Over 400 people converged on
The event for customers in the Sweden, Norway and Denmark regions demonstrated the entire road building process from drilling rock in a quarry prior to blasting through to compacting asphalt on a finished road. The 'Rock to Road' event was organised to highlight the equipment and processes needed in a quarry for the blasting, movement and crushing of rock to make aggregate.
Swecon sales and marketing manager Christer Söderberg said, "To have the customer days together with Sandvik improved the attractiveness and value for the contractors that were invited. The feedback that we received after the event was extremely positive with attendees saying that the focus and value met their needs."
The quarry face featured a remote controlled Sandvik DX680R hydraulic, self-propelled, crawler based surface drilling rig designed for efficient top hammer drilling in difficult terrain. Alongside was a remote controlled DC302R hydraulic, self-propelled drilling unit with four-wheel drive.
Final crushing and screening was demonstrated using Sandvik’s UH421 cone crusher featuring a three deck screen and a UF320S semi mobile screen capable of screening 160tonnes per hour into four different sized products. Loading of the hoppers for both units was carried out using Volvo wheeled loaders, including the 21tonne L120F and the 26tonne L150F. Final product was then transported away from the crushing and screening plant using Volvo FM trucks.
While the initial phase of the demonstration highlighted the combined capabilities of Volvo Construction Equipment and Sandvik in the quarry and aggregates sector, the focus then switched to road building, a segment in which Volvo provides a full service offering.
A 19.8tonne Volvo G976 motor grader prepared the base, which was placed using an on-highway Volvo FMX articulated tipper. This was then compacted with a 12.8tonne Volvo SD130D single drum soil compactor. Once the base was prepared, Volvo’s range topping ABG6870 wheeled paver placed asphalt at up to 40m per minute. The paver was immediately followed by a DD95 double drum compactor which was also equipped with a CS750 chip spreader to enhance the surface finish.
Söderberg said, “Machines are becoming increasingly similar, so it’s crucial that we offer customers the right product as well as security and profitability through providing a reliable and stable support service. The ‘Rock to Road’ event enabled us to demonstrate both the capabilities of our equipment and the support that contractors can expect.”
