In the Cut

Road planing is regarded to be one of the toughest applications a road sweeper will be tasked with. The abrasive nature of the debris makes collection challenging for the sweeping components and the suction system, while the need to accompany a road planer on a job for hours on end tests the endurance of both the machine and the operator. To highlight this machine’s capabilities, Scarab’s Magnum 82 was recently put to work across residential and highway planing sites in Northampton and Derby to tackle cuts that ranged from 120 – 200mm, following a road planer and accompanying tipper trucks.

Scarab is the pioneer of the truck-mounted sweeper powered from a single-engine – and it is this hydrostatic drive system that allows the Magnum 82 to thrive in challenging contractor environments. As well as providing a range of benefits such as reduced weight, increased payload, reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions, this system also provides a number of operator benefits. While on the job site, the operator experienced the machine’s simple joystick control for forward and reverse, which combine with the ease at which fine sweep speed control is maintained, made the task at hand easy so he could fully concentrate on sweeping without fatiguing while working for hours on end.

Naturally, with the logistical challenges that come with organising a convoy of heavy-duty vehicles in a planning application, the Scarab operator was required to approach the work area in specific intervals and from a number of different angles. Thanks to the Magnum 82’s intuitive Door-pod control system, the operator was able to easily switch between single, dual sweep and optional auxiliary sliding brush functions - while also being able to adjust brush speeds, angles and optional down pressure at the same time.

The inclusion of Scarab’s high-speed stainless-steel fan configuration as standard allowed for efficient and effective debris collection, no matter the depth of the cut or the size or shape of the planings. The fan, which operates up to a maximum of 3400rpm, is positioned in the roof of the hopper to provide a short airflow path to deliver exceptional performance, while also reducing noise in-cab for the operator and at ground level for the ground workers.

In this setting, the Magnum 82 was able to offer exceptional on-task endurance thanks to its large 8.2 cubic metre hopper. Made of abrasion and corrosion-resistant stainless steel, the hopper is strong and durable and is the perfect capacity for contractor operations where the machine is required to work continuously for long hours. The machine's hopper capacity was pushed to the limit across multiple sites across the week, and even then, the sweeper continued to effortlessly lift debris from the cut.