Paving contractor Marlborough Surfacing selected the machine based on quality of finish and its relative quietness.
“From an operational point of view we were extremely impressed by the quality of the finished mat, the machine’s high degree of manoeuvrability and the very low noise emissions,” said Paul Gosling, Marlborough Surfacing’s chief gang foreman. “Having a substantially reduced external noise level means we can carry out more night shifts than would normally be permitted.”
The ABG6870 wheeled paver has continuous independent traction control over all six wheels and is powered by a Tier III 122Kw engine. A ‘Smart Power’ setting allows the operator to vary the power output depending on the conditions of the application. 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 ‘Active Steering’ feature gives it an inside turning radius of 2.5m. 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, Volvo claims.
The ABG6870 has a variable screed width of between 2.5m and 5m in standard configuration but can be fitted with optional extensions to provide a width of 9m. With an output potential of up to 700 tonnes per hour, the machine can continuously pave up to 40m per minute.
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