New Volvo package for Skene Group
Company takes delivery of an EC480D excavator and the first Stage IV Final L220H to be sold in GB
SKENE Group Ltd of Glenrothes, in Fife, have added a Volvo EC480D and the latest H-series L220H complete with 5.6 cubic metre rehandling bucket to their fleet of predominantly Volvo-badged equipment after a careful evaluation of the market.
‘The complete package on offer from Volvo from the initial quote, trade-in valuation and order to the delivery process and after-sales service support is very professional in our opinion,’ commented Skene Group joint managing director Darren Forrester.
‘We worked very closely with the team at Volvo to get the specification on both machines absolutely correct for the two different applications they were purchased for – they set a high standard for others to beat.’
The 48-tonne EC480D has been specified with a 7m heavy-duty boom and 3.25m heavy-duty dipper arm, ensuring the maximum possible breakout and tearout forces are available for digging and loading blasted dolerite into the resident mobile primary crusher.
This combination of long boom and mass excavation arm provides 261kN of breakout force yet affords ample reach from the dig zone to the crusher, reducing the amount time needed to re-position the equipment.
Powered by a Stage IIIB Volvo 13-litre engine developing 348hp, a maximum torque of 1,800Nm is achieved at 1,400 rev/min, and this in conjunction with the machine’s advanced hydraulic system ensures maximum fuel efficiency is achieved through every work cycle.
The machine, which is now the resident prime mover at Skene Group’s Lomond Quarry, on the outskirts of Leslie in Fife, has also benefitted from the addition of heavy-duty belly plates and FOGS guarding for the cab. An existing heavy-duty rock bucket owned by Skene has had a complete refurbishment and been fitted to the new excavator.
Meanwhile, taking charge of the rehandling and stocking out area at Skene Group’s Soutra Mains Quarry is the first H-series Stage IV Final loading shovel to be delivered in Great Britain. Prior to its arrival at the busy sand and gravel and concrete batching plant, the machine was exhibited on the Volvo stand at this year’s Hillhead show.
Powered by its 13-litre Stage IV Final engine, which develops 373hp at between 1,300 and 1,400 rev/min, the 32-tonne shovel has been equipped with XMineD2 tyres, a 5.6 cubic metre rehandling bucket, auto-lube and optional boom suspension.
‘The machine replaces a smaller L180F to increase production, and again we considered the specification closely in order to achieve just a two-bucket pass loading out eight-wheeled lorries,’ said Darren Forrester. ‘In the long run, we expect to see some considerable savings on fuel consumption.’
As with Skene Group’s existing fleet of Volvo-branded equipment, these latest arrivals have been supplied with Volvo’s Blue service agreements, which are based on a fixed rate per scheduled service and a fixed rate for mileage, including oil sampling and regular inspections to be reviewed on an annual basis.
‘The decision to outsource the regular servicing, inspections and oil sampling back to the original manufacture makes sense in our opinion,’ said Mr Forrester. ‘Having Volvo looking after the equipment with their own trained engineers using genuine parts with the proper disposal of all used oils and materials gives us both peace of mind and a tight control on each machine’s lifetime cost.’
Skene Group, who have enjoyed steady growth since they were founded in 1968 by current chairman Donald Skene, became a limited company in the late 1970s with the launch of their civil engineering, road-building and demolition activities. The 1980s saw diversification into sand, gravel and hard rock quarrying, followed by further expansion into precast and ready-mixed concrete products during the 1990s. Managing director Neil Skene joined the business in 1984 and now oversees all divisions along with joint managing director Darren Forrester.
