Vroom Funderingstechnieken is investing in new Ljungby Maskin wheel loaders. And with four identical machines in one fell swoop, it was certainly no ordinary order.
And yet, the scope of the order is not the most notable aspect. What catches the eye about these machines is how they are equipped. Not only have the Ljungby Maskin loaders been approved to lift loads with a jib thanks to the load moment limiter, they have also (uniquely) received approval for use in combination with an aerial work platform, subject to the latest EN280 standards. A first.
Being a foundations company with a whole arsenal of colossal machinery at our disposal, the people at Vroom aren’t that easily impressed by heavy plant and equipment. But the line of bright red, brand new Ljungby machines are certainly causing a stir. Staff that pass by quickly reach for their telephones so that they can take a photo. And it is not really the sort of order that Ljungby importer Werklust Holland has to deal with every day, either.
Four new Ljungbys in the yard
’Under normal circumstances, the loaders would be put to work
immediately. However, all the operators need to undergo a training course before they start working with their new bulldozers and all that accompanying equipment, so the four are currently standing in Vroom’s equipment yard in Middelie, near Volendam. Ready for their first use, in the words of Jeroen Vroom and Alex Brouwer, head of plant and equipment, who explain the whys and wherefores of this investment, which reveals that there has been proper consideration on all fronts regarding the acquisition of the machines and their design.
‘We have been using Werklust bulldozers for more than thirty years. They were around long before my time. And we’ve always been satisfied with them, because the machines are perfectly suited to the work we do’, explains Vroom. ‘Unfortunately for us, Werklust stopped making bulldozers themselves several years ago. Since then, the company has become a dealer for Ljungby.
Ageing Werklust machines
In the past, Vroom was a bulk customer of Werklust machines. Particularly pleasing in practice were their sturdiness, the robust parallel lifting mechanism and sizeable ground clearance. The four WG45C Werklust machines that Vroom offered in exchange were built from 1996 to 1998 and a couple had reached nearly 30,000 hours. Ultimately, that says it all. These days there are still more than twenty Werklust machines in operation, generally the WG45D and WG45E models. They are beginning to show their age and, moreover, Vroom is working on making its fleet more sustainable: the new bulldozers are compliant with the current Stage V emissions requirements.
So Vroom started the process of finding a worthy successor around four years ago. After all, you can’t rush these things. Vroom is making a big investment in its loader fleet and will continue making such replacements over the next few years. They’ve taken several years out to consider their requirements and the specifications that must be met.
New loaders with Werklust features
Vroom’s wishes were clear: the new loaders had to have Werklust features, such as the Werklust quick-changer, ample ground clearance, parallel kinematics and robust build. All that together with modern requirements, such as a clean Stage V engine, overpressure system, plus the approval for use as an aerial work platform. An issue which worked against some makes was that they were unable or unwilling to supply a Werklust quick-changer. In spite of that, Vroom is sticking to this type of quick-changer, even though it seems to have disappeared from the market. There were reasons for this, of course.
Alex Brouwer: ‘We have a large fleet of plant and equipment, with countless appliances and the like. We want a single type of quick-changer that fits all. In addition, this coupling is also found on extractors, leader heads and, for instance, on the caterpillar tracks of our largest piling rig. That’s the order we place with the factory.’
Beco produced the quick-changer to the Werklust specifications. This supplier also produced the buckets, forks and a lifting jib or arm. The skeleton bucket is custom-made and is, alongside earthworks, also suitable for picking up pipes and drills. The two hydraulic grips mounted on the bucket secure the load. In combination with an aerial work platform, the Ljungbys have been approved for use as an aerial work platform under the terms of the strict EN280 standards. The platform is equipped with a platform scale and an operating console.
The Werklust quick-changer was a deal breaker
The operators can pick up these often heavy parts with the bulldozer’s quick-changer. Otherwise, they would need to do that with a fork-lift, so this is easy, quick and safe. If we were to change to another make of quick-changer, that would mean a whole lot more than just a different skeleton bucket and pallet board. That is why the Werklust quick-changer was a deal breaker.’
