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a magazine from atlas copco construction technique no. 1 / 2014
roject Engineer P Adam Ericsson inspects a pump at SydVästlänken, the world’s longest underground highvoltage power cable.
Power point Rental expert * innovation classics * tool testing
You are a driver for innovation Sustained development Atlas Copco’s history is filled with innovative products. In 1949 we introduced the first completely aircooled portable diesel compressor, which required much less maintenance, and in 1966 we launched the world’s first serially produced hydraulic breaker, which made it easier to demolish concrete structures or rock. The marketers, salespeople and engineers who identified those market needs and developed those products built Atlas Copco to be the global leader we are today. This year Forbes magazine once again put us on its list of the world’s 100 most innovative companies. Our innovation focuses on reducing the cost of ownership for our customers. A lot of effort is put into reducing energy costs and increasing productivity. This often means that a higher initial investment leads to a much lower operating cost down the line – and therefore a significantly lower total cost of ownership. A good example is the DrillAir™, which reduces fuel consumption by 4 percent. (Read more on pages 8–9.) Atlas Copco Construction Technique’s R&D investment in 2013 was, once again, 15 percent higher than the previous year. We work together with universities and involve you, our customers. You are a driver for innovation, and an important source of information; we must understand the specific needs for an application in order to design the right solution. We make sure we stay really innovative because that is a clear differentiator for us in the market and our key to future success.
Contents issue 1/2014 SWEDEN A massive infrastructure project such as SydVästlänken needs reliable and efficient equipment (page 10).
Belgium The European Rental Association’s Michel Petitjean sees a bright future for his industry (page 6).
KENYA Heavy investment in geothermal power will help solve the country’s energy crisis (page 16).
Nico Delvaux Business Area President Atlas Copco Construction Technique
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a magazine from atlas copco construction technique
PUBLISHER Mercedes Hernandez EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Anna-Karin Stenlund
COPYRIGHT 2014, Atlas Copco AB, Stockholm ADDRESS Atlas Copco (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd.
anna.stenlund@se.atlascopco.com EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Mercedes Hernandez, Anja Kaulbach, Anna-Karin Stenlund and Elsie Vestraets PRODUCTION Appelberg Publishing Group, Sweden EDITOR Lena Nilsson AD Ersan Cürüklü
– Construction Technique, 16/F China Venturetech Plaza, No 819 Nanjing West Road 200041 Shanghai, PRC WEB www.atlascopco.com COVER PHOTO Pontus Johansson
NEWS
Text: Linas Alsenas
Photo: Atlas Copco
Biggest launch ever The Global Product Launch held 20–24 January in Karlskrona, Sweden, was the biggest launch event ever arranged by Atlas Copco’s Road Construction Equipment division. The audience of 120 people included customers, distributors, managers from the company’s Customer Centers, key sales staff and company leaders. They saw presentations on innovations, product news and sustainability, and got up close to the division’s complete product line, including the MF2500 material feeder, the giant PL2000 planer and newcomers CG2300 pivot roller and F1200 paver. The week also included factory tours and classroom training for rollers, pavers and planers.
Photo: Getty Images
Charged up
Dealers’ choice
In November 2013 Atlas Copco Construction Technique dealers from South Africa, Mozambique and Mauritius gathered for their annual conference, where the new Dealer Management Program was launched. The program’s dashboards and other tools were a big hit. “The feedback received from the interactive workshops was invaluable,” says Brett Mitchell, Distributor Manager for Construction Technique South Africa. “The program will help to align our internal processes, thus meeting our dealers’ expectations when it comes to delivery, stock and service levels.” The new program takes a comprehensive approach to dealer network performance, from market analysis to follow-up on targets. By identifying each dealer’s strengths and weaknesses, the program helps them formulate action plans to grow market share. Online support tools include business and dealer portals as well as microsites for online ordering, a print shop and a profile store for branded giveaways.
New 1-megawatt generator
To meet customer demand for large generators, Atlas Copco is introducing the 1-MW QAC flx. Available in three model variants, the QAC flx can be customized to suit a wide variety of situations such as high altitudes or extreme weather conditions. Their flexibility and reliability make the containerized units ideal for either prime power or critical standby power in the rental, mining, oil and gas, industrial and construction industries.
