Events such as Volvo Days sees the introduction of new models. This year was no exception as Patrick Smith reports.
Many of today’s major construction machinery manufacturers can trace their histories back to small beginnings.
For example, Volvo Construction Equipment has grown from a small machine shop in Eskilstuna, Sweden, to become the town’s largest private employer.
Started in 1832, it claims to be oldest industrial company in the world still active in construction machinery.
Eskilstuna, 100km west of the capital Stockholm, is home to several Volvo operations, the largest of which is
The Customer Center attached to the sales region EMEA offices receives guests from all over the world, and it was here during the recent Volvo Days that Volvo CE unveiled a number of new and updated additions to its machine line-up, including wheeled loaders and excavators.
Updates to its L350F wheeled loader, now in its seventh year of production, are said to further enhance the machine, increasing operator comfort and offering improved safety and maintenance features, while it launched the new Volvo G-series wheeled loaders with Z-bar linkage, which are available in less regulated markets.
The L60Gz, L90Gz and L120Gz (operating weights 12.3-12.8tonnes; 14.4-15.2tonnes and 18-19tonnes respectively) feature load-sensing hydraulics and a powerful and durable Z-bar linkage.
“Each machine is built with an ideally-matched all-Volvo powertrain, designed to work together in perfect harmony for optimised performance. Equipped with powerful Volvo engines, these machines offer high torque at low rpm to ensure low fuel consumption. Volvo’s ECO pedal also helps to guarantee fuel consumption is kept to a minimum, applying mechanical push-back force when engine rpm is about to exceed the economic operating range,” says the company.
“Alongside outstanding power and durability, the L60Gz, L90Gz and L120Gz offer superior operator comfort for an enjoyable and productive work shift.”
Among other launches were the EC140E (14tonnes) and EC180E crawler excavators along with the new EC220E (20tonnes), which was launched in February. To mark the end of the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race, Volvo CE has created a special edition EC220E model in official race livery and this was on display in Eskilstuna.
The EC140E, with an operating weight of 13,170-16,980kg, is equipped with a powerful Tier 4 Final/Stage IV-compliant Volvo D4 engine, and is said to offer increased engine power, together with the increased pump input power that “ensures highly responsive operation and travel for reduced consumption, faster cycle times and improved productivity.”
The
One machine has been fitted with Bell Equipment’s advanced fleet management system, Fleetm@tic, which is used by Raymond Brown to monitor the performance of its Bell fleet.
“The Bell L2016E has proven its capabilities again and again for us across a number of quarrying and recycling applications, so we are proud of our association with this reliable, versatile loader,” says Nick Moth, plant director at Raymond Brown.
With new external styling, the DL-5 range is said to offer increased productivity and fuel economy, with features such as a new high comfort cab, powerful
The DL300-5 and DL350-5 are powered by the Scania DC09 five-cylinder diesel engine, with an output of 202kW of power at 1,800rpm while the DL420-5 is powered by the Scania DC13 six-cylinder engine producing 254kW of power at 1,800rpm.
“Providing generous torque at low rpm, up to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption and excellent response, the Scania engines meet Stage IV emissions regulations without the need of a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) after-treatment technologies,” says Doosan.
The DL300-5, DL350-5 and DL420-5 are factory-installed with the new CoreTMS state-of-art wireless fleet monitoring system, a feature not previously available as standard on Doosan wheeled loaders and now incorporated in all new DL-5 generation machines
Meanwhile, Swiss civil engineering company Scrasa has invested in a
The ZX470LCH-5 is part of a fleet of construction machinery that includes two ZX225USLC-5s, a ZX135US-5 and a ZX85USBLC-5, but it is the only machine based at Satigny, and plays a key role in the excavation of up to 1,500tonnes of mixed materials per day, loading two trucks for the maximum 2km haul to the yard.
This helps Scrasa to produce 200,000tonnes of washed materials for building construction and a further 200,000tonnes of recycled materials for road construction and concrete production each year. The four sizes of aggregates are 0.4, 4/8, 8/16 and 16/32mm, and the company also mix products according to the needs of its customers and projects.
“We continue to buy Hitachi excavators that offer value for money and top quality, supported by excellent after-sales support,” says Scrasa’s Jean Marc Zuccalli, who is responsible for managing the operations on the site.
Experienced operator Pascal Notelle says that the machine is well suited to the work in the sand and gravel pit.
“There are many different layers, including compact and hard soil, but the ZX470LCH-5 is able to dig into all of the materials easily. I also have to mix the different grades by dragging the bucket down the face of the pit and the machine has more than enough power to complete this task.”
In the UK, Burlington Stone, a leading natural stone and slate producer, which operates eight quarries, has increased its quarry and earthmoving equipment fleet of
The Case 1021F joins an existing Case fleet of seven 921F wheeled loaders located at Burlington’s Kirby-in-Furness, County Cumbria, north-west England quarry, working alongside Case CX350C and CX470B crawler excavators at the quarry face, loading the cut stone blocks onto trucks for transportation to secondary cutting, production, crushing and recycling facilities on site.
To enable longer lengths of stone to be moved the 1021F has been fitted with tyre chains plus a V Profile special bucket.
Specially designed to work in demanding quarrying and aggregate environments the machine is said to offer high levels of fuel economy due to its SCR technology and advanced cooling technology, high bucket payload, and a Tier 4 Interim 9litre Case/FPT diesel engine.
Another introduction from
Built on proven EU Stage IIIB engine technology, Komatsu’s EU Stage IV engines offer a net 123kW at 2,000 rpm and operating weights between 22,120kg– 23,580kg for the PC210/LC-11.
“This new excavator does so much more than simply meet EU Stage IV emissions regulations: it offers significant advances in fuel consumption, provides 3G communications, improves operator comfort and includes new safety features,” says Vince Porteous, product manager at Komatsu Europe International.
The PC210/LC-11 is equipped with the latest KOMTRAX remote monitoring technology with data access via the web or via KOMTRAX mobile on a smart-phone.
In a chalk pit near Wuppertal, Germany, Recycling GmbH Lahnau is deploying a
In the pit there is a so-called cleaning section with partially good limestone between the spoil and the limestone layer, and this is broken out and loaded using the R 970 SME (Super Mass Excavation).
The machine, which is also used to load detonated material, has an operating weight of approximately 80tonnes, and was developed and manufactured in Colmar, France.
Its diesel engine returns 330kW and complies with emissions standard stage IIIB/Tier 4i.
Liebherr says its SME crawler excavators are particularly suitable for deployment in quarrying and extraction.
