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Digger Man

Digger Man Blog

by Nick Drew  |  Mon 21 Sep 2015

100% Hyundai fleet for Hopkinson Waste Management

Hopkinson Waste Management, based in Staveley Derbyshire was established in 1984 by managing director, David Hopkinson. The company is still a ‘family run’ business more than 30-years later with David at the helm.

The group, in addition to skip hire, specialises in waste recycling which is all processed on Hopkinson’s own fully permitted thirty acre site at Slittingmill near Chesterfield. Skips of all sizes are delivered to and processed at this site together with wastes brought in by third party commercial and public organisations, both local and national. Hopkinson's believe that they are one of the largest privately owned waste processors in the area serving South Yorkshire, North and Central Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. A high proportion of the waste processed is bulk inert, requiring modern, reliable and efficient plant. For the mobile plant, Hopkinson's chose a Hyundai machine some time ago, and were so impressed that they have continued to invest in the Hyundai range appropriate to their operations. The excavators and wheeled loaders used on site are all Hyundai machines. Hopkinson Waste has recently added two more machines to its fleet – a 22 tonne R220LC-9A crawler excavator and the latest wheeled loader from Hyundai – the HL960. With the two new additions the company now has a fleet of ten Hyundai machines, which represents an investment of almost £1million. “We purchased our first Hyundai in 2004 which was a HL760-7 wheeled loader.” Said managing director David Hopkinson. “Local dealer EP Industries, based in Alfreton, supplied us with the machine and we have continued to work with them ever since. We really liked the Hyundai product so we continued to invest. They are reliable and are good value for money. I also like the Hyundai’s quality third-party suppliers such as Cummins Engines and ZF Transmissions. Parts are also easy to get hold of and we get a second to none back up service from EP Industries. ” David added, “Our second machine purchase from EP was a 21 tonne 7-series excavator, followed by a 14 tonne 7-series and four 760 wheeled loaders. The 21 tonne R210LC-9A was the first 9 series we bought and we noticed many improvements on the previous models. The Hyundai’s work mainly with highways waste and demolition waste so have to be robust and reliable. With business being busier than ever we decided to buy our biggest excavator yet and invested in the R220LC-9A this was coupled with our very latest purchase of the HL960.” David bought the HL960 without even seeing it or trying it out! “We were in the market for a new loading shovel,” said David “We spoke with Adrian from EP and we read up on the spec of the machine and bought it. This was a big purchase made on confidence in the product and the dealership. So far we have been delighted with the machine the operators say that it’s more powerful than previous models. They also like the ease of operation and the ease of maintenance with the new electronic hood. Another big plus with all the Hyundai machines is the extended warranty of 2yrs/4000hrs – which shows the manufacturers confidence in the product.” The 18tonne 960 was the first in the planned HL series, and will include the HL970, HL975 and HL980. The HL960’s electrically operated engine cover, which also features on the HL955, is a big improvement on the HL 760-9A model. Mechanics on the HL960 do not have to work around several access doors, as on the 760, meaning they have more room for their work and, importantly, they can save time. The new HL960 wheel loader is powered by a Stage IV 168kW Cummins QSB6.7 engine and, with an all-new spacious cabin, is designed to be ergonomic and distinctive with softer and more eye-catching lines. The HL960 is equipped with a standard 3.3m3 bucket which has been upgraded with an additional spill guard and changeable heel plates. Hyundai’s restyled cab is full of better creature comforts and is three to four decibels quieter than the previous version. A new electro-hydraulic joystick built into the adjustable armrest is used for all operations and replaces the previous hydraulic joystick control. A larger 18cm touch screen monitor can be operated even when wearing gloves. New Weighing System The HL Series improves work precision with additional weight calibration. The automatic/manual cumulative weighing function greatly improves operating efficiency. Icons displaying weighing errors and the two-colour weight value indicator on the monitor enable accurate weighing to support efficient production management. Redesigned Buckets Hyundai engineers have also redesigned the wheel loader buckets on the HL series and they now have a better fill factor, an additional spill guard to minimise spillage of loaded materials and changeable heel plates. The HL960 boasts up to 5% greater productivity in comparison to the Dash 9A Series. Green features When operators use the accelerator pedal, the ECO pedal, can distinguish between economical operation and power operation and recognises the economical operation which in turn reduces the fuel consumption. The HL Series turns off the engine when it enters an ‘idling’ state to also minimise unnecessary fuel consumption and emissions. Operators can select operating mode and ‘idling’ time depending on work environments which improves its efficiency even further. The 5 Speed Lock-up Clutch on this machine also aids fuel consumption depending on the working conditions. New Cabin Design The cabins on the new HL machines have been designed with the operators’ safety and comfort in mind. As well as more space in the cabin – there’s a bigger and more comfortable seat with an adjustable arm rest with integrated control levers for attachments. The cabin is also fully sound-proofed which ensures maximum silence (68 dB) when working in noisy environments such as quarries or waste handling depots – the new HL machines benefit from a 4dB reduction in cabin noise over the Dash 9A Series. Ease of maintenance The HL Series has a large-volume air cleaner, an automatic dust ejector and a three-stage turbo pre-cleaner, as an option, to improve the replacement cycle and durability of supplies. The machine also has a fully sealed engine room, designed to prevent the possibility of fire caused by the inflow of ‘foreign materials. A flick of a switch is what it takes to gain complete access to the engine compartment of Hyundai’s new wheel loader. The fully retractable engine hood allows easy cleaning and maintenance.  

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