One of the largest machines from Topp and Screed is the TS 6000 super flat screed. This concrete finisher levels 3000 m2 per day. An important part of the machine is the operation by means of elobau joysticks. Topp and Screed discovered how handy these joysticks are during a trade fair. All kinds of functions can easily be connected to the joysticks.
“In addition to controlling the telescopic arm, the joystick allows the upper part of the machine to rotate 360 degrees,” says Eric Zacharie, Production manager at Topp and Screed. “For safety, the machine can only be started when you are seated in the driver’s seat and press the dead man’s switch.” The TS 5000 topping spreader has three joysticks, one J4 and 2 smaller J6 joysticks. This machine provides the concrete floor with a top layer of extra hardness or colour.
Reliability and deadlines
How do you put together your joystick? Elobau offers a handy program or configurator with which you can design your own joystick. This allows you to determine which functions you assign to which buttons. You can also use different colours to make the buttons recognizable. “This way you can easily adapt the joystick to the customer’s wishes. With the configurator we can process most of the functions. And very special functions, which are not included, are added separately by elobau,” says Zacharie.
Topp and Screed is very satisfied with elobau. “At elobau they make sure that we can always meet our deadlines. Every order is delivered on time. Sometimes we change something on the joystick in the last minute. Elobau is very flexible about that as well. The reliability of this supplier is very important to us. We can fully focus on the quality of our own products and the our customers wishes’.”
Choice of joystick
For the large machines TS 6000 and TS 5000, the robust J4 joystick has been chosen in combination with the multifunctional 361/362G handle for left or right-handed operation. This handle offers a wide range of control options using different types of push buttons and thumb wheels. On the smaller machines the choice fell on a J6 joystick, also multi-axial and equally robust but one size smaller and a smaller handle with 3 buttons for less functions.
Machines with comfort
“Comfort is an important part for our customers. Furthermore users want their machines to be so robust that they can do their job easily and precisely,” says Edin Draganovic, Sales manager. “When laying large industrial floors, the operator spends a lot of hours on the concrete machine. Then a comfortable chair is very pleasant. In addition to the ergonomic joystick, the operator now also has a touch-screen. This makes it easy for him to change the settings”. Recently Topp and Screed also released an update of the touch-screen software. This software is available in many languages.
Fast service
There are only a few companies in the world that make machines like this. There are two in America and one of the companies in Europe is Topp and Screed in Luxembourg. For customers it is of course useful to have a service company closer by. Draganovic: “You have to be able to react quickly when a machine needs assistance. Especially when they are in the process of laying a concrete floor. We recently dealt with a customer in northern Spain who called because of a problem. That same afternoon, one of our technicians drove over there and was able to solve it. Of course, the customer was very happy with it. In any case, we have enough spare parts in stock. We can easily and quickly support companies in Europe.”
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