A new Volvo L45G wheeled loader has been supplied to Edwards Recycling Ltd and is in charge of handling waste paper arriving from all over Greater London, Essex and Kent at the company's Materials Recovery Facility located at Gallions Close, Barking in Essex.
The new Volvo replaces a tele-handler that was struggling to cope with the demands of site which operates a two shift 18 hour day and half a day on Saturdays processing around 1000 tonnes of waste paper per week. "The machine gave us untold problems with tyre punctures and material getting trapped in the internal parts of the machine creating too much downtime," explains Managing Director Simon Edwards. "We concluded that to increase our productivity on site, a wheeled loader correctly specified for the application was the way forward and looked to Volvo for the solution."
Working in a fairly confined area, manoeuvrability and good load over height were key criteria for choosing the Volvo L45G. The machine has been fitted with L5 foam filled tyres thus eradicating puncture issues, optional long boom, hydraulic quick hitch and a bespoke 2.0m³ Viby Jern hi tip bucket featuring twin hydraulic top clamps. This combination gives sufficient load-over height to load out walking floor bulk trailers with a dump clearance of 4.2 metres, yet keeps the machine relatively compact for ramping up stockpiles and keeping the facility's pad clear of material with a clearance circle of just 10.6 metres.
The L45G benefits from excellent all round visibility thanks to the design of the rear chassis with its sloping engine hood facilitated by the transverse mounted Stage IIIB compliant engine and hydrostatic motor. The operator's environment has been recognised as a key factor in achieving high productivity and the Volvo Care Cab is at the forefront of delivering a high level of operator comfort. All the machine's controls and functions come easily to hand and air conditioning is standard. The engine's output of 100hp is superbly matched to the hydrostatic transmission allowing full power shift under load when changing direction and between speed ranges. To safeguard the engine in this particular application a Turbo II pre cleaner has been fitted to the air intake. As with its bigger brothers in the range the L45G sports a Torque Parallel (TP) loader linkage which provides smooth, parallel lift, high roll back torque and good lifting power throughout the lift cycle. The Volvo hydraulic attachment bracket facilitates the easy change over of attachments.
The Volvo L45G wheeled 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 lower fuel consumption during lighter work - along with no compromise in performance when operating in tough conditions or demanding applications. To facilitate the use of the top clamps on the hi-tip bucket, the machine supplied to Edwards Recycling Ltd has been equipped with an optional 4th hydraulic service.
Established in 1966 by Mr Edwards' father Ray, Edwards Recycling Ltd has grown from a one man and a van operation producing twenty tonnes of wastepaper and cardboard a week into a major materials recovery facility handling over 1000 tonnes per week. The company delivers a wide variety of resource and waste management services to businesses in and around Greater London, Essex and Kent with excellent communication links being located close to the A13 Arterial Road.
Volvo Construction Equipment Division markets wheeled loaders, articulated haulers, hydraulic excavators, graders, Volvo utility equipment and Volvo road equipment products in the U.K. There are eight strategically placed customer support centres and a network of utility equipment dealers to ensure high quality customer support is maintained throughout the country.