Two new Develon DL420CVT-7 wheeled loaders purchased by ASH Group for use at the company’s state-of-the-art Aggregates Wash Plant in Ellesmere Port in Cheshire in the UK, have brought huge benefits, including significant fuel savings and increased safety. The new wheeled loaders were supplied by Blue Machinery (Central) Ltd (Blue Central), based in Northwich in Cheshire, the Authorised Develon Dealer for North-West England and North Wales.
Compared to the machines they have replaced, the new wheeled loaders are using 4 l/h less fuel (11 l/h instead of 15 l/h) mainly due to the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) on the DL420CVT-7. They are also the first in the UK to be equipped with Develon’s Transparent Bucket safety system, the first of its type in the world. The Transparent Bucket system allows the wheeled loader driver to see blind spots in front of the bucket on the machine using the monitor in the cab.
John Dennan, director of ASH Group, said: “We are very impressed with the fuel economy and high performance of the new Develon wheeled loaders, and our drivers really like to work with them. With the new Transparent Bucket system on the machines, we have also enhanced safety for both the drivers and the rest of the workforce at the wash plant. The new wheel loaders align with our commitment to sustainability and safety, and with their help, our wash plant will continue to provide much-needed high-value recycled sand and aggregates for the UK construction industry. The operation is designed to produce up to 600,000 tonne per annum, ensuring maximum resource recovery and to divert even more waste from landfill.”
The DL420CVT-7 is equipped with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), the result of a permanent combination of a hydraulic technology and a mechanical technology ,which provides a smooth and continuous speed variation. It allows the DL420CVT-7 to automatically transition from hydrostatic power at low speed to the mechanical system to operate at higher speeds. The CVT system controls the complete driving range, forwards and reverse. Low engine speeds ensure high efficiency and the highest driving comfort, irrespective of the traction speed. The power splitting continuously variable technology facilitates moving off softly and hydraulically. Furthermore, a fuel saving of up to 25% can be achieved with the CVT.
Like all Develon’s award-winning DL-7 wheeled loaders, the DL420CVT-7 wheeled loader provides significantly enhanced operating comfort, an enhanced steering system and advanced electronic controls. Using the Develon Smart Key system on the control panel in the cab, the operator can start the machine using a keyless device, helping to prevent machine theft. The Smart Key system provides remote door control, door lock and unlock, door release, searching and other functions. The cab has a Grammer Actimo XXL seat with fully adjustable horizontal and vertical suspension settings, a standard pneumatic lumbar function, and seat heating. A 3-point safety belt with alarm icons on the new Doosan Smart Touch 8-inch touchscreen monitor and gauge panel features a new layout and anti-reflective glass.
Even without the Transparent Bucket system, the cab on Develon DL-7 wheeled loaders like the DL420CVT-7 offers a superior field of vision for the operator, with blind spots around the cab minimised and a 14% larger glass window area compared to the previous DL-5 models.
Dennan added: “Owing to blind spots caused by the buckets on wheel loaders, the area in front of the machines has been considered an area of major concern in terms of safety. With the Develon Transparent Bucket function, however, our drivers can easily check the blind spots in front of the bucket via the cab monitor to increase safety and prevent accidents.”
The innovative Transparent Bucket system records images in front of the wheel loader with top and bottom front-loaded cameras and shows combined images on the cab monitor in real-time using a curved projection method. Another advantage of the Transparent Bucket system is that it can significantly improve work efficiency by providing a forward-view perspective for the driver during loading/unloading or when carrying materials such as aggregates, sand and soil.
The ASH Group has operated for over 35 years in waste management, incorporating recycling and energy production whilst continuing to divert waste from landfill. The core ethos of the business is founded on the three ‘Rs’ principle – RECOVER, RECYCLE, REUSE. This has enabled the company to produce an environmentally friendly high-quality aggregate. ASH Aggregates offers a sustainable alternative to virgin quarried materials that helps to improve the carbon footprint of customers’ contracts whilst helping to shape and define their social corporate responsibility targets.
As the local Develon dealer, Blue Central covers Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside (including the Wirral), Cheshire, North Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Wrexham and the Islands of Anglesey and the Isle of Man. The company is solely responsible for selling and servicing the Develon crawler, wheeled and mini/midi excavator, wheeled loader, articulated dump truck and attachment ranges.
