Since 1920, Müller und Töchter has been operating various sand pits in the Franconia region of Bavaria in southern Germany.
Now the arrival of the company's first Doosan wheeled loader, a new DL420CVT-7 model with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), has significantly reduced fuel costs per tonne of sand produced.
The new machine is being used in the sand plant at Müller und Töchter's headquarters in Wilburgstetten. The Doosan wheeled loader is working solely on feeding material into the washing plant. The latter is unique in Germany and was recently awarded second place in the German Sustainability Award 2022.
Here, the DL420CVT-7 transfers more than 1000 tonnes of sand daily into the washing plant. One of the main factors for the machine's low fuel consumption is the variable transmission.
Marc Glesius, sales manager for wheeled loaders for Doosan in Germany, explains: "This transmission combines the advantages of a mechanical and hydrostatic transmission and eliminates the disadvantages underlying both systems. The variable transmission changes smoothly from hydrostatic drive to mechanical drive as the speed increases to meet the requirements of the application.
"The advantages of this system include, in particular, the excellent traction offered by a hydrostatic transmission and the ability to drive over longer distances. The fuel savings of up to 30% are due to the lower engine speed required to achieve maximum speed or traction compared to conventional transmissions."
Especially for the quarrying and mining industries, where the productivity of tonnes of materials per litre of fuel is crucial, the faster loading cycles and higher bucket capacity of the new generation Doosan DL-7 wheeled loader series is said to provide more efficiency as well as lower fuel consumption. At Müller und Töchter, the DL420CVT-7 wheeled loader is used with a 4.7m³ bucket, working in both loading and travel modes, allowing the advantages of the CVT transmission to be fully exploited.
Managing director Georg Müller bought the machine from the Doosan dealer, Rühle, with whom he has had a close relationship for many years. One of the decisive factors behind the purchase decision was the wheeled loader's performance in a one-week demonstration at the sand works.
Müller und Töchter was founded in 1920 and is now a medium-sized company with 180 employees. The company is a successful and growing family business in sand extraction, transport and earthmoving. In addition to the 11 quarries that Müller und Töchter operates, they have 85 trucks in their fleet to move all kinds of materials for their customers. Müller und Töchter is managed by Georg Müller, actively supported by his daughters, Laura and Bianca.
Georg Müller comments: "It is fantastic how the two of them are involved in the company. That is no longer a matter of course in this day and age. I am really proud of them and don't have to worry about my succession in the company."
The company recently drew attention to itself when it was awarded second place in the economy category of the sustainability prize of the federal association, MIRO, for its washing plant. The latter is equipped with a sludge dewatering system for water recovery, developed entirely by the company's employees.
