Major league machines for Marshalls

Marshalls, the UK’s leading hard landscaping manufacturer, has taken delivery of a package of machines from Volvo Construction Equipment for its quarrying activities throughout the north of England as well as its landscape product manufacturing operation located in Bedfordshire.

The list of Volvo machines includes two L110H and five L180H loading shovels; two A30G and two A40G articulated haulers; a 50 tonne EC480E excavator and the new 75 tonne EC750E excavator which was introduced at last year’s Bauma exhibition. Not only is the EC750E a first but Marshalls are the first company to take delivery of Volvo loading shovels featuring the Co-Pilot load assist feature which again was unveiled last year at Bauma and at Hillhead.

This package of machines was selected following a competitive tender process and represents both a replacement for existing plant as well as an increment to the fleet according to Senior Group Buyer Jonathan Galvin. “Selecting the right machines for our various operations has involved a good many factors in the decision making process,” he says. “This has included site surveys, careful consideration for the machine specification and working closely with our potential suppliers and whilst the offering from Volvo wasn’t the lowest cost in regards to the up-front purchasing price, when we looked at the life time owning and operating costs, the fuel efficiencies of the products, extended driveline warranties, the residual values and the detailed servicing agreements, Volvo emerged as the clear winner,” he continues.

All the new machines have been supplied to a detailed and high specification. For example the L110H and L180H loading shovels have been supplied on Michelin L5 XLDD2A wheels and tyres, the two smaller 20 tonne shovels which have gone to work at the company’s landscape product manufacturing operation in Sandy Bedfordshire, having the benefit of the Optishift feature which automatically selects lock-up of the transmission for maximum fuel efficiency.
The five new 30 tonne L180H shovels have all had Volvo’s latest Co-Pilot load assist option installed at the factory. The Co-Pilot load assist option is the very latest in weigh loading sophistication allowing the operator to calibrate either his bucket or block handling forks via the touch screen pad in the cab. Bucket loads and the number of buckets filled can be recorded in addition to the system storing a whole array of product menus. The Co-Pilot touch screen automatically becomes a rear view screen when the machine is put into reverse, interacting with the rear view camera. Furthermore, the Co- Pilot system is linked in with the Care Track system – Volvo’s telematics system which can feed back information to a remote location. Each L180H has been supplied complete with quick fit bucket and quick fit heavy duty block handling forks and additional block handling counterweights.

The four articulated haulers have been given similar treatment with the fitment of E4 VLTS tyres for extreme quarry application and the bodies have been fitted with optional wear liners made from 450Bn steel to counter the abrasive nature of the material to be handled. The A30G’s have a body and load capacity of 17.8m³ and 29 tonnes whilst the larger A40G’s have values of 24.0m³ and 39 tonnes respectively.

Both the 50 and 75 tonne excavators have been equipped with double grouser track pads for quarry operations and both have been supplied with hydraulic quick fits, heavy duty buckets and ripper teeth for prising material from situ. The EC480E is installed with a 13 litre Volvo engine developing 378 nett hp whilst the new flagship EC750E features the larger 16 litre engine developing 508 hp. For both machines, the hydraulics are perfectly matched to the engine and are controlled by an advanced system which provides on-demand flow and reduces power losses within the circuit. Volvo’s unique ECO mode contributes significantly to the machines’ total improved efficiency without any loss of performance in most operating conditions. As well as improving fuel efficiency, this increases controllability for more precise performance. Otherwise, Volvo’s integrated work mode system offers the operator a choice of five work modes according to the task in hand – I (Idle), F (Fine), G (General), H (Heavy) or P (Power max) – for optimum efficiency and machine performance. Both the excavators have been installed with a 360º visibility system giving the operator a complete overview of where the machine is in relation to potential hazards or objects which are in close proximity to the machine.
The package of machines comes with a 5 year extended driveline warranty package and all are covered under Volvo’s Service Support agreements.

Associated Businesses

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