Posted by Paul Moore on December 22, 2022
The 300th MacLean Engineering SL3 scissor lift rolls off the production line at the company’s Owen Sound, Ontario, manufacturing facility, some two decades after its initial introduction to the mining industry, destined for a longtime customer’s mining operation in the Sudbury Basin .
As one of the original MacLean Mine-Mate™ utility vehicle solutions for mine services installation and repair, MacLean says the SL3 “continues to provide mining operations around the world with an advanced work platform that serves a purpose -Offers safety, versatility and productivity in a package designed, built to meet the rigors of the underground working environment.
Over the years, the SL3’s design has evolved to meet the changing needs of customers. Specifically, the MacLean SL3 scissor lift now comes with a choice of six quick-connect attachments (fan handler, pipe handler, cable reeler, cable pusher, spool cradle, raised deck) with single-operator remote drive and deck side-shift Is. and forward-shift capabilities, all of which increase the unit’s versatility and productivity.
The increased production of mining vehicles from the McLean Owen Sound facility is another important part of this product milestone. The plant has increased its production contribution to the McLean continental manufacturing platform (in South Georgian Bay, Ontario, and from 2020 in Mexico) following an expansion project in 2019 that added eight new completed manufacturing bays. The facility is a major employer in the community, consisting of approximately 175 employees whose skilled efforts are proudly sent to mining customers around the world.
“Two decades ago, a visit from a mining customer in northern Manitoba led to purchase orders for the first three units that would become a product line stalwart for us – the McLean Mine-Mate utility vehicle, a permanent addition to our fleet offering. Vital Elements, Bryson Lehman, Product Manager, Utility Vehicles – Elevated Work Platforms. “This product line has continued to evolve since that time, and is now a central part of our production support mining vehicle offering, with the commonality of all parts, the servicing efficiency and lower total cost of ownership that come with it. “
“A lot has changed in mining in 20 years, but one of many things that hasn’t is the need for a safe and productive advanced work platform in an underground environment,” comments John Botelho, Product Manager, Utility Vehicles – Materials Management . “It is fitting that this milestone unit is going to the same customer who bought unit #1 all those years ago. The SL3 was and still is a true ‘Mine-Mate’ around the world.”