New Doosan DL580-5 Boosts Productivity at Creeton Quarry

Creeton Quarry, 10 miles north of Stamford in Lincolnshire, has purchased the UK’s first top-of-the-range Doosan DL580-5 wheel loader. The DL580-5 was supplied and is supported by Doosan dealer, Filtermech Plant Sales Ltd, based in Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Equipped with a 6.2 m3 quick hitch mounted bucket, the DL580-5 is providing a significant increase in productivity for material-handling applications around the quarry.

Steve Johnson, Quarry Manager at Creeton, said: “We have an existing Doosan DL550-3 wheel loader but I felt the new DL580-5 would provide us with a substantial boost to our output. With its capability of scooping up to 10 tonne of material in every bucket full, the DL580-5 allows us to fill customer lorries with just two buckets rather than three and our articulated dump trucks (ADTs) with just three buckets instead of four.

“We are a very busy quarry, producing on average about 4000 tonne of material a day, so over a full day, this really adds up, ensuring we have increased productivity at the same time as increasing speed of response, lowering fuel costs and reducing the cost per tonne of the materials we produce.”

To take on heavier material handling jobs, the DL580-5 has a similar look to the existing DL550-5 model, but features robust structural components and an advanced double circuit axle cooling system to provide an ideal solution for heavier work including block lifting in quarries and mines, but also heavy-duty applications in industrial, construction and recycling operations.

To meet these requirements, the DL580-5 has an operating weight of 36030 kg and higher static tipping loads (straight/full turn 40°) of 29700 and 26200 kg, respectively. The overall size of the DL580-5 is almost the same as the DL550-5, but the new model is equipped with a series of features that make the machine extremely reliable and durable.

For example, the front structure is more rugged, with greater rigidity and strength. The DL580-5 has reinforced Z-bar kinematics for heavier lifting with few moving parts. This design also helps stabilise the loader, enables rapid bucket movements and keeps the bucket at the right angle position at all times.

Excellent Support from Filtermech and Doosan

Steve Johnson added: “Supporting the excellent performance of the Doosan machines we have in the quarry, the role of Filtermech and John Bird, their Heavy Line Sales Manager for Doosan Equipment, cannot be underestimated. We have received top class service from both Filtermech and Doosan, ensuring there is minimal downtime on any of the machines.

“I have had experience of working with all of the other premium brands of machinery. For our fleet, I have found that the high performance and reliability of the Doosan range fits the bill – we wouldn’t keep going back to their machines if they weren’t good.

“In contrast, I’ve found with some of the other brands, it causes so much trouble in terms of downtime, waiting for parts, costs etc, when things do go wrong with their machines.”

Backed by more than 30 years of experience in the construction equipment market, Filtermech (www.filtermech.com) offers the full range of Doosan Heavy products including ADTs, Crawler Excavators, Wheeled Excavators and Wheel Loaders. The company stocks a full selection of genuine Doosan accessories and parts to support every machine in the field and can support these with flexible and comprehensive service agreements, depending on the requirements of the customer.

The new DL580-5 has joined a fleet of hardworking Doosan equipment all supported by Filtermech at Creeton Quarry, including DX380LC-5 40 tonne, DX420LC-5 43 tonne and DX530LC-5 53 tonne crawler excavators purchased in the last two years. The quarry also has two Doosan MT41 ADTs dating from 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Creeton Quarry is regarded as one of the finest suppliers of Jurassic limestone in the UK. Purchased by the Johnston Quarry Group in October 2006, the freehold seventy acre quarry has over 6.5 million tonnes of consented reserves and now with new investment, promises to remain as a significant asset of national importance.

As the Quarry is progressively worked principally in wide stable benches, three distinct beds have been released suitable for long term limestone block supply. These three individual beds - Creeton Banded, Creeton Hard White and Creeton Silverbed - are all available in large volumes and are suitable for a wide range of processing and masonry projects.

Highest Safety Levels

To ensure the highest possible safety levels when using the new DL580-5, Steve Johnson has ensured that it is equipped with an extra bar of LED white flashing safety lights on the front of the machine with red flashing lights on the back and a full flashing blue light and klaxon for use when the machine is being reversed. The loader also has three-point seat belts for the operator.

Steve Johnson continued: “I often drive the machines in the quarry myself so I have built up a good working knowledge of them. We are all in constant communication by radio, so my operators can discuss work schedules with me and I can hand on what I know to them. All of our drivers find the Doosan machines are comfortable to work on. Even after a long day, you get off these machines feeling as refreshed as you went on them.”

All the Doosan equipment at Creeton Quarry is equipped with the DoosanCONNECT™ fleet management system. This allows Steve Johnson to keep an eye on the utilisation and fuel economy of each of the Doosan machines so that the quarry has a precise idea of the cost per tonne produced.

The DoosanCONNECT™ system is designed to increase efficiency in site management and equipment operation through real-time data monitoring to check engine and hydraulic system parts of Doosan machines and other construction equipment and to provide information, mapping and visuals on their location and availability. Doosan customers receive a monthly report on equipment operations to ensure efficient equipment deployment with detailed information on service hours and fuel consumption and timely responses to filter and oil replacement.

The DL580-5 is powered by the Scania DC13 6-cylinder engine producing 283 kW (380 HP) of power at 1800 rpm. Providing a generous maximum torque of 1765 Nm at 1300 rpm, up to a 10% reduction in fuel consumption and excellent response, the Scania DC13 engine meets Stage IV emission regulations without the need of a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) after-treatment technologies.

Additional Fuel Savings

The engine Auto Idle system when activated saves further on fuel costs by lowering the idle level from 950 to 750 rpm – when the operator does not give any input to the steering wheel, arm and bucket for more than 10 seconds (ideal for applications where there is a lot of waiting time such as truck loading which can be up to 8% of the time). In all DL-5 loaders, the Engine Auto Shut Off shuts down the machine after it has been idling for a specified amount of time (3-60 minutes, configurable by the operator via the control panel). This feature saves on fuel and reduces operating costs.

As well as the powerful Scania DC13 Stage IV engine, the DL580-5 also features automatic 5-speed powershift transmission, heavy duty cooled axles, a high comfort cab, smooth and responsive hydraulics and auxiliary hydraulic connections, together providing a solution for the heaviest jobs that need to be done. As with all other Doosan DL-5 wheel loaders, most of these features are standard on the DL580-5 unlike other machines on the market where they are options and many have been developed to optimise fuel efficiency.