Download pdf - OPERC

news
New Volvo ABG pavers
for Toppesfield
The road surfacing
business requires
a high level of
machine availability
and total
back-up from the
manufacturer.
For surfacing
contractor
Toppesfield, that
means buying the
best equipment,
with the highest
levels of customer
support.
Toppesfield started out in business
five years ago. Directors Matthew
Pryor, Gale Pryor and David Last
brought together experience and
expertise from a number of industries
to create a company that has proven
popular with an increasing number
of main contractors. The company
now has a turnover of more than £15
million and is growing rapidly.
Mr Last said: “After a few months
as we grew, we decided that we
wanted to have gangs of our own. We
started to purchase our own plant,
but it was almost a year before we
bought our first paver.” That paver,
an Ingersoll-Rand ABG machine,
was only purchased after a thorough
examination at the market and
consultation with the firm’s rapidly
growing experienced workforce.
Additional machines joined the fleet
and the company now has six gangs
working with paving equipment.
When Volvo Construction Equipment
expanded its portfolio to include road
machinery products two years ago
there was little doubt that the company
could provide the necessary support
to existing ABG customers in the eyes
of Toppesfield’s management. Those
first two pavers at Toppesfield have
recently been replaced, after three
years of almost constant service, with
the latest Volvo ABG 6870 models.
But Toppesfield didn’t just opt to stay
with the same make straight away,
the machines’ performance and the
back-up that has come from Volvo
sealed the deal. “We expect the
same levels of service that we offer
our customers,” says Mr Last. “We
wouldn’t be back buying Volvo if we
weren’t happy with any aspect of the
product or the service.”
The ABG 6870 is the largest of a
three-model range of Volvo wheeled
pavers, offering a paving output of up
to 700 tonnes/hour, with a maximum
mat thickness of 300mm. The three
axle machine offers a high degree of
flexibility, with paving widths of 2.5-9m
available from a single screed. Volvo’s
Smart Drive technology means that
all six wheels are driven, providing
traction for the most difficult
ground conditions.
Powered by a Tier III liquid-cooled
Deutz engine, providing 166hp
(122kW), the machine uses a Smart
Drive system of anti-slip control with
load dependent torque control for
the front wheels and an electronic
differential system on the rear axle.
The front wheels are automatically
hydraulically levelled, to ensure a
smooth ride and optimum laying
conditions. The front wheels are
independently suspended, resulting
in a screed that remains level for the
best paving results.
There are three drive modes; paving,
shunting and travel, offering travel
speeds up to 40km/h. In paving
mode, which has a 20km/h maximum
speed, the Smart Power system
lowers the engine speed, reducing
noise and emissions, and cutting
fuel consumption for the customer.
Switching to the shunting mode
automatically deactivates the paving
systems, which restart as soon as
paving mode is re-engaged. Two Vario
Screeds are available, the VB78 and
VB88, both offering varying paving
widths for maximum flexibility. The
screeds can be extended hydraulically
to twice the basic paving width.
Operators benefit from a large graphic
monitor, with push-button controls for
Volvo’s Electronic Paver Management
(EPM) system. The operator can
adjust almost every system on the
machine from the screen, tailoring the
paver to the dimensions of the job.
The EPM monitor provides a
comprehensive range of information
on machine systems and operating
status. This control unit can easily
be repositioned on either side of the
platform, allowing the operator to sit
on the left or right and maintain a
direct view of curbs and guides. The
operator can also slide the seat out
beyond the cab floor, with the roof
extending out to protect from rain
and sun.
For further information,
please contact:
Mark Gunns, Marketing Services
Direct Line: 01223 251720
Fax: 01223 832799
Mobile: 07974 973408
E-mail: mark.gunns@volvo.com
34
June 2009