The new pipelayer range ... efficient.
Volvo launches new range of pipelayers
01 December 2007
Volvo Construction Equipment has recently launched a new range of pipe-laying equipment targeting customers in the onshore oil and gas industry in the Middle East and other countries.
The product represents the most significant innovation the sector has seen in the past 80 years, according to a spokesman for the manufacturer.
“The patented-design Volvo Pipelayers represent a major technical advancement when compared to traditional tracked tractors with side booms, the basic design of which originated in the 1930s and has changed little since,” he says.
The company is introducing a range of five models, from 20 to 150-tonne lift capacity, originating from a patented adaptation of excavator-based machines combined with modern lifting technology.
“With its excavator configuration, the machines offer a 360-degree swing with full lifting performance and functionality at all radius positions – a solution unattainable with the traditional tractors. Also, the tractors’ side booms are limited to a fixed position, lifting off one side only – with their boom mountings on the outside of the track roller frames, limiting their stability,' he says. “In comparison, our pipelayers have a wider gauge, lower centre of gravity, a lifting platform where the boom is mounted inboard of the track frame, and closer to the machine's centre-line. This combination offers superior stability to work on steep slopes with much higher lift capacities, of up to 29 per cent greater.”
The largest model, PL7015, with its 150-tonne maximum tipping lift capacity, is 41 per cent greater than the largest track-type tractor side boom ever produced. The heavily designed boom, car body, and roller frames provide structural integrity to manage these higher loads,” he adds.
Volvo Pipelayers have significantly longer booms that offer higher hook height for better work positioning – or in working further away from the trench to avoid caving in the side-walls. The boom lengths range from 7.3 m to 11.3 m, depending on model size, compared with typical tractor side booms of 6.1 m to 8.5 m.
These machines are fitted with a modern on-board load management system (LMS) that enables the operator to see what he can safely pick up depending on the angle of the boom, the cab’s position relative to the tracks and the incline on which the machine is operating. Load charts are constantly updated for 360-degree rotation and infinite machine geometries up to a 35-degree grade slope. The system compares these to current operating conditions via a graphic display on a monitor in the cab, including a wide variety of warnings and operational aids. Load-indicating light bars, located on the boom tips, provide visible warning to the operator, adjacent operators and ground personnel alike to optimise safety and site management. The LMS is a major improvement over traditional side booms that have only been rated on flat level ground and not generally had on-board monitoring, the spokesman points out.
Volvo Pipelayers are equipped with an anti-two-block device as standard, improving safety with auto kick-out at full lift.
Visibility is substantially improved, thanks to both elevated cabs and an asymmetric boom design. This provides greater safety when working with personnel on the ground and/or in the trench. Their wide gauge also allows the straddling of the trench if this suits the project layout.
The spokesman continues: “Because of their inability to swing, positioning the load with tractor-based side booms often requires jockeying the entire machine by twisting and turning the tracks. This positioning method is both time-consuming, inaccurate, and can be unsafe. The Volvo Pipelayers, meanwhile, position the load smoothly by simply swinging the upper structure – just like an excavator. The result is precise, efficient load positioning that increases both productivity and safety. These machines also feature a mechanical, upper structure swing lock for working on severe grades.”
The excavator undercarriage system allows for counter rotation of the tracks for easy positioning and directional changes. High ground clearance ensures the ability to work in rugged terrain and muddy conditions. To ensure a solid footing, in most conditions, both single and double grouser shoes are available.
“One of the key benefits of the new Volvo Pipelayers is the cost-saving versatility of their design. Conventional side booms, traditionally built on a heavily modified track-type tractor platforms, cannot be adapted for other uses whilst the Volvo Pipelayers, thanks to their excavator platform, are multi-purpose machines.
“When not being used for pipe laying, these machines can be quickly converted into a high production excavator or used as a crane in a variety of applications where their heavy lift capability can be brought into play,” he says.
Rounding out the versatility of the Volvo Pipelayers is their ease of transportation, a factor that often limits optimum machine size selection on a project or in anticipation of future projects. Larger models of the machine – where transport is an issue – are designed with variable gauge or easily removable track side frames, counterweights and booms. This allows disassembly to roadable weight modules.
Volvo Pipelayers can self-disassemble and reassemble totally independently without the need for other lifting machine assistance and the whole process can be completed in less than one hour. This ease of transportation lowers the cost of ownership over the lifetime of the machine, the spokesman says.
Finally, rather than providing a 'perch' that is exposed to the weather – typical of conventional side booms – Volvo Pipelayers feature the Care Cab, well known for its spaciousness, excellent visibility, ergonomic controls and climate control. These features increase operator comfort, which are very important in demanding pipeline projects where site conditions can be extremely harsh, he concludes.
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