SRC Aggregates select Volvo EC220D
New Volvo crawler excavator for Essex-based aggregates supplier and reservoir construction firm
ESSEX-based SRC Aggregates, a family run business specializing in the construction of agricultural reservoirs and the supplying aggregates, have selected a new Volvo EC220D crawler excavator to take over primary extraction and bulk muck-shifting duties at their Crown Quarry facility on the outskirts of Colchester.
Joining a mixed fleet of equipment including articulated haulers, loading shovels and excavators, the new EC220D takes over from a Volvo EC210LC that was originally supplied to the Colchester site back in 2007 and which has since taken up residence at the company’s other sand and gravel operation near Dunmow.
‘The performance and reliability of the EC210 cannot be faulted and this was the primary consideration when we looked to add another excavator to our fleet,’ commented director David Hunter.
Performance and reliability aside, Volvo CE say SRC Aggregates can look forward to significant fuel savings with the EC220D, and together with a weight and specification advantage will find even more improvements in overall performance.
The EC220D benefits from the use of Volvo’s Stage IIIB D6 engine, which delivers 175hp (129kW) of power and 849Nm of torque, coupled to an improved hydraulic system with larger pumps, which, in turn, significantly improves hourly fuel consumption with shorter cycle times.
Operators can select the best work mode for the task at hand, ensuring optimum performance and fuel efficiency. Modes include: I (idle), F (fine), G (general), H (heavy) or P (power), with the machine automatically setting the appropriate engine speed for the work mode. A new ECO feature that works in G, H or P mode provides better fuel efficiency without loss of performance in most operating conditions.
The new ‘smart’ hydraulics system is designed for high productivity, high digging capacity, easy manoeuvrability and class-leading fuel economy. It features improvements that increase total flow and cycle times, with independent and simultaneous movements of the digging equipment controlled by an ‘automatic sensing work mode’.
As well as general extraction of sand and ballast, the new EC220D is also being utilized to construct a large reservoir, commissioned by the Ardleigh Reservoir Committee, at SRC’s 160-acre Crown Quarry site.
