After a trial of Bomag’s new BW 154 pivot-steered tandem roller earlier in 2018, operators in Aggregate Industries’ southern division now work in greater comfort thanks to the machine’s 270° rotating seat, capable of manoeuvring across the full width of the cab.
With a split drum and the absence of an enclosed front and rear cab, operators have the ability to always face in the right direction for compaction. By eliminating reversing, this is expected to improved productivity levels as well as safety.
The rollers are fitted with Bomag’s Asphalt Manager intelligent compaction system, which monitors compaction and alerts the roller operator when no further compaction is required. This eliminates over-compaction, optimising the lifetime performance of the asphalt. It also reduces drum bounce and vibration, lessening the risk of our operators developing a repetitive strain injury.
With the trial of the Bomag 154 completed in June 2018, Aggregate Industries is rolling out a fleet of eight rollers across its southern division by the end of the year.
Shaun Hillier, southern area director for contracting at Aggregate Industries, said: “Those operators who have trialled the roller so far have found its manoeuvrability to be second to none and it has exceeded their comfort expectations due to the vastly reduced levels of vibration within the cab.
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“We introduced this trial as part of our regional focus on safety. However, it goes without saying that a safe and contented team working with the best equipment available will be a more productive team.”
Aggregate Industries is also working with the manufacturer to further improve the Bomag 154 and is piloting SmartBrake – a collaborative development of Vision Techniques’ Auto-braking Radar System that's linked to forward and rear facing cameras.
Auto-braking technology has previously been used in the waste management industry. It is able to detect an object or person within a defined exclusion zone, giving audible and visual warnings to the driver as they approach them. If the driver ignores these warnings, the radar intervenes and applies the vehicle’s brakes automatically.
Shaun Hillier added: “Even though the standard safety features on the Bomag 154 are excellent, that doesn’t mean we are resting on our laurels. People, plant and vehicle interface is still one of the biggest risks in our industry, therefore the purchase of pivot-steered tandem rollers and the collaborative development of SmartBrake is another step towards completely eradicating the risk of reversing incidents on our sites, and another way in which Aggregate Industries is driving a positive change in behavioural safety culture.”
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