1 September 2016, 13:57
Johnston VT Range Twin engine sweeper
The VT (vehicle mounted twin engine) sweeper offers the best performance and flexibility for a truck mounted sweeper. Being independent of the truck chassis, the sweeper axillary engine powers the sweeping functions and vacuum system so both engine and chassis can be tailored to the application and customer preferences.
A wide range of chassis can be supplied with either manual gearboxes, automatic Alison 3000 series gearboxes or 12 speed automated gearboxes providing a wide range of options to suit the operator. The auxiliary engines come in 55kW or 93kW to tier 4 final/ stage3b standards or 85Kw to stage 3a standard.
Once set to an operating performance, the twin engine sweeper system will perform at the same level regardless of gradient and travel speed. The sweeping operation can be paused or stopped easily and sweep gear lifted to allow the driver to transit from one location to another without having to disengage a separate drive.
Whilst the high torque 55 kW engine is more than capable of sweeping road chippings, heavy detritus and planings, the 85kW and 93kW provides additional power for faster sweeping when simultaneous sweeping and/or full width nozzles are required. Twin engines can be adjusted from 1200 rpm, suitable for light city sweeping to 2000rpm for maximum suction performance. With fan speeds up to 3400 rpm and a large 800mm diameter fan on the high power engine the twin engine machine offers the best suction performance across the product range.
The sweeper auxiliary engine can be supplied with its own fuel tank allowing tax free diesel to be used where applicable or/and carry additional fuel for longer on station time. In light duty applications both engines work at low revs, reducing fuel costs and reducing wear and tear on components. With the fuel consumption as low as 5.8 litres per hour combined for both chassis and axillary engines a twin engine sweeper can provide the lowest cost of ownership.
At low to medium revs the twin engine sweeper offers low fuel consumption, at higher and at maximum revs the twin engine sweeper typically has higher fuel consumption than a single engine machine.
Based on residual re-sale values, the use of tax free fuel when used and maintenance, the twin engine offers the lowest operating costs of truck mounted sweeper with up to 20% lower running costs. Even with two engines due to the low operating revs required for the primary chassis engine during sweeping, overall maintenance costs are usually lower than single engine or mechanical sweepers.
The twin engine can be used in built up areas in conjunction with an automatic transmission for the best balance of control and functionality and where performance is most important in applications such as road construction.