A 12 tonne loading shovel, which was ordered at last year’s ScotPlant exhibition, has been proving its worth at a composting site outside Edinburgh.
Recycling specialist Forth Resource Management Ltd (FRM) bought the new Volvo L90H for use at its Todhills site. The machine was supplied with a 3.0m³ quick attachment mounted Hi Tip bucket complete with top clamp.
“Both the size of the machine and especially the size of the bucket are the key to handling the variety, weight and density of the materials arriving here on site,” said operations director Alex Dunbar. “Here at Todhills we receive a whole variety of material ranging from green waste from street collections, waste wood, some inert concrete and rubble but in particular, topsoil for screening and processing coming from greenfield sites which is then blended with the compost we produce.
“The L90H and bucket combination is proving to be the best optimum solution for handling this type of diversity in our opinion.”
FRM has been using Volvo products since the business was launched 14 years ago. Back then FRM snapped up a Volvo BM LM642 and a 4200B from an uncle of one of the business partners. “We’ve still got the machines and they’re still running but this is the first new Volvo we’ve purchased,” Alex added. “Volvo has a strong reputation for being a quality brand and we have high expectations from the new L90H in terms of performance and reliability but additionally from a strong residual value further down the line.”
The company also placed an order for a second hand L60F. “This now brings the total shovels we operate across our nine recycling centres around Edinburgh, the Borders, East Lothian and Midlothian to nine machines,” Alex added.
The L90H is powered by a Volvo Tier IV final Volvo 6 litre engine, developing 186 nett hp with a maximum torque of 853Nm at just 1400rpm. Both the L90H and the L60F have been supplied complete with Volvo Blue Service agreements.