With the introduction of three electric breaker models, Atlas Copco enters a new era. Electric breakers offer many benefits, such as lower costs of ownership and operation than for pneumatic alternatives, ease of use and service, a quick return on investment and lower storage space requirements. Weighing 22, 25, and 30 kilograms, respectively, the new handheld electric breakers B 22, B 25 and B 30 offer high impact force and hand-arm vibration levels of between 4.8 and 5.8 m/s2. Using standard 1 phase electric outlets, they are designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
sustainability leader
Atlas Copco ranked 46th on the Global 100 list, a ranking of the world’s most sustainable companies. Presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Global 100 highlights companies that prove they are increasing productivity while using fewer resources. This year 3 641 companies were evaluated according to sustainability indicators such as safety performance and revenues in relation to consumption of energy and water.
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Testing 1, 2, 3
Tests overseen by an independent organization provide customers with meaningful comparisons. Text LINAS ALSENAS PHOTOs ATLAS COPCO
Buyers of professional light equipment can easily compare products by characteristics such as size and price, but how can they compare aspects of product performance? One method is independent comparison testing. Take noise and vibration levels, for example. “Any tools that are sold in Europe have to be measured by an authorized laboratory following specific standards for noise and vibration levels,” says Atlas Copco’s Jan Byrresen, Product Line Manager responsible for motor drills, breakers and handheld hydraulics. He stresses that vibration levels are the most important consideration when it comes to guarding the safety of operators, as “white finger,” or hand-arm vibration syndrome, is an injury that can affect operators who use vibrating handheld machinery continuously. Atlas Copco made arrangements with Germany’s independent quality-assurance organization TÜV to oversee tests on two pieces of equipment – the Cobra™ Pro handheld breaker and the LP6500 Duplex Roller.
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Inspector of gadgets TÜV is a group of independent German organizations that work to assess the safety of all sorts of industrial products. The initials stand for Technischer Überwachungsverein (Technical Inspection Association). There are currently six TÜV organizations, arranged geographically. Atlas Copco tested the Cobra™ Pro handheld breaker and the LP6500 Duplex Roller with TÜV Nord, based in Hanover.
The LP6500 Duplex Roller (opposite) and the Cobra™ Pro (left) has been tested by the German organization TÜV.
TÜV also oversaw a similar test involving Atlas
One test compared the Cobra™ Pro breaker with
machines from two competitors, one powered by gasoline and the other by electricity. All three machines were run under the same conditions, both in laboratory tests and in real-life conditions, breaking concrete and cutting asphalt. tüv verified that the best international standards and methods were used during the tests. The results showed that the Atlas Copco breaker produced the lowest vibration levels and the highest overall performance of the three products. Under European standards that limit exposure to vibrations, the Cobra™ Pro allowed 50 percent longer work time than the gasoline breaker and 100 percent longer than the electric breaker. It also produced 60 percent more output power than the gasoline breaker and 63 percent more than the electric model. “Customers can compare the products, apples to apples,” Byrresen says. “Our competitors’ brochures may make their products look as good as ours, but when you take the machines out for a demonstration on job sites, we always win.”
” Customers can compare the products, apples to apples.”
Copco’s LP6500 Duplex Roller – a hand-operated compaction device – and two competing machines. Atlas Copco was interested primarily in seeing how operators are affected by noise and vibrations. “The operator has to maneuver the machine by hand, and he is probably operating it from four to eight hours a day,” says Kjell Helgesson, Atlas Copco Product Specialist. The tests produced precise values for the noise produced by the machines. “If you have a good-sized engine, you don’t have to run it at such high speeds, so it makes less noise,” Helgesson says. European standards set limits on the amount and duration of hand and arm vibrations experienced by a machine operator. “Then it’s up to the employer to make sure that the employee does not get exposed to more than those levels,” Helgesson says. “This is something that the customer cannot judge himself by looking at the three machines. He can probably tell that No. 1 is vibrating more than No. 2, but he can’t put a value on it, and without the values he can’t decide whether he can use the machine for two hours or four hours or eight hours.” The TÜV tests measured the vibration levels that were produced over a given period of time. Helgesson says, “If you have a machine that exposes a worker to the maximum level in the morning, then it’s up to you to have a rotation of operators so that no one exceeds the limit.”
