New Volvo L180H for Moons Hill
Wainwright put new loading shovel to work as a prime stock handler at Mendips quarry
A NEW Volvo L180H loading shovel has been delivered to John Wainwright & Co Ltd and deployed as one of the prime stock-handling loading shovels at the company’s Moons Hill Quarry in the Mendips.
With an increase in operating capacity to handle a significant upturn in production output at Moons Hill, the new L180H replaces an older L150E that had clocked up around 30,000 hours. The 28-tonne machine continues a trend at Wainwright, who have operated Volvo loading shovels for many years.
‘The package on offer from Volvo was very competitive and based on our past experience, when it comes to performance and reliability, it wasn’t a difficult decision to choose the L180H as a replacement,’ commented quarry manager Kevin Sargant. ‘We know the Volvo product very well and know what to expect of the new loader.’
The L180H features a 13-litre Stage IV final engine which develops 333hp at between 1,300 and 1,400 rev/min. The machine also benefits from Volvo-designed and manufactured driveline components including optishift with torque converter lock-up and reverse by braking feature – all designed to offer considerable fuel savings each shift.
Fuel savings are further enhanced by the Volvo Eco pedal, which encourages the operator to run the machine at its optimum rev/min in the engine’s torque curve.
In order to carry out its duties in the stock-handling yard at Moons Hill, the L180H has been equipped with a 5.6 cubic metre capacity straight-lipped rehandling bucket, Volvo’s optional ride control and boom suspension system, together with Goodyear RL5K tyres and a rehandling counterweight. This combination has resulted a significant increase in output over its predecessor; the machine being capable of dispatching a 29-tonne articulated bulker to the weighbridge in just three passes.
Safety features include automatic door opening for the operator, an Ogden reverse radar breaking system, high-visibility pulsating strobe lights and LED side markers. A further feature that Wainwright chose from the option list was an Eberspacher independent heater for the operator’s cab, to maximize machine uptime first thing in the morning.
With increased production output at Moons Hill Quarry, the new L180H will work a daily 12-hour shift covered by a Volvo Blue service agreement, including an optional contract on wear parts.
‘It’s extremely important to us to protect our investment with a proper service agreement knowing that the machine is going to be maintained by qualified Volvo engineers,’ said Mr Sargant. ‘All of our predominantly Volvo-badged equipment is similarly covered.’
Meanwhile, Wainwright have also ordered a new Volvo L120H loading shovel for a new asphalt plant in Avonmouth, which is due to be built later this year.
