A new Doosan DL580-5 wheel loader is helping a quarry meet demand for ironstone in North Oxfordshire.
Great Tew Quarry opted for the ‘top-of-the-range’ 36-tonner to increase production of its ironstone product by transporting 14-16-tonne blocks of the material from the quarry face to a new £1 million stone processing plant on site.
The quarried block is often up to 30-tonne and has a variety of uses including building and walling stone, architectural details, mullion windows, copings, quoins and flooring. Smaller quarried block is suitable for rockery stone and one-off garden features.
Equipped with specially matched pallet tines, the DL580-5 brings the large blocks from the base of the quarry to the top and along a short road, at the end of which it loads them on to the sawing machines in the processing plant. Previously, the quarry was only able to move blocks weighing up to a maximum of 10-tonne.The arrival of the DL580-5 is said to have made this a much more efficient process.
The DL580-5 is described as featuring robust structural components and an advanced double circuit axle cooling system, making it an ‘ideal’ solution for heavy work.
Its overall size is almost the same as the DL550-5, the next model down in the Doosan range, but it has an operating weight of 36030 kg and higher static tipping loads (straight/full turn 40°) of 29700 and 26200 kg, respectively.
The new model is also equipped with a series of features that make the machine extremely reliable and durable, according to Doosan. These include a more rugged front structure with greater rigidity and strength, and reinforced Z-bar kinematics for heavier lifting with few moving parts. This design also helps stabilise the loader, allows for rapid bucket movements and keeps the bucket at the right angle position at all times.
The DL580-5 is powered by the Scania DC13 6-cylinder engine, producing 283 kW (380 HP) of power at 1800 rpm. With a maximum torque of 1765 Nm at 1300 rpm, the Scania DC13 engine meets Stage IV emission regulations without the need of a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and selective catalyst reduction (SCR) after-treatment technologies.
the DL580-5 also features automatic 5-speed powershift transmission, heavy duty cooled axles, a high comfort cab, smooth and responsive hydraulics and auxiliary hydraulic connections.
Paul Keyte, operations director at Johnston Quarry Group, who is responsible for overseeing the Great Tew, Sarsden and Oathill sites said, “We are delighted with the boost in productivity provided by the new DL580-5 and the processing plant, which allows us to process up to 100 tonne of stone a day.
“The arrival of the DL580-5 and the opening of the new plant are both timely and are enabling us to meet a significant increase in demand for our Ironstone products in the UK.”