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For rent The European Rental Association’s Michel Petitjean is keen to share his passion for the rental industry. Text Michael Lawton Photo SANDER DE WILDE
After a career heading major construction and rental firms
around the world, Michel Petitjean is now Secretary-General of the European Rental Association (ERA), providing the benefit of his many years’ experience to the industry. “We promote the rental concept at a European level,” says Petitjean. Before the ERA was founded in 2005, each national association handled its own national situation, and there was no organization to deal with issues arising from increased development of a continental market. Although the European Union issues many regulations,
“ The EU has decided to standardize the rules.” those regulations have to be implemented at a national level, and that means they end up being different in each country. “That’s a handicap for multinational rental companies, which want to move equipment across borders,” Petitjean explains. That’s the sort of thing that the ERA tries to prevent. For example, every country has different rules on the transport of heavy equipment. “The EU has decided to standardize the rules,” says Petitjean. “We are working closely with the Committee for European Construction Equipment and the European Construction Industry Federation to influence those regulations.” all the same, it can’t be easy to represent an industry that is extremely varied across Europe. Each country has had a different experience during the financial and Euro crises that have shaken the continent in recent years. “Rental follows construction trends and therefore the economy,” says Petitjean. So rental
has suffered, with the first signs of recovery now becoming visible. But the recovery is taking place at different speeds, and in some countries it isn’t taking place at all. “For the last three or four years, Europe has been split,” explains Petitjean. He notes that the Nordic countries and Germany had a minimal down cycle and are enjoying a healthy recovery. The UK has followed its own rules, with a big slump in 2007 and 2008 and a faster recovery now as a result of the renewal of house construction. France had an average recovery which was slowed down significantly by the euro crisis in 2011, and southern Europe, led by Spain and Italy, just hasn’t recovered. “Spain may have touched bottom in 2013, so it could grow in 2014,” says Petitjean hopefully. Altogether, the industry could grow by 2 percent in 2014 and 3 percent in 2015, Petitjean says, “but it will be very different in different countries.” Statistics like these are another of ERA’s achievements. Before, there was no reliable measure, but the organization has built a common understanding which the industry can use as a reference. That’s especially important for the financial industry, on which rental, like everything else, depends. Petitjean sees a great future for rental, especially because of its environmental advantages. “Rental is green,” he likes to say. With higher rates of utilization, rented equipment is more sustainable than equipment that often sits in a park. The EU is working on the same principles; its 2013 report on “the leasing society” will be the focus of ERA’s 2014 conference. The ERA also tries to get equipment manufacturers to consider rental operators’ interests. For example, the organization is working with the industry to standardize telematics and instructions manuals, and the ERA has held workshops with manufacturers based on a survey identifying the main reasons for equipment damage, accidents and service calls. “The main issue is the total cost of ownership,” says Petitjean. “Manufacturers want to build ever more sophisticated machines, but we don’t need curved glass in the cab. We need robust machines that are easy to maintain.”
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Michel Petitjean Age: 67 Home: Paris Occupation: SecretaryGeneral of the European Rental Association Family: Wife and six children Hobbies: “I would love to have played golf or hunted or sailed, but my hobby is actually sharing my passion for the industry.”
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Game changers At Atlas Copco, innovation is not just something that provides a competitive advantage – it’s a core value. Text Michael Miller Photos Atlas Copco Any innovation, no matter how unique and unprecedented, is only useful if it leads to a product that interests customers. “I might invent a bicycle that could also make coffee, but who would want it?” asks Torsten Ahr, Atlas Copco’s Vice President Marketing, Hydraulic Attachments. “To be innovative, an inventor has to go out in the field and talk to customers, ask about their needs and their challenges. That’s how you get ideas that turn into products and solutions.” Atlas Copco Portable Energy’s Technology and Innovation
Manager Guy Laps agrees, saying the company doesn’t do innovation just for the sake of innovation. “We want to have things that are useful for the customer and that differentiate us from the competition, preferably in such a way that the competition has difficulty catching up.” Over the years, Atlas Copco has developed and marketed products that have revolutionized the construction industry while enjoying considerable success with customers. Here is a look at three of those products.