So, a number of makes were rejected straight away, leaving us with a list of three makes that satisfied the ‘wish list’. We were able to test these makes, and one of them failed. From the remaining makes, we each bought two machines, which we have been using for the last four years. You can consider that period as a long-term test, during which Vroom got a good impression of all the strengths and weaknesses of both makes. This order shows that Ljungby was the ultimate winner.
The reason that Vroom is sticking with the Werklust quick-changer is that many existing parts of foundation machinery have these quick-changer specifications, such as the extractor. Retrofitting everything is just way too expensive.
Robust, heavy-duty equipment
It is not without reason that Vroom is very demanding when it comes to its bulldozers. They are very important machines for the Vroom operations. The bulldozers are deployed alongside the piling rigs for all sorts of tasks. This includes loading and unloading foundation plant, such as tubes, setting up the rigs, supplying concrete and laying and moving partitions and steel road plates. Everything really, apart from earthworks.
‘They need to be sturdy, heavy-duty machines, and vision and safety are equally important. Especially when working with the concrete pouring bucket. That is why, in our view, the parallel lifting mechanism is so valuable’, Brouwer explains.
As the bulldozers have a crucial role to play in Vroom’s projects, reliability is paramount. ‘If the bulldozer is unavailable, the whole pile production process comes to a grinding halt,’ Vroom summarises. Brouwer: ‘That is why we are investing so much money in them, and we want the supplier to be someone we can count on. Operational security is the key, and other factors are spare parts and service. Our experience with Werklust is good.’
Short lines of communication to the factory and happy operators
So the switch to Ljungby via the same company, Werklust, felt natural to Vroom. Contact with the factory has also been pleasant over the past four years. ‘The Ljungby was built by a company that is a bulldozer specialist. You can tell. And the lines to the factory are short’, notes Vroom.
From the work floor, Brouwer has also heard positive feedback: ‘The operators are happy with them too. During loading and unloading, capacity really is essential, and the L18 fits the bill. In these new machines, Ljungby has made a step forward in terms of operator comfort, with the new operating console and the modern display.’
Vroom purchased four identical machines at once, with the same set of new appliances for each machine.
Beco produces quick-changer
The Ljungbys come from the factory fitted with a Lundberg quick-changer. At the request of the importer, Beco specifically designed and built a Werklust quick-changer for the four new machines. Beco also supplied for each machine a pallet board, jib and heavy-duty skeleton bucket. This was a conscious choice: placing the order with one supplier gives Vroom the assurance of compatibility.
The custom-made skeleton bucket is something special. The sides of these buckets are reinforced and have a slightly different form, so that they can be used to load and unload tubes and drills with a diameter ranging from 180 to 610mm. For that purpose, the buckets are also equipped with two grips, which in turn are adjustable and can even be removed. The L18 is factory fitted with extra counterweights. The Ljungby weighs in at around 20t.
Man basket
Last but not least, each wheel loader has its own man basket. Gebr. Koerts Techniek supplied them, and it was not so much the technical aspects, but obtaining approval was anything but easy. Previously, bulldozers with a man basket had been given approval to be used as ‘occasional work platform’. However, that legislation has been repealed. For Vroom, this would mean that it had to hire work platforms. It is not always easy to plan when they will be needed, and it is hardly practicable; after all a bulldozer is capable of negotiating many more types of terrain than the average cherry picker. And that is much safer. ‘The work is performed at a maximum height of 4 metres, and the machine weighs 20t. There’s no way it’s going to topple over.’
Subsequently, Vroom explored the options of having the new bulldozers approved to the level of ‘permanent work platform’. This involves complicated legislation, an area in which there is little experience with regard to bulldozers, so Vroom and Koerts jointly studied the directives and other legislative instruments.
The result is impressive and is also a first for wheel loaders in general. Vroom’s Ljungbys have been given type approval under the current strict EN280 standard to be deployed as an aerial work platform. For this purpose, the lifting frame is equipped with hose break valves, a platform scale in the man basket and the bulldozer can only be operated from this basket. There are massive binders with all sorts of reports and manuals on the table: Vroom creates a file like this for each machine. ‘It is important that all the paperwork is complete’, says Brouwer.
Multi-functional
The records show that the bulldozers have been officially approved for use as an aerial work platform, crane, lifter and excavator. You could say that these four red machines are extremely multifunctional, not just in practice, but also on paper. Just as Vroom had envisaged it.
