GHH To Use Biodegradable Hydraulic Fluid In Loaders, Trucks

GHH, a German manufacturer of civil engineering and mining machinery, has announced that it will use flame-retardant and biodegradable hydraulic fluids in its equipment. The company said the move is an extension of its focus on operator protection; and that its loaders, dump trucks and special vehicles are already respected for their ergonomic and ROPS/FOPS-certified cabs.

With hydraulics, the company said its focus is now on an area that is more important than end-users might think. For example, the hydraulic system of GHH’s flagship MK-42 underground haul truck, with a payload of 42 tonnes, have a capacity of around 86 gal. (325 liters): a leak somewhere on that truck would not only cause serious damage to the environment, but would also entail extensive cleaning measures on the site.

“We are offering vehicles with biodegradable hydraulic fluids with immediate effect,” said GHH CEO Dr. Jan Olaf Petzold. The fluids, supplied by the German specialist Fluid Competence, are 98% biodegradable. “Because they are flame-retardant, we also reduce the risk of accidents for the operators, machines and the production site by not allowing the flame to propagate.”

Aggregates equipment specialist Hazemag, a sister company to GHH within the Schmidt Kranz Group, has been using the hydraulic fluid for years, said Petzold. The new hydraulic fluids will offer strong lubricating properties, high thermal stability and high corrosion protection.

The new fluids are to be introduced in all of GHH’s product groups.