in Pompano Beach, Florida. A special story about Cratos will be published in PDa 1-2022.
“An important task now is to connect as many new retailers as possible on for instance the US market,” says Sawangpakdee. “We strongly believe in the US market and currently we have some 100 units operating there and for the current year we expect to reach another 60 machines.”
Kristensen adds that 2021 sales of Twinica dumpers will reach just over 250 units, a figure the company hopes to nearly double in 2022. He believes they can handle in the existing production facilities. But if the increase in demand continues, which is hoped for, production facilities will have to be increased as well. Already today, those resources are in an adjacent building. Twinca’s standard color is orange, but the products can be delivered in basically any color.
“Our dump trucks are the perfect product for machine rental companies,” Kristensen says. “They are easy to handle, and little product training is needed. In addition, they can withstand a lot of beatings and need very little maintenance. A perfect product for machine rental companies. Then it will also be useful to deliver the dumpers with company colors and logo.”