Capital Equipment News August 2019

COVER STORY

operators will benefit from time saving features that allow them to get the most out of every day,” says Mannix. Maintenance-free rear axle cradles minimise force on the axle, ensuring long component life. “The rear axle is supported on maintenance-free cradles and includes lubricated-for-life bearings and bushings – reducing overall service cost and increasing machine uptime,” explains Mannix. The radiator can be easily accessed and cleaned from ground level. The cooling fan’s optional reversible functionality – which blows air in the opposite direction – allows for self-cleaning of the cooling units. The transmission, hydraulic tank, front and rear axle and fuel tank are ventilated by a replaceable breather filter, reducing the risk of contamination and increasing service life. For increased safety and reduced risk of machine damage, the Volvo brake wear indicator enables brake disk wear to be easily monitored, and service life of the main components is further enhanced by replaceable breather filters that ventilate the transmission, hydraulic tank, front and rear axles and fuel tank. Operator comfort Based on Volvo’s understanding that a comfortable operator is a productive one, the new range’s design gives enough attention to operator comfort. The cab comes with ergonomically laid out controls, a tiltable steering wheel and vibration damping. All-round visibility from large expanses of glass and slim cab pillars helps to create a safe, productive and comfortable operating environment. The cab air intake is located high on the machine, where air is cleanest. The easy-to-replace pre-filter effectively separates coarser dust and particles before the air passes through the main filter and enters the cab. Volvo’s design allows 90% of the cab air to be recirculated through the main filter for continuous dust removal. The Volvo Contronics system continuously monitors and records machine operation in real-time. This ensures that the operator has all the necessary information and diagnostics for optimal performance. The information including fuel levels and warning messages is relayed via the display in the cab. “The number of warning messages going to the operator have been significantly reduced compared with the F-Series. This is to make operation of the machine as simple as possible,” concludes Mannix. b

The biggest advantage of the Z-bar linkage is its fewer parts than the Torque-Parallel linage, thus reducing owning and operating costs.

Good access to the engine compartment and ground level access to all the service points such as filters allows regular checks to be performed faster.

operation by adjusting machine gears in line with parameters including engine and travel speed, for comfortable gear

to-use feature increases productivity and shortens cycle times,” explains Mannix. Built for increased uptime The L60Gz, L90Gz and L120Gz are built with quick and easy service and maintenance in mind. Good access to the engine compartment and ground level access to all the service points such as filters allows regular checks to be performed faster. This reduces downtime related to service and maintenance work. “Service and maintenance checks need to be quick and easy to perform in order to achieve maximum machine uptime. With excellent access to the engine compartment and ground level filters,

changes and fast cycle times.” The Z-bar linkage offers higher

breakout forces for powerful digging and complete bucket fill when loading. This is complemented by load-sensing hydraulics said to supply power only when needed, significantly lowering fuel consumption. Bucket pins are double sealed to keep grease inside the bearing and dirt out, ensuring long pin and bearing life. Automatic bucket leveller and boom kick- out functions accurately stop the bucket and linkage in adjustable, pre-selected positions. “When activated, this easy-

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