The hydraulic breaker The hydraulic breaker was original-
ly developed 50 years ago by the German company Krupp Berco Bautechnik, which Atlas Copco acquired in 2002. The Krupp unit developed the rigmounted hydraulic breaker and patented it in 1963. The aim was to save time and labor in demolition and mining operations.
With the new machine, one person could do as much work as several people using the pneumatic tools that were in wide use at the time. “The revolutionary thing about this product is that an ordinary excavator becomes a tool carrier,” says Ahr. “If you install a bucket, it’s an excavator. If you
install a breaker, it’s a demolition machine. The hydraulic attachment defines what the machine is at any given moment.” Today, hydraulic breakers are used around the world, produced and sold under more than 300 brands. Atlas Copco produces 50 different models aimed at various market segments.
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Dynapac CA25 roller The CA25 roller was developed at
the end of the 1960s at Vibro-Plus Inc. Production began in 1969 in the United States, and the product was launched worldwide. The first heavy self-propelled soil compactor, with the drum in front and a tractor at the rear, the CA25 became the
world’s leading compaction roller. Over the next few years, several variations were marketed, including one version with a padded drum for paving clay. The manufacturer changed its name to Dynapac in 1973, and Atlas Copco acquired the company in 2007, placing the CA model range in its Road Construction
Equipment division. A recent monster version of the roller, the CA702, is Dynapac’s heaviest soil compactor and one of the biggest in the world. It was developed for the world’s heaviest largescale compaction work, which includes work on dams, airfields, harbors and major railway and road projects.
DrillAir™ portable compressor Atlas Copco’s DrillAir™ portable compressors have gained wide acceptance in the field of drilling for geothermal energy, where heat from a 200-meter-deep hole in a homeowner’s backyard can replace an oil or gas heating system. Drilling companies favor the DrillAir™ because they can complete a job in one day, making their operation much more efficient than with earlier rigs. Laps says that the DrillAir™ is “best in class” in a number of areas, including noise level, compactness and energy efficiency. Dmitry Karablinov, Product Market Manager for Large Compressors, points out that a geothermal heating system can reduce a homeowner’s energy bill by as much as 30 percent. It’s no wonder, then, that geothermal drilling is already popular in the Nordic countries and Switzerland, and it’s becoming more widespread in the rest of the world.
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Powerful ground Sweden’s SydVästlänken will contain the world’s longest underground cable for high-voltage power transmission. Text Cari Simmons Photos Pontus Johansson
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SydVästlänken’s power cables are being placed underground for a stretch of 270 kilometers.
emand for electricity and renewable
energy is growing in many parts of the world, and electrical grids are expanding to keep up with the need for robust systems. One example is SydVästlänken (South West Link), designed to expand the Swedish power grid. When completed, the high-voltage power cable will stretch a world-record-breaking 270 kilometers underground, surpassing the current record holder, the Murraylink cable in Australia. Svenska Kraftnät (Swedish National Grid), a stateowned public utility company, decided to bury most of the transmission cables in the ground to eliminate the risk of electrical outages caused by falling power lines. There is also much less maintenance when cables are tucked safely underground, and local residents generally favor this more aesthetic approach. However, it is a costlier alternative to traditional overhead power lines. Much of SydVästlänken runs along the existing infrastructure of the E4 highway. Alongside this main transportation artery, workmen are digging trenches that are 1.5–2 meters deep. Almost one million cubic meters of rubble will be dug out by 2015, the completion date of this three-year
” The soil conditions can vary every second meter.”
project. One of the main companies on the project is Skanska, a global project development and construction group. At the project’s peak, about 90 Skanska employees and subcontractors worked 10-hour days to meet the tight deadlines. “We completed three kilometers every week,” says Magnus Johansson, Skanska’s SydVästlanken Project Manager. Johansson says that time pressures and the enormous physical size of Sydvästlänken were big challenges. “Moving all of the personnel, equipment and transport from one stretch of the project to the next is a major operation.” Other challenges included getting clearances to dig on the properties of 250 different landowners, working in remote areas with no electricity and keeping the trenches as dry as possible. Atlas Copco generators and submersible dewatering pumps have helped solve the last two issues. “When you are above groundwater level, it’s just rainwater that you have to take care of,” says Johansson. “But below groundwater level you need more pumps. Sometimes you need a lot of pumps every 30–40 meters, while in other places it can be drier and you don’t need any pumps at all. The soil conditions can vary every second meter.”
