SEALING ASPHALT
SOLUTIONS
PATCHES ASPHALT CATERS, BUILDS AND SEALS ROADS FOR LOCAL COUNCILS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SPOKE TO OWNER, NORM MCMAHON, ABOUT WHY HE CHOSE THE HAMM DV+ 70 VT TO INCREASE CAPACITY, PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCE FATIGUE FOR WORKERS.
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hen looking for the right product to cater to Patches Asphalt needs for road sealing, owner Norm McMahon looked to HAMM. As a return customer, he knew the DV+ 70 VT combination roller would aid the company across multiple sealing projects. “Primarily, this machine will do bitumen sealing for us. It can do other things beside sealing, but we have it programmed specifically for that function,” Mr. McMahon says. Patches Asphalt has used the machine for road sealing work in Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council, Wagga City Council, Hilltops Council and for work in the Snowy Mountains. “On the front drum, we have a rubber coat, which allows us to drive safely and easily on the aggregate. Without the rubber coat, the DV+ 70 VT can be used on construction or asphalt, wherever you like,” Mr. McMahon says. The unit also features a steel drum on the front and a combi roller on the back. Mr. McMahon says there are multiple benefits to the machine including the ability to crab walk, a reversible cabin seat, ease of operation to load, float and manoeuvre. The reversible cabin seat is a key safety component for Mr. McMahon. He says that when his operators get to the end of a run, they press a button and the seat turns around. This way, the driver is always facing forward and never has to reverse the machine. He says it makes the work much easier on the operator and eliminates the safety, ergonomics and collision risks on both the operator and ground personnel that is normally attributed to reversing. “On any other machine, the operator 56
ROADS JULY 2019
The HAMM DV+ 70 VT is operator friendly and helps reduce fatigue.
could be twisting their back and looking over their shoulder a lot of the time. The DV+ 70 VT reduces these movements, ultimately reducing fatigue and saving us in time and expense,” Mr. McMahon says. And able to swing the seat at the push of a button makes it easy and intuitive. The panorama cabin on the unit also gives free visibility of both the drums and
surrounding area. “Being able to crab walk the machine, with a clear view, the operator can cover a wider area than a standard machine. The vibration on the front reduces rolling time by 15 to 20 per cent, so it’s a substantial increase in productivity and therefore, quality,” he says. Mr. McMahon says the ability to walk
