The increase in the use of recycled aggregates isn’t a new phenomenon. Many developers use them as they meet a specification at a fraction of the cost of virgin material.
To meet the ever-increasing demand for these materials, G Webb Haulage operates a large site adjacent to the A1 at Little Paxton where they currently handle a large volume of material on an annual basis. Whilst offering a wide range of recycled aggregates from Little Paxton, the company also operates a virgin stone quarry and a second recycled aggregates facility nearby. To service these sites the company runs a fleet of over fifty 8-wheeled and articulated tippers and a small fleet of earthmoving equipment for both the quarrying operations and outside earthmoving projects the company picks up. Founded in 1947 by the late George Webb, the company still remains in the strategic Cambridgeshire location they have occupied for the past 70 plus years.
The Little Paxton site is currently home to a new Hyundai HL960A wheeled loader, the latest model to be operated by the company and already a firm favourite of long-standing operator and site foreman, Nigel Missen.
To handle the large amounts of both incoming and outgoing materials, the company relies on a single, frontline wheeled loader. “We have had a number of machines over the years but have recently settled with Hyundai,” Nigel explains. Replacing an 18-month-old HL960, local Hyundai dealer Willowbrook Plant has supplied a new HL960A into the site. The new arrival is kept extremely busy five and a half days a week, every week according to Nigel and so far, is proving to be an excellent replacement for what was a very good machine.
The huge site contains a massive variety of recycled aggregates and soils ready for dispatch, an area dominated by Nigel and his new Hyundai. Incoming aggregates are also catered for with a small processing area occupied by another Hyundai, an HX140 feeding a Sandvik crusher and McCloskey tracked three-way screener.
The arrival of the new loading shovel has seen the older machine retire to a slightly more sedentary life within the fleet after a busy introduction with G Webb.
The large site and variety of materials present require Nigel and the HL960A to be flexible and nimble. “With the amount of material we dispatch on a daily basis, having dedicated bays for each material wouldn’t be possible as we stock hundreds if not thousands of tonnes of the most popular products.” Nigel comments “This means we need to be travelling from one end of the site to the other, sometimes after each truck. The Hyundai is ideal for this, it’s the right size for the site to give us the perfect combination manoeuvrability and performance.”
With an operating weight of 19.2 tonnes, the HL960A carries a straight edge bucket with a capacity of 3.3m3. A variety of heavy-duty and light material buckets are available for other applications, but Webb’s feel the general-purpose unit fits their needs exactly. The A model is the latest incarnation of the wheeled loader range and has been upgraded model around a new Cummins B6.7 diesel delivering 225hp. The Stage V Cummins engine delivers slightly more power but more importantly, has increased its torque output by 15% to 875lb/ft over the outgoing HL960 model. Meeting the Stage V regulations involves the loader using Cummins’ Single Module after-treatment system that incorporates DPF, SCR and Urea dosing in a single unit taking up 50% less space than the previous system. The large bonnet covering the machine’s vital components is electrically opening and gives ample room around the engine, and a cooling pack for service access.
The HL960A rides on a pair of heavy-duty axles offering a ground clearance of over 400mm and thanks to the short wheelbase, boasts a relatively tight 7.75m turning circle, ideal for the tight site. Wide and well-spaced non-slip steps provide access to the large cab. The Hyundai cab is well-appointed boasting large areas of glass to give excellent all-round visibility, the cab is well laid out with a bank of switches to the operator’s right-hand side behind the main joystick. Joystick steering can be specified as an option, but this wasn’t taken by Webb. “I like the steering wheel, it’s responsive and light to use.” Nigel commented. “I have been very impressed by the noise, or lack of it in the cab. My old machine was quite quiet, but this is far better.”
Servicing is carried out by Willowbrook with remote monitoring of the machine undertaken through Hyundai’s Hi-MATE telematics system. An addition to the A model is Engine Connected Diagnostics (ECD) which reports any engine failures immediately to both the Hi-MATE system and to the engine manufacturer themselves.
As overall first impressions go, Nigel is more than happy with the new Hyundai; “The fuel consumption is good as is its AdBlue intake. If it stays as reliable as my old machine, I’ll be a very happy man.”