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Top left: Leif Gustafsson has been driving machines for 40 years. “The trucks and machines have improved a lot, but there are fewer people working on sites today,” he says. Top right: Skanska’s project manager Magnus Johansson.
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Project Engineer Adam Ericsson says the team has become better at placing the pumps well for optimum effectiveness.
When it rains, overflow from the E4 highway runs into the trenches. “Then we’re dealing with enormous quantities of water,” says Johansson. Project Engineer Adam Ericsson says that the project team has gotten better at managing the water. “We have learned and taken the time to really place the pumps well for optimum effectiveness, and this has resulted in operational improvements.” The base of each cable trench must be kept completely dry to protect the 14 different transmission cables that will eventually rest here. A special gravel backfill is meticulously laid, following exact specifications for the best compaction, drainage and cohesiveness. Only then can the transmission cables, tucked into sturdy tubes, be laid in the trenches, which are then refilled. During the period of 4–8 weeks when the trenches are open, some 60 Atlas Copco generators power about 250 pumps. “We are putting extremely high demands on the pumps and generators, which are running around the clock,” says Ericsson. “It’s a tough environment outside, and the pumps and generators are running much more intensively than normal. The equipment has been under high pressure daily, but it is keeping up with the demands.”
Optimized performance Equipping the Sydvästlänken project was an enormous task due to the magnitude of the project, which runs 430 kilometers through southern Sweden. “Projects that require so many generators and pumps at once are uncommon,” says Mirza Palislamovic of Skanska’s purchasing department, adding that delivering everything to Svenska Kraftnät on short notice was a challenge. “Atlas Copco did a good job of delivering quickly,” she says. “They have production in Europe and had much of the equipment in stock. Selecting Atlas Copco equipment is always a safe card as it is extremely durable. Their generators and pumps are top-of-the-line and better than most others.” Atlas Copco’s QAS 14 and QAS 20 on-site generators and WEDA 30 and WEDA 40 submersible dewatering pumps have been running intensively seven days a week. Gunnar Benselfelt, Business Development Manager, Atlas Copco Portable Energy, says there were many special considerations to take into account. “In this project, water is moved rather than lifted, so we offered a three-phase pump with the right curve for pumping lots of water without a high lift.” Atlas Copco helped Skanska calculate a lower start torque and current to achieve optimum efficiency, and enable more pumps to run on a single generator. “Skanska is able to run three of our pumps on one of our generators,” says Benselfelt. “Normally, they might be able to use only two pumps per generator.” To add to the efficiency, Atlas Copco offers a level control on generators so that they only run when a pump is pumping. ger any water.
Growing the Link The Sydvästlänken (South-West Link) transmits electricity from major power stations in Sweden to regional electrical grids, via the national electrical grid. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity (300kV) is transferred through 270 kilometers of underground cable, while high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) electricity (400kV) is transferred through 250 kilometers of overhead power lines. When completed, the project will increase transmission capacity by about 25 percent. Main companies on the project: Skanska, ABB, Alstom, Siemens, SPL Power Lines, VLB Leitungsbau, Sirti/Technoline, Eltel Cost of project work: SEK 7.3 billion.
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Compaction
lab With its new Technology and Application Center, Atlas Copco continues to be at the forefront of compaction developments.
Text Cari Simmons Photo Markus Leo Efficient soil compaction is the key
to a long-lasting, durable foundation. A leader in this field, Atlas Copco recently consolidated its expertise within the Dynapac organization u nder one roof at a new Technology and Application Center in Karlskrona, Sweden. The center contains a unique store of documentation, indoor and outdoor test facilities and a fully equipped materials laboratory for conducting research into how materials behave during compaction, milling and paving. The center offers customers consultation and support regarding their applications, as well as help in selecting the correct machine, settings and compaction strategy. “Our entire focus is on the interaction between machine and material,” says Fredrik Åkesson, manager of the new center. “Different jobs require different machines and settings. Different ways of operation may also be required, depending on the type of job.” The recommendations can reduce compaction costs for customers and save them a significant amount of time.
