Volvo Provides Western Waste Management With a New Level of Fuel Efficiency

According to Darren Hayes, General Manager of Western Waste Management, country business owners must be more cautious about the equipment they purchase. Smaller jobs, according to the owner-operator of a waste management and scrap metal recycling business in Colac, country Victoria, can make a large investment in equipment difficult to justify.

Unless, of course, it's Volvo Construction Equipment from CJD Equipment. Darren, the owner of two Volvo EC220D excavators, says he would not hesitate to expand his fleet.

"I haven't been let down," he says.

"The excavators have done everything I was told they could do."

Western Waste Management is in charge of everything from skip bins to residential and commercial waste projects, as well as growing the advantages of reusing construction and demolition waste industry. According to Darren, excavators or front-end loaders are required in all aspects of the business. The EC220D is interchangeable with everything from a coupler to a bucket and hydraulic breaker, making it almost effortless to transition from working with wood and green waste to scrap metal or concrete.

He says the EC220D is easy to use and comfortable, and the long carriage adds stability, which is important when they can work up to 40 hours per week. Operator fatigue is reduced due to improved visibility from the cab and conveniently located navigational controls.

"The operators are overjoyed," Darren says.

"I have one operator who works in them all day every day and swears by the EC220D."

But it was the fuel efficiency that pushed Darren over the edge when it came to purchasing a second excavator in 2021. When compared to his previous equipment, he saves about 13% on fuel costs.

"That's a significant saving over a year," he says.

CJD Equipment Victorian Regional Sales Manager Noel Fernando describes the EC220D as the next generation of fuel efficiency. According to him, Volvo's ECO mode, a new hydraulic system, and a D6 diesel engine work together to reduce operational costs and maximise fuel efficiency.

"In most operating conditions, Volvo's unique ECO mode contributes to up to 5% of the machine's total improved fuel efficiency without any loss of performance," he says.

"The design incorporates electronic pump control technology, which minimises flow and pressure losses while maximising digging power and swing torque."

To meet regional emission regulations, the D6 diesel engine is integrated into all excavator systems and is available in two versions. According to Noel, the optional auto engine shutdown function turns the engine off to reduce fuel consumption when the machine is inactive for a predetermined amount of time (five minutes is the default setting). One minute before this occurs, the operator is notified.

The I-ECU also measures instantaneous fuel consumption while displaying average fuel consumption numerically per hour, allowing operators to monitor fuel usage on various job sites and applications. Volvo's integrated work mode system now includes the G4 mode, which optimises fuel efficiency and machine performance. Operators can select the best work mode for the task at hand, such as I (Idle), F (Fine), G (General), H (Heavy), or P (Power max).

While the Volvo EC220D is designed for peak performance, it also includes user-friendly service access to centralised filters and grouped greasing points in the event of a problem. To reduce blockages and aid cleaning, the radiator, charged air cooler, and hydraulic oil cooler is all located on a single layer. A side door on the ground level allows access to the system for maintenance.

The fully sealed electrical distribution box, which is also accessible from ground level, houses all fuses and relays, which are labelled on a map inside the box cover. CJD Equipment, according to Noel, also has a large service network of technicians, workshops, and dealers throughout Australia to assist with any problems that may arise, as well as fully equipped parts warehouses in each capital city. Darren recommends CJD, and Volvo's backup service is a bonus.

"Previously, we couldn't get back up, but CJD is on top of it, and its salespeople are fantastic," he says.

"Before dealing with CJD, we were concerned about backup service and spare parts availability."

So far, they have not disappointed me.

"Everything appears to have slowed down in this COVID-19 world, but CJD has spare parts on hand."

Visit Dream Lucky Scrap Metal for more information.