BG Appleton Contracts take on Volvo wheel loader
New L50G loading shovel takes over as prime mover handling up to 30,000 tonnes of green waste per annum
BG Appleton Contracts have taken delivery of a new Volvo L50G wheel loader for prime mover duties at the firm’s Maldon composting and green waste recycling facility in Essex.
Replacing a larger competitor machine, the L50G loading shovel is more suited to the company’s daily site handling and recycling green waste, as Bernard Appleton, managing director of BG Appleton, explained: ‘The machine is far more manoeuvrable and on average it consumes 4.2 litres of fuel an hour as opposed to the previous machine which was consuming three times as much.’
Rehandling and recycling up to 30,000 tonnes of green waste per annum, loading screens and lorries will be the prime duty for the L50G using a set of fork tines with a top clamp.
BG Appleton also has contracts with local authorities for snow clearance and road maintenance work. The L50G wheel loader will, therefore, be deployed on to these other duties with a range of rehandling buckets.
The L50G benefits from excellent all-round visibility due to the design of the rear chassis and its sloping engine hood. This is facilitated by a transverse-mounted Stage IIIB-compliant engine and hydrostatic motor.
The engine produces 116hp and has been specially matched to the hydrostatic transmission to deliver full power shift under load when changing direction and between speed ranges.
The L50G wheel loader also features a torque parallel loader linkage, which provides smooth, parallel lift, high roll back torque and good lifting power throughout the lift cycle. A Volvo hydraulic attachment bracket facilitates the easy change of attachments on the machine which is vitally important to BG Appleton’s range of applications.
The loader features separate power steering and load-sensing hydraulic pumps. The advantage of this is that separate pumps ensure full steering power is achieved, regardless of the load on the main hydraulic pumps.
Oil flow on the load-sensing pump automatically adjusts to match work demand. The result is reduced fuel consumption during lighter work – along with no compromise in performance when operating in tough conditions or demanding applications.
The machine has also been equipped with 3rd and 4th hydraulic services to facilitate the easy use of variable flow hydraulic attachments. Other available options include: boom suspension providing a smooth ride control across site with full grab loads; a screen guard; and reversible cooling fan.
