The Volvo PL3005D is a mid-range machine

It’s barely been two years since Volvo unveiled the PL4608 and PL4611 pipelayers into the Middle East market boasting its state of the art load management system (LMS) giving the operator unprecedented information on the stresses being forced on the machine.

The Swedish manufacturer is currently rolling out a lighter version of the pipelayer that takes on the advances of the other machines but offering middle weight flexibility and grace.

At its recent product show in Lorient, France, the PL3005D was almost conspicuous by its absence from the typical dancing digging – or should that be vaulting Volvo-ing? – that introduce the range, and was saved for a few intrepid hacks to pour over after the main event had finished.

However the design and work into the model is clearly not an afterthought.

The pipelayer remains an excavator at heart and shares much in common with its excavator brethren in the range (think of it as a swinging version of the EC300D or ECR305C).

When other manufacturers are happy to settle with using bulldozers as their base model, then the company is onto something with offering more manoeuvrability on the ground.

Again we have a model that is based on providing 360-degree coverage for the operator, it has the longer undercarriage which offset by a counterweight that gives it its stability and 50t tipping capacity rating.

Volvo estimates that half of the projects in the world have a requirement for this size, and the Middle East is among its target markets.
While it may sound large, up close it is surprisingly narrow, nudging just over 3m in width. Although its tracks measure up to 750mm, it is still easy to imagine that this machine is not only built to hold its own but also to be placed on to a truck for transportation.

It is worth mentioning that the model CMME got up close and personal to, was packing a Tier 4i / EU Stage IIIB engine, but Volvo are targeting the global market with the machine and like Latin America, Russia and China, the Middle East is sure to be sent on Tier 2s.

While it may not necessarily sway some buyers, the machines are also able to be de-rigged and turned back into an excavator over night. Volvo is supplying kits to those that want them but be warned this is no operator in the field job as it requires two mechanics.

The middle weight seems a much more viable alternative for those looking for value with a machine that does two jobs. Even if we’re talking sticking to simple pipelaying then a machine that can dig a trench, lay a pipe and not cost the earth, could be rather tempting for some.
Factory-installed hydraulic lines and connections, and the optimised hydraulic system, ensure there is no loss in performance when compared with a standard excavator model, claims Volvo. (With the pipelayer boom it can also handle other applications requiring heavy lift capability.)

One of the interesting considerations that Volvo is placing into its pipelayer ranges is that of visibility, and this extends all the way out onto the 7m-plus boom.

At 7.5m it provides a higher hook height and longer reach than previous models opening up a better field of view for the operation. Volvo says that it can also offer a 1.8m boom extension as an option which improves or allows for pipe unloading, stacking operations and tie-in operations.
Basing it on an excavator and the 360-degree swing capability that infers, means that that the boom extension can be folded away if needed.

The Swedish company is especially proud of the LMS, partly because it can improve productivity but you sense it also makes a neat fit for its traditional USP safety.

It should be noted that the cabin has been tweaked improving robustness as well as visibility. The pipelayer also comes with a four bar hydraulic cab riser system that can give an extra 496 mm once the machine is unpackaged after transportation.

(There is also an optional falling object guard (FOG) which must be factory installed. While the roll over protective structure (ROPS) improves operator safety, you suspect that in the largely flat and open expanses of the Middle East it may prove not to be a popular upgrade.)

But anyway moving back to the load management system (LMS). As before this uses sensors dotted under, on the side and on the boom to provide data on the orientation and the position of the boom and load.

According to Volvo the wireless sensors continuously monitor the boom angle, machine orientation and inclination while relaying the information to the operator.

Mounted to the right of the operator the displays shows both graphically and numerically the machine’s situation. But in what must be a first it also combines them with sound and lights that indicates whether there is any danger imminent.

The cost aside, surely this is something that should be welcomed in this region where machines are frequently taken to the limit by careless operators?
The lights are also on the boom as well so the guy whose job it is to give instructions and make sure the pipe goes in the trench also knows whether something is awry.

Both operator and foreman then can see the same system of lights – which range from green through amber to red – as well as other operators. This is a terrifically simple and sensible idea.

A free swing function disengages the slew brake allowing the superstructure to self-centre. The flag block pivots right and left, enabling the load self-centre and prevent damage to the wire rope through chafing.

The mechanical anti-two block system, with a wireless sensor, avoids damage by preventing the winch blocks from coming into contact during lifting.
To ensure better load controllability during simultaneous travel/lifting operations, a mode switch enables split pump flow. Selecting combined pump flow provides maximum performance when travelling or in stationary pipelaying operations. The ‘Fine’ mode gives high pressure and low flow for maximum lifting power, while also lowering fuel consumption.

Throw in cost savings such as the fact that it has 80% spare parts commonality with Volvo’s excavators, the PL3005D should find a niche for itself even in the settled market of the Middle East. Anyone looking for flexibility in their fleet and are willing to pay more for it should consider it.