German aggregates plant operator Kieswerke Silzen Peissen (KSP) has purchased three new
The machines are for carrying out gravel extraction both above and below water and comprise the Doosan DL420-5 wheeled loader, a custom-made long-reach 60 tonne DX530LC-5 excavator and the DL420CVT-5 (continuously variable transmission) wheeled loader.
The two KSP plants in Silzen comprise about 70hectares of approved mining area, of which approximately 20ha is being developed underwater. The materials obtained from the water in Plant 1 are cleaned in the company's washing systems and then sorted. Plant 1 mainly produces concrete aggregates, screes and special building materials for use on golf courses and riding arenas as well as special sands for playgrounds. Plant 2 in Silzen is directly opposite Plant 1 and produces materials for applications including road building. The permit for this work covers approximately 40ha.
The two wheeled loaders are used in the above-ground mining and for various loading operations, whilst the DX530LC-5 excavator is responsible for the extraction and earthworks carried out underwater at Plant 1.
The underwater work was previously carried out using a nearly 40-year-old scraper, which had to be replaced at short notice. There were strict requirements that the new excavator had to meet, including the ability to work in a water depth of up to 9metres and to be delivered within two months.
The latest addition to the fleet at KSP is the Doosan DL420CVT-5 wheeled loader, the first model in range to be equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). A CVT transmission is composed of a hydraulic motor combined with a hydraulic pump which is designed to provide a smooth and continuous speed variation, combining the benefits of a mechanical transmission and a hydrostatic transmission in the same machine.
It allows the DL420CVT-5 to automatically transition from hydrostatic power at low speed to the mechanical system to operate at higher speeds.
By combining the two types of transmission, the CVT technology is designed to ensure high loads can be carried at low engine speeds with high dynamics for an optimum wheeled loader operating cycle.
Jens Rausch, operations manager at KSP, said: "The DL420CVT-5 with CVT is the optimum machine for our application in the extraction and loading operations. Compared to the DL420-5 with conventional gearboxes and also compared to other comparable machines in our fleet, the DL420CVT-5 delivers significantly more power with lower fuel consumption."
