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Chepstow's bulk Volvo order includes 51-tonne shovel

12 Sep 19 Chepstow Plant International has signed a deal with SMT GB for 103 new Volvo machines, including the first 51-tonne L350H loading shovel to be sold in Great Britain.

Chepstow Plant's new L350H loading shovel
Chepstow Plant's new L350H loading shovel

Chepstow’s order includes 20 excavators, ranging from the 25-tonne EC250E to the 75-tonne, and 25 wheeled loaders from the L70H up to the top-of-the-range L350H, which has been bought specifically for a major contract in the northeast of England.

The L350H has a 6.8m³ spade nosed rock bucket with teeth and segments plus additional wear parts, 875/65 wide profile Goodyear L5 wheel and tyre assemblies, and the long boom option. Thus rigged, the 51-tonne loader offers a full turn tip load of 32.8 tonnes, a breakout force of 376kN and a dump clearance height of 3.63 metres.

The rest of the order is for 58 articulated haulers, of which nearly half are the 30-tonne A30G model.

Chepstow's ADTs have the new Haul Assist on-board weighing feature
Chepstow's ADTs have the new Haul Assist on-board weighing feature

“Opting for premium brand equipment helps us and our customers in many ways,” said managing director John Corcoran. “Primarily it benefits with safety, uptime, fuel efficiency, residual value and image, and I’m pleased to say that Volvo equipment now accounts for the majority of our fleet.”

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Chepstow Plant International has collaborated with Volvo Construction Equipment and its UK dealer SMT GB in developing the ‘Haul Assist’ feature on articulated dump trucks. Phase one of this development focused on on-board weighing system; phase two, which is in the final stages of development, is a Haul Assist Maps option that will enable operators and site managers to track on-site hauler traffic in real-time.

Haul Assist Maps is in the final stages of trials in a Tarmac sand and gravel quarry just off the M25. “We are really excited about the amount of meaningful information this is going to provide both us and Tarmac as we trial the system in real time,” said Chepstow’s asset manager, Ross Hayward.

Tarmac area director Andy Bate added: “From the activity so far we are impressed with benefits that Haul Assist can deliver as part of our ongoing commitment to the highest standards of safety and productivity. New technological innovations such as the telemetry feedback available through this system provide a great opportunity for sites to improve traffic management and risk prevention in loading and deposition, as well as providing visible performance data to help optimise production.”

All of the new articulated haulers are equipped with an inclinometer as well as the on-board weighing system. If the operator attempts to tip the load when the hauler is sitting at a  lateral angle of 9º or more, the body will not raise and the attempted tip will register as a ‘fail tip’ or near miss occurrence. This is then recorded by the telematics system, CareTrack. “The good news is that since we have been equipping our articulated haulers with this system we have witnessed a significant decrease in unsafe tipping,” John Corcoran said. “However, it’s dangerous to assume that by fitting this safety device the problem goes away. Part of the equation is supporting the use of said systems with rigorous and continued training to eliminate complacency and again, we are at the forefront of providing training programmes for both our own, as well as our clients’ operators.”

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