Constructionshows
Wonju is a popular holiday destination thanks to its picturesque landscape, golf courses and woodland. The beauty is just not skin deep; the region also boasts mineral-rich ground and is a haven for extracting granite.
Wonju is the capital city of Gangwon Province – the north-easternmost province of South Korea that straddles the border with North Korea. In 2018, the region will host the Winter Olympics and preparations are already underway to improve the city’s infrastructure. The coastal region is renowned for its seafood, while further in-land the landscape is enveloped by dense woodland that is rich in mineral resources such as iron, coal, limestone and tungsten.
Doo Won Development is a quarry site that blasts, crushes and mixes granite from the steep mountainous slopes on the outskirts of Wonju to produce crushed aggregate. The stone is 19mm, 25mm and 40mm, sizes used in the production of ready mix concrete most destined for government construction projects, including railways and roads. The site was purchased in 2008 and now employs 55 people, operating a fleet of Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) machines to extract and process 550 tonnes a hour and load over 200 trucks a day.
Best of both worlds
The site’s president, Kang Peom Hee, purchased a Volvo L180 G-series wheel loader fitted with a 5.8m3 rehandling bucket that is optimized in shape and larger than the 4.6m3 general purpose bucket. This, coupled with the boom suspension and rehandling counterweight, provides faster filling times, a higher fill factor and up to 10% improved fuel efficiency.
In addition to the rehandler, the site also operates two other Volvo wheel loaders – an L150 G-Series previous generation and an L220F-Series – to load the crushed aggregate onto trucks. Eight Volvo excavators ranging from 29 to 48 tonnes also feature in the lineup, handling the large blasted rock inside the quarry. The boulders are loaded onto trucks and transported to the crushing plant.
Steep learning comes
The steep slopes surrounding the Doo Won Development quarry can be difficult to navigate, especially during the snowy winter months, but Kang is pleased with his fleet’s performance throughout the year. He says: “During the winter, we sometimes face problems with our conveyor belt seizing up – but our construction equipment keeps on running. We experience impressive uptime with our Volvo machines – they’re very reliable and we get great support from our local dealer.”
The local Volvo CE dealer is situated just a stone’s throw from the site and offers Doo Won Development on-site service and maintenance support, as well as spare parts. “For me, the most important factor when buying machinery is the relationship I have with the local branch,” Kang continues. “I’m satisfied with the support we receive – and even Volvo’s international call center regularly contacts me to ensure we’re happy with everything, while the local technicians come to our site to check the equipment.”
Thanks to the CareTrack telematics system the Wonju-based Volvo branch has access to the fleet’s machine data in order to remotely monitor service intervals and fault alarms so that a technician can be available to attend to a problem or service issue, immediately. “The service checks are always carried out on time,” says Kang. “In comparison to other equipment we’ve use, Volvo machines have virtually no downtime.”
No rest for the reliable
Seo Jong San has operated wheel loaders for over 21 years, and currently operates an L220F at the Doo Won site. He says: “The axle and other driving components last very well. But most impressive is the machine’s fuel consumption, which is up to six liters per hour lower than other brands, depending on the application.” For Doo Won Development, the math is simple when comparing Volvo to other brands.
Seo operates the wheel loader for 10 hours per day all year round and appreciates the additional finishing touches that Volvo adds inside its cab to keep operators comfortable. “I find the Volvo machines comfortable and stable to operate – which makes it a more enjoyable ride for me,” he says.
The Doo Won Development has a target of producing 1.1 million cubic meters of crushed aggregate during 2014 – a 10% increase from 2013. With production continuing to ramp up, the site’s president plans to purchase more equipment for his site. “I’m very happy with the support I receive from Volvo CE, and I see our relationship continuing long into the future thanks to the equipment’s high resale value and uptime,” Kang says.
Source: Volvo CE