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“ Our entire focus is on the interaction between machine and material,” says manager Fredrik Åkesson.
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Smart Solutions
Steaming into the future
Kenya is rapidly developing its geothermal power capacity. Text Linas Alsenas Photo Atlas Copco Although oil and gas reserves have recently been discovered in Kenya, the country has largely relied on hydroelectric power. But in dry Kenya, hydroelectric energy generators run at as little as 58 percent of installed capacity. Instead, the answer to the country’s energy crisis may lie underground. The World Bank estimates that the geothermal power potential of east Africa’s Rift Valley is huge, with the potential to power 150 million homes. Kenya is currently the ninth-largest producer of geothermal power in the world, and it has ambitious plans to increase its power generation by 2030, when it aims to produce at least 5 000 MW of geothermal power annually – 26 percent of total power capacity. This is a substantial step up from the current installed capacity of 200 MW. The Geothermal Development Company (GDC) is a government body tasked with developing the country’s geothermal power
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resources. GDC is working to facilitate the realization of at least 3 000 MW in the next 10 years, lower the cost of electric power by providing steam to power generators and promote alternative uses of geothermal energy. It also encourages private sector partici-
pation by undertaking the exploration, appraisal and production drilling in all fields, thereby mitigating upfront risks. To achieve these goals, GDC needs reliable equipment and service. The company currently has six Atlas Copco B18-62/2500 boosters and 28 Atlas Copco compressors of different models included in its fleet. GDC has also agreed to a two-year, one-million-U.S.-dollar service plan with Atlas Copco for compressors and boosters, including for competitors’ equipment. This plan increases the availability of GDC’s equipment as the company works to meet its tight schedules.
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Stone age
Having learned from long experience, a British quarry values reliability in its primary breakers.
Text Linas Alsenas Photo Keith Lambourne There are many layers of history present at
the Huntsmans quarry in the Cotswolds region of England, starting with the occasional fossilized dinosaur footprint found in the Jurassic limestone being extracted there. The first accounts of Cotswolds quarrying appeared in the Domesday Book of 1086, and the local stone was used for roofing slates in the 17th and 18th centuries. Huntsmans’ own company history is nearly a century long, and the company’s relationship with Atlas Copco goes back many years. With more than 60 employees, the quarry principally produces building stone, aggregates and agricultural lime for use in the local construction and farming industries. From its long history, Huntsmans knows that reliable performance under relentless pressure is the essential function of any primary breaker working in a quarry. Uptime is vital; its three Atlas Copco HB 5800 DP breakers will work approximately 1 500 hours per year with regular
service intervals to ensure their reliability. David Glenn, Managing Director of Huntsmans, says, “The Atlas Copco breaker is at the core of our operation, so reliability and the relationship with the manufacturer is key. ”Already this year, we will have produced 400 000 tons of stone using this method.” Glenn cites “durability and service” as the main reasons for choosing Atlas Copco over the competition. The HB 5800 DP is used to selectively quarry stone for the highest quality possible. Mounted on a Volvo EC700 with a quick hitch, the breaker can be easily swapped for other attachments when tackling overburden or weaker rock. Atlas Copco has lowered the weight and increased the efficiency of its heavy hydraulic breakers, so less hydraulic input power is required from the carrier while maintaining maximum impact performance.
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Smart Solutions
Dam that’s big
Brazil’s installed hydroelectric power capacity is about to get a major boost. Text Linas Alsenas Photo Getty Images If you think the largest construction project in Brazil right now is sports-related, think again. More than 20 000 laborers are working around the clock at a site on the Xingu River in the State of Pará, deep in the Amazon basin. A 20-kilometer canal will move water from the river to the site of the main power plant of the Belo Monte mega dam. With a planned installed capacity of 11 233 MW, this will be the world’s third-largest dam, behind China’s Three Gorges and Itaipu, located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. In operation already at beginning stages of construction were 14 Dynapac CT300 tamping compactors. The compactor model was tested
thoroughly by the Belo Monte Consortium and proved to be very efficient. The last fleet was delivered in the beginning of 2013, along with 13 Atlas Copco XAS 420 portable compressors. The compressors feature an integrated, sealed chassis, which prevents fluids from leaking out into the local environment. A 30-billion-reais (13 billion U.S.dollars) investment, the Belo Monte dam is a massive undertaking. Construction of the main power plant alone requires excavation through 70 meters of rock. Although plans for the Belo Monte dam go back to 1975, construction work only began in 2010, and the plant is scheduled to become operational in late 2014.
