Kubota-manufactured tyre handling attachment helping tractor OE fitment

To assist with the complex task of mounting tyres onto its tractors, Kubota contacted German-based forklift truck attachment manufacturer KAUP, to provide an efficient and safe solution to this industry-wide issue.

Kubota requested a material handling solution not only for the transportation and lifting of tyres, but also the handling of pallets to increase the efficiency of its forklift truck even further.

The tyres, which are delivered to Kubota in a horizontal position need to be picked up off the pallet, turned 90 degrees, placed in a mounting frame and finally mounted on the axle of the agricultural tractor.

To ensure this material handling process is as safe, effective and precise as possible the trucks, supplied by Linde, have been fitted with a combination of three specialised KAUP attachments. These attachments include the KAUP integrated 2.5T013SWMI quick-change system, which allows for a speedy change between attachments, the 2T406-2H tyre tilting clamp used for handling tyres and wheels and a 2T466BZ fork positioner for transporting pallets.

The tyre tilting clamp enables the operator to lift, tilt and release the tyres. The clamp has a tilting range of 180 degrees, clamping arms and pressure plates have been rubber coated with Remagrip. It also has a standard sideshift stroke to compensate for any misalignment. The KAUP fork positioner has an opening range of 130 – 930 mm (between left edges of forks) and a fork length of 1.200m for the transportation of pallets when the forklift is not being used for lifting and mounting tyres.

These specialist attachments are available UK wide through B&B Attachments a leading forklift truck attachment company in the UK and Ireland. Kubota was founded in 1890 in Osaka Japan and manufactures tractors, heavy equipment and agriculture machinery.

Kubota (Deutschland) GmbH is the German sales company of the Japanese Kubota Corporation. It began operations in 1979 with the sale of diesel engines and utility machinery and has been based in the Nieder-Roden area of Rodgau, Germany since 1993.