Rolling up in the world with CA35D

The compact CA35D vibratory roller is suitable for a wide range of projects from major roads to pipe trenches.

Dynapac’s CA35D vibratory roller has the ability to help small businesses scale up with its high compacting power and low-cost operations. Roads & Infrastructure explains.

Two years ago, Sydney based civil construction company, T&I Civil, were in the market for a new vibratory roller. Having just started the business, owners and brothers Ilhan and Tolga Cengiz were searching for equipment that was reliable and would save them money in the long-term.

After an extensive period of research and trialling, T&I Civil chose Dynapac’s new CA35D vibratory roller.

“Working in the industry for more than ten years, we already recognised Dynapac as a top brand in the compaction and rolling market,” says IIhan Cengiz.

The Swedish designed CA35D is capable of completing a wide range of projects from major road to pipe trenches due to its compact design, yet high compaction power that comes from its 30-millimetre (mm) thick drum and optimised compaction parameters.

“We’ve really benefitted from the CA35 due to its strong compaction performance, part of that is a thicker drum skin than you would see on a standard vibratory roller. Because the drum shell is the part that is exposed to the most wear, having a thicker drum gives greater compaction power and increases wear life of the machine,” says Cengiz.

A thicker drum means higher compaction power and better maneuverability.

With an operating weight of 12300 kilograms and sitting at 5600 mm in length and 2890 mm in height, the CA35D is a compact designed vibratory roller that still packs a punch.

“With the thickness of the drum and the size of the machine, we can actually use the machine for a range of different tasks,” says Cengiz.

“When we’re doing minor earthworks, we can still achieve the same soil compaction effect as a larger roller due to the compaction power and it saves us money as we don’t have to hire another machine in.”

Intuitive design

Cengiz also reports finding the CA35D very easy to operate.

“The controls are really intuitive on the CA35D with a Compaction Meter System that helps our operators realise when optimum compaction has been reached.”

The meter system can also detect fragile areas in the compaction that can help increase the quality of work and decrease recompacting later down the track. Ergonomic features such as an air-conditioned cab, rotating suspension seat and vibration dampened platform have been added for operator comfort.

The CA35D has also been designed to give the operator a bird’s eye view of the area being compacted and the entire worksite as a whole.

Cengiz cites a recent industrial estate in Sydney where this was highly beneficial.

“During this project, we had certain areas where we had to compact gravel close to, or up against walls, so the visibility of the CA35D actually helped because we were able to see how close we were and work around things.”

Fuel efficient

But to T&I Civil, it is also about the reliability and fuel efficiencies of the machine.

“The daily servicing of the machine is also a lot easier since the bonnet open’s upwards on gas struts and doesn’t need any manual hydraulic pumping, this helps with accessing the machine’s components,” adds Cengiz.

The fuel efficiencies found in the CA35D are due to Dynapac’s Efficiency Eccentrics system, a novel method of designing the machine’s eccentric weight to optimise fuel efficiency.

This improvement sees the shape of the eccentric weight change, resulting in less weight counteracting the machine when the vibration is starting up. The result is two-fold, a lower energy consumption when initiating the vibration which allows for a decrease in engine size. All of this while maintaining the same compaction performance as the previous weight design.

“That was one of the driving factors for us,” says Cengiz. “Because fuel consumption adds up to a huge cost when you look at it over a long period of time.”

Dyn@link data

Another defining feature of the CA35D, is the Dyn@link telemetry system. The Dyn@link system records live machine data on the run and sends the data back to a system which can be viewed on any devise with an internet connection. Dyn@link can even be installed on machines made by other manufacturers, aiding with fleet visibility, control and maintenance.

“The data is really useful for us to keep track of the machines, including how many hours it has clocked and where it’s located for both security and maintenance,” says Cengiz.

The location of each machine can be sent to the owners, with an ability to set up geo-fences that send an alert if a machine leaves a defined perimeter.

Machine parameters such as fuel consumption, engine load, coolant temperature and machine error codes are also regularly updated, allowing for greater owner visibility of on-site problems leading to better trouble shooting and productivity.

“It is something that’s easier for us in the office to keep track of, rather than travelling out to ensure everything is ok,” says Cengiz.

And coming from a small business, Cengiz is one who appreciates the time and cost savings afforded by this data.

“The data tells us a lot about the economics of the machine itself and at what point the machine is costing us more, whether it’s repairs or fuel consumption. And at the end of the day, we are in the industry to make money, so that definitely helps.”

This data also plays a key role in improving safety for T&I Civil.

“If there’s something wrong with the machine or a problem that comes up consistently when we do our daily pre-starts, we know we need to fix it before anything happens,” explains Cengiz.

“Another cool safety feature is the operator seat interlock. If it doesn’t feel the operator’s weight on the seat while being operated, it automatically stops [the machine].”

“All these features are really important, especially when working on high-profile projects like T&I Civil does,” says Cengiz.

Scaling up

With the CA35D providing the power needed for larger ventures, Cengiz reports a shift towards grander commercial warehouse projects.

“The CA35D provides the power of a larger machine without having to upgrade anything, so it has actually opened up another market for us with the capacity to take on these bigger jobs,” says Cengiz.

“It has also given us the production abilities that we need to keep up with the sites’ budgets and economics.”

To Cengiz, Dynapac has been changing industry norms for a long time.

“I honestly think they are at the fore front, the fact that they have the telemetry system makes a big difference for us in our ability to expand further without having to spend the time to go out and actually inspect the machine.”

According to Cengiz, what Dynapac provides from a managerial perspective is peace of mind.

“They’ve combined that electronic and old school approach in one machine, and everything the CA35D has provided has given us the confidence in that decision we made two years ago to go with Dynapac.”

This article was originally published in the July edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.