Creeton Quarry in Lincolnshire has purchased the UK’s first top-of-the-range Doosan DL580-5 wheel loader.
Equipped with a 6.2 m3 quick hitch mounted bucket, the DL580-5 is providing a significant increase in productivity for materials handling applications around the quarry, according to Doosan.
“We have an existing Doosan DL550-3 wheel loader but I felt the new DL580-5 would provide us with a substantial boost to our output,” said Steve Johnson, quarry manager at Creeton.
“With its capability of scooping up to 10t of material in every bucket full, the DL580-5 allows us to fill customer lorries with just two buckets rather than three and our articulated dump trucks (ADTs) with just three buckets instead of four.
“We are a very busy quarry, producing on average about 4,000t of material a day, so over a full day, this really adds up, ensuring we have increased productivity at the same time as increasing speed of response, lowering fuel costs and reducing the cost per tonne of the materials we produce.”
To take on heavier material handling jobs, the DL580-5 has a similar look to the existing DL550-5 model, but is claimed to feature robust structural components and an advanced double circuit axle cooling system to provide an ideal solution for heavier work including block lifting in quarries and mines, but also heavy-duty applications in industrial, construction and recycling operations.
The overall size of the DL580-5 is almost the same as the DL550-5, but the new model is equipped with a series of features that make the machine extremely reliable and durable.
For example, the front structure is more rugged, with greater rigidity and strength. The DL580-5 has reinforced Z-bar kinematics for heavier lifting with few moving parts. This design also helps stabilise the loader, enables rapid bucket movements and keeps the bucket at the right angle position at all times.
The DL580-5 was supplied and is supported by Doosan dealer, Filtermech Plant Sales Ltd, based in Wakefield in West Yorkshire.