ACE Liftaway is championing the JCB Wastemaster range. Construction Plant News Editor, Lee Jones visits the company’s recycling centre to find out more.
Even a cursory view of the scale of the Ace Liftaway operation will reveal that it is a company that recognises the value of investing in the right equipment, and the addition of a £4million state-of-the-art wash plant to its already extensive 15-acre recycling centre is a testament to that commitment. The facility in Romsey, Hants has also been home to more than 50 JCB machines over the years and Managing Director, Philip Liddell is an advocate of the brand.
The full range of Ace Liftaway recycling services comes together as a one-stop-shop for its clients and JCB is central to its processes, with recent investments including 2 x 150X and 3 x 220X excavators as well as two 437 wheeled loading shovels, and a JS145W wheeled excavator with high rise cab. There’s also a 456 shovel hard at work, a 722 ADT and 560-80 Loadall, as well as Teletruk forklifts with telescopic boom.
In total there are currently 18 JCBs in the fleet, with the company acquiring between 3- 5 machines from the Staffordshire-based manufacturer in any given year. These include five X Series units – two in the 15-tonne class and three at 22-tonne – all with full waste spec. “JCB is a company that listens to the industry and the development of the Wastemaster range is a demonstration of that,” enthuses Philip. “It’s a sector that demands the likes of cab guards and light guards, and these are machines that are fit for purpose. There’s 10mm belly plates on our excavators and ram dipper guards. The dippers are also reinforced and there’s heavier duty track plates. Air filtration systems are critical in a waste environment in guarding against dust as are reversible fans. All our machines are supplied by Greenshields JCB, who is an excellent dealer, and we have a full-three-year maintenance contract with each one. They’re an honest company that finds solutions to problems and that’s what appeals.”
“We’ve found the X Series to be considerably more fuel efficient than their predecessors,” Philip, continues “and with the hours of operation we undertake that’s a significant consideration, especially with the end of the red diesel rebate and what has been a dramatic increase to our fuel bill.”
First introduced in 2018, the JCB X Series has been more than four years in development. Powered by a Stage V DIESELMAX engine a spacious JCB CommandPlus cab is 15 per cent larger than on previous models. Auto-stop and auto ideal help with fuel usage, and there’s increased bucket tear out, a new hydraulic regeneration system, larger diameter pipes and hoses as well as customisable proportional controls.
The Stage V Cummins B 6.7 litre engine on the latest 437 wheeled loading shovel delivers 195hp (145kW), there’s a choice of loader arms and axle options to suit any application and a unique 5-speed transmission with optional torque lock-up.
The waste industry is hard on machines and on the workforce, and the units will accrue some significant hours of operation, but Ace Liftaway is a company that prides itself on looking after its equipment. “Every machine has a handover sheet”, explains Operations Manager, Russell Delves. “When it moves from one driver to the next, the document represents a guarantee from the operator that the equipment is in good working order. In addition, we have a dedicated workshop on site – with five separate bays – staffed by eight plant engineers, including a welder/fabricator, and all of our machines go in the workshop for a full safety inspection every six weeks. There’s a brand-new authorised test centre and we have our own tyre changing facility. LiveLink has proved an invaluable servicing tool,” Russell adds. “It’s also useful in managing fuel usage, as well as securing the machines from theft and misuse.”
Whilst the Hampshire firm might now be in command of many millions in equipment it’s a success story that stemmed from far more humble origins. The Ace Liftaway journey began when its founder Philip Liddell invested in a Ford Transit and eight mini skips. The introduction of Landfill Tax – and a succession of subsequent legislative moves – has transformed the sector and today the company has more than 1,500 skips, as well as an extensive fleet of more than 50 trucks on the road. These include skip loaders, roll on/roll off vehicles, tipper grab loaders, tippers, tractor units and trailers and compactor trucks.
“I realised even before the legislation came in that we couldn’t go on tipping valuable resources that could be recovered into a hole in the ground,” Philip reveals. “Landfill has had its day and that’s what makes businesses like ours so vital.”
Full service
The big issue in waste is to avoid cross contaminating the materials you’ve just spent time and money recycling – but the considerable space available at Hampshire recycling centre that Ace Liftaway has owned since 2002, together with the extensive fleet of machinery, largely eliminates that problem.
When fully functional, the 90 tonne an hour CDE wash plant will provide a high quality 10mm, 20mm and 40mm stone as well as sand and grit. There’s already a metal recovery facility on site, whilst plastics are processed. The company also undertakes land restoration works and in addition to the recycling centre, Romsey is also the base for the Ace Loos business, whilst there are plans to move into readymixed concrete.
“I’m a great believer in buying British and making sure my money is invested in the UK economy,” concludes Philip, “because ultimately it benefits us all. JCB machines are a very good product, fit for purpose and great value. We understand the value of being a single source of waste and recycling services to our own clients and calling upon JCB for all our plant requirements makes equal sense.”
