Volvo Construction Equipment (VCE) dealer CJD Equipment recently opened its new New South Wales branch at Smeaton Grange. The function was attended by VCE International AB’s president Rune Lundberg and CJD founders Ron Rafferty (md) and Rob Jowett (gm-sales).
The branch represents a significant commitment to its national dealer network by CJD, as it continues to build on its strong Western Australian base.
The branch opening was also a fitting occasion to unveil the new Volvo B71 backhoe loader, the B series graders and a number of new E series wheel loaders.
The B71 represents a significant broadening of Volvo’s compact equipment range, which includes mini excavators that are not currently marketed in Australia, and skid steer loaders and telescopic handlers that will be added within the next year.
It was developed from the ground up by a Volvo design team that worked with users from 1998, and the B71 is now manufactured in a dedicated factory in Poland. It features a 70kW Volvo engine, extended service intervals, a curved S-shape boom with durable cast iron pivot and base, and a choice of mechanical or hydraulic bucket quick hitches.
The roomy cab is easy to enter, and has a fully adjustable suspension seat and tiltable steering wheel. A joystick servo control makes life easy for the operator.
The B-series graders all use variable horsepower Volvo engines and fully sequential direct drive transmissions, with tandem drive models varying between 110kW and 157kW, and an all wheel drive model of 148/175kW. There are eight forward and four reverse speeds, and a lock-up final drive.
The high capacity variable displacement hydraulic system has greatly improved hydraulic response and reliability. The combination of this hydraulic system and the engine that delivers high torque at low revs gives the operator full hydraulic control even at low revs in first gear. The graders are claimed to deliver the best blade down pressure and blade pull in their class.
The all wheel drive graders have three modes: tandem drive, all wheel drive and ‘creep mode’ using the front wheel drive only, for an infinitely variable ground speed of 0-3.2 km/hr, allowing the mouldboard to be pulled and thus avoiding scuffing the work behind the blade.
A Contronic monitoring system keeps the operator informed of the status of all operating systems and assists in diagnostics and maintenance management.
The 33t L220E wheel loader is targeted at the quarry industry, and claims to be the most fuel-efficient machine in its class. It boasts a variable flow load-sensing hydraulic system, a 150mm longer wheelbase than previous models, a smooth-shifting transmission, the parallel lift high breakout force Volvo TP-linkage lift arm system, Contronics monitoring system and an optional boom suspension system.
A two-step air filtering system provides a clean operating environment.
Four smaller E-series loaders were recently launched in Sweden, and will come to Australia later this year. These are the L60E, L70E and L90E that share the 6 litre Volvo diesel, and the L110E that shares the 7 litre engine with the existing L120E. All have a load-sensing hydraulic system, TP-linkage system, Automatic Power Shift (APS) transmission system and Contronic monitoring system.