New Doosan wheel loaders for Breedon
UK’s leading independent aggregates firm purchases DL550-5 and DL450-5 models
BREEDON Group have purchased new Doosan DL550-5 and DL450-5 wheel loaders from Inverurie-based Balgownie Ltd, the local authorized Doosan and Bobcat dealers, to support aggregate production at the company’s Edzell Quarry, near Brechin, and Tom’s Forest Quarry, in Kintore, Scotland.
Following last year’s acquisition of Hope Construction Materials, Breedon now operate as three autonomous divisions. Breedon Southern and Breedon Northern are both fully integrated aggregates businesses with extensive networks of quarries, ready-mixed concrete/asphalt plants and well-established surfacing and contracting operations, while Hope Cement is the UK’s only independent producer of cement and cementitious products.
Bob Hare, regional production manager for Breedon Northern, said: ‘Both Edzell and Tom’s Forest quarries are very busy operations, placing big demands on the equipment we purchase for materials-handling applications.
‘The new Doosan wheel loaders are used to load and stockpile the large quantities of materials produced by the quarries’ crushing and screening equipment. They are also kept busy filling the material bins used to supply the ready-mixed concrete systems.’
The DL550-5 and DL450-5 loaders are powered by the Scania DC13 six-cylinder engine, which produces 283kW (380hp) and 257kW (354hp), respectively, at 1,800 rev/min. Providing generous torque at low rev/min, as well as up to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption and excellent response, the Scania DC13 engine meets Stage IV emission regulations without the need for a diesel particulate filter, through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation and selective catalytic reduction after-treatment technologies.
When activated, the engine auto-idle system on both models further reduces fuel costs by lowering the idle level from 950 to 750 rev/min if the operator does not provide any input to the steering wheel, arm and bucket for more than 10 seconds, which is particularly suitable for applications where there is a lot of waiting time, such as truck loading.
The Doosan wheel loaders are also equipped with an engine auto shut-off feature, which shuts down the machine if it has been idling for a specified amount of time (3–60min, configurable by the operator via the control panel).
The DL550-5 and DL450-5 models also feature the latest ‘DL-5’ generation external styling, a new high-comfort cab, smooth and responsive hydraulics, a ZF powertrain, axle cooling and auxiliary hydraulic connections.