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In the pipeline
A Hungarian pipeline construction company receives a complete solution for testing and cleaning. Text Linas Alsenas Photo DAVID MOLNAR KVV Pipeline Construction Co. Ltd. (KVV
Kőolajvezetéképitő Zrt.) is a leading company within the Hungarian oil and gas industry. In addition to developing and manufacturing pipe products, the company’s main activity is pipeline construction for natural gas, rude oil and crude oil derivatives, mostly in the diameter range of 25 to 1 400 millimeters. To test and maintain pipe construction projects in Hungary and elsewhere, the company has invested in a complete pipeline testing solution from Atlas Copco. The new equipment consists of XAS 746Cd and XRVS 476Cd compressors, two CD 7 80R dryers and a B7-42/2175 CE booster. These will be used for testing and cleaning at pipeline sites across Hungary, supporting the company’s expansion plans into neighboring European
countries. The new order replaces an older booster, enabling the company to work more efficiently on a larger range of projects involving pipes with a diameter from 600 millimeters to over a meter, over a distance of up to several kilometers. The typical output pressure will be 80 bar, but the new booster can handle pressure of up to 120 bar, if required. “As soon as we highlighted the need for the new equipment we knew that Atlas Copco was our preferred supplier,” says Ferenc Török of kvv. “Atlas Copco was able to deliver a complete solution for our needs. Furthermore, we know that we can trust both the reliability and robustness of Atlas Copco equipment, as well as the support of the Atlas Copco team in the local office.”
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Launch pad Service made simple
Service Portfolio Overviews are available at the online print shop (www.podshop.se/atlascopco). These easy guides help customers identify all they need for optimal machine performance by matching different products with their associated service agreements, warranties, maintenance and repair kits, and more.   Three Service Portolio Overviews are available, for road construction equipment, portable energy equipment and construction tools.
Major attraction
Recycling plants, scrapyards and the demolition industry will appreciate the latest addition to the range of hydraulic attachments: the Hydro Magnet. Simply installed on an existing grapple or shear installation, the attachment easily separates iron and steel from concrete waste. Hydro Magnet is available either as a fixed magnet or a mobile magnet with chain link.
Pumping at 60 Hz
Ideal for rental companies of any size, the WEDA range of electric submersible pumps makes its debut in the US market with 60-Hz additions to the range of 1 HP and under, single-phase drainage, sludge and residual pumps. The new pumps come in two voltage variants, 115V and 230V, joining the 50-Hz range that is already popular in the rest of the world.
Drum set
Atlas Copco introduces a range of eight Drum Cutter attachments, available with service weights from 200 to 2 900 kilograms and suitable for carriers of 1 to 50 tons. These accurately remove concrete or rock with a hardness of up to 100 MPa, and the fine-grain cut rock or concrete can be used as backfill material without additional crushing. The attachments can even be used underwater to a depth of 30 meters without additional installation.
Two in one
The XATS 1050 portable compressor features a dual rating system with variable pressure and flow settings. With increased flexibility for a range of applications, this improves utilization rates and the return on investment for rental customers. The XATS 1050 is easy to use: The operator sets the pressure and the engine automatically responds with the appropriate airflow.
SD pavers now feature the Pave Manager 2.0 control system, which is directly connected through a CAN BUS system for fast and reliable communication. Many regulations and adjustments made at the remote control can also be made from the dashboard, and vice versa. The remote control recognizes all leveling equipment from MOBA, and it is self-configuring, enabling use on either side of the paver. Both dashboard and remote controls offer color display and self-explanatory menus and functions.
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Optimized control