13 October 2011, 00:00
With years of experience with ABG 473’s and one of the first ABG 6870’s sold in the U.K., Breedon Aggregates has given the thumbs up to a second 6870 wheeled paver for its fleet.
The new Volvo ABG6870 wheeled paver continues a long association with the ABG product for Breedon Aggregates and according to Breedon’s Contracting Director Kevin Carmichael was chosen principally for the quality and smoothness to the finished mat. “Besides that, our operating crews have a decisive input to the purchasing decision and they certainly appreciate the machine’s low noise levels, manoeuvrability and easy to use controls,” he commented. And Breedon Aggregates will also benefit from some significant improvements introduced on the ABG6870 over its predecessor such as up to a 25% fuel saving and a massive 9dB(a) reduction in external noise levels – an important point for the company who specialise in local authority, urban and private contracts as well as major trunk road maintenance from the central belt to the highlands and islands and the north of Scotland.
The ABG6870 wheeled paver is the first machine to feature continuous independent traction control over all six wheels. Powered by a Tier III 122Kw engine, the operator is able to use the ‘Smart Power’ setting to vary the power output depending on the conditions of the application. Running nominally at just 1600rpm the ABG6870 boasts significantly low noise emissions besides being highly fuel efficient. The 6x6 ‘Smart Drive’ technology offers unparalleled traction. Even on the most difficult bases, tractive effort is automatically adjusted according to ground condition and the weight of material available in the machine’s 12 tonne capacity hopper. The machine demonstrates a class beating degree of manoeuvrability thanks to the ‘Active Steering’ feature with an inside turning radius of just 2.5 metres. This coupled to individual suspension struts means the paver can overcome obstacles in one go that competitive models can only do after several complicated manoeuvres.
Screed performance is a distinct feature on Volvo ABG pavers. The ABG6870 has a variable screed width of between 2.5 and 5 metres in standard configuration but can be fitted with optional extensions to provide a generous width of 9 metres. With an output potential of up to 700 tonnes per hour, the machine can continuously pave up to 40 metres per minute. Whilst a normal layer thickness of 50mm at high speed is easily achievable, the ABG6870 can, for certain applications lay up to maximum thickness of 300mm.
Operator comfort and user friendliness is another important factor for Breedon Aggregate’s road crews. For instance, the steering wheel, which allows for a particularly sensitive control of the machine, can be placed in various positions around the EPM (Electronic Paver Management) control panel. The large screen display is the only one of its kind on the market giving a bird’s eye view or map of the paver, allowing the operator to monitor and control all the important functions as a glance. The EPM control panel has backlit control buttons to facilitate paving at night. Besides a comfortable seat the operator is afforded an excellent view of the flow of material in the hopper, the head of material in the auger channel and material laydown. The flexible (rigid) all weather roof can be hydraulically lowered along with the exhaust pipe for transportation. With a good deal of work being undertaken at night time, Xenon lighting has been also been included as an aid to the operator and crew.
Reliability is also key area for considering the ABG6870 says Mr Carmichael. “With the type of work we do, the machine has to be available seven days a week, 52 weeks a year and we’ve enjoyed a relatively high reliability with our existing fleet of ABG pavers.” For complete peace of mind, a full repair an maintenance programme for the new paver is being take care of by Volvo Construction Equipment under its Blue customer support agreement.
Breedon Aggregates' contracting services business is one of the longest established in the UK and is the market leader in the North of Scotland for motorway and trunk road maintenance. The Company is the largest independent aggregates company in the UK, employing over 800 people in Central England, East Anglia, Eastern England (through recently-acquired C&G Concrete) and Scotland, supplying a wide range of products and services to the construction and building sectors. Besides operating ABG pavers, the company also deploys a range of other Volvo Construction Equipment products at its facilities nationwide.
Volvo Construction Equipment Division markets wheeled loaders, articulated haulers, hydraulic excavators, graders, Volvo utility equipment and Volvo road equipment products in the U.K. There are eight strategically placed customer support centres and a network of compact equipment dealers to ensure high quality customer support is maintained throughout the country.
October 10, 2011
For further information, please contact: - Mark Gunns - Marketing Services
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Fax: 01223 832799
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Email: mark.gunns@volvo.com
Source: Volvo AB