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in western Europe, employing a rolling fleet of more than 1,300 vehicles. Lomas Distribution was itself chosen to field test the MX12 screw compressor by Meller Flow Trans (MFT), based in Bradford, UK, which specialises in developing product transfer solutions for the transport industry. MFT was been a preferred distributor of France-based Mouvex for more than 25 years. Mouvex is a product brand of PSG, a Dover company. “MFT has been a key supplier to Lomas Distribution for many years and our partnership with Mouvex goes back more than 25 years,” says Mike Conway, key account manager at MFT. “The Mouvex MX12 is the latest compressor to join the Mouvex family and it is perfect for the UK 6x2 tractor market.”
WITH HIS BROAD shoulders, walrus moustache and deep, gritty voice, no one would mistake Kevin Mears for an adolescent. But hearing the veteran truck driver talk about the capabilities of the MX12 Series screw compressor from Mouvex, he can easily be envisaged as a young boy who had just been given the shiniest new bicycle. “Other drivers want to know how I can
“A lot of the products are heavy products, granular stuff, so it’s lumps and powder, and we need two bar to get it going,” he explains. “[The MX12] is a fantastic bit of kit, really strong, powerful, does the job. Gets straight up to two bar and holds it there. That’s where I need to be, two bar.” Mears considers himself to be a lottery winner: it was his tipper trailer that was
SMALL AND RELIABLE To cope with stringent on-the-road weight limits, truck manufacturers in Europe have been designing lighter trailers that have very limited space for ancillary components such as pumps and compressors. The MX12 overcomes this limitation by being, at 110 kg, the lightest and most compact compressor on the market, according to Mouvex. “Tractors are now extremely tight, space is at a premium, and the MX12’s unique design allows for a very compact installation,” says Conway. “It has been designed to maximise the space that is available.” Being compact is all well and good, but the MX12’s fundamental requirement is that it can perform reliably, especially when handling a product such as ferrous sulphate, an essential component in cement. “The best delivery time I’ve had is 22 minutes for 29 tonnes,” Mears says. “That was for ferrous sulphate, which is a granular product that you need a lot of air for. [The MX12] produces
build so much air so quick; it’s not a problem for me, it’s a problem for them,” Mears says with a chuckle. The ‘air’ he refers to is the 2 bar (29 psi) of pressure required when he needs to unload granular or powdery substances such as fly ash, lime and ferrous sulphate.
recently chosen by his employer, Lomas Distribution, to be outfitted with an MX12 screw compressor on a trial basis. Lomas, based in Buxton, Derbyshire in the UK and which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019, is one of the largely privately owned liquids and dry bulk haulage companies
so much air, I even have to bypass it at times because it’s producing too much.” When discharging fly ash – a by-product of burning coal that is also a common ingredient in cement – Mears has achieved a best unloading time of 15 minutes for 22 tonnes. These eye-catching unloading times can be
POWER FOR POWDER COMPRESSORS • GETTING ENOUGH AIR TO DISCHARGE DRY BULK PRODUCTS IS GETTING EASIER THANKS TO A POWERFUL NEW COMPRESSOR DESIGN FROM FRENCH SUPPLIER MOUVEX
HCB MONTHLY | OCTOBER 2020
