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Atlas Copco rolls out Dynapac soil compactors

November 24, 2014, Commerce City, Colo. – Atlas Copco has
introduced its CA1300 and CA1500 single-drum soil rollers for high maneuverability
and visibility on parking lot, road, utility pipe and street projects. The new
CA1500 roller features Atlas Copco’s exclusive Active Bouncing Control (ABC), a
cross-mounted Tier 4 Interim or Tier 4 Final engine and steel blades that
improve compaction, safety and visibility.

November 24, 2014, Commerce City, Colo. – Atlas Copco has
introduced its CA1300 and CA1500 single-drum soil rollers for high maneuverability
and visibility on parking lot, road, utility pipe and street projects. The new
CA1500 roller features Atlas Copco’s exclusive Active Bouncing Control (ABC), a
cross-mounted Tier 4 Interim or Tier 4 Final engine and steel blades that
improve compaction, safety and visibility.

The engines on the CA1300 and CA1500 are cross-mounted, or
placed perpendicular to the frames, which is an industry first. The rollers’
hydraulic pumps are also in line with the engine. This allows users to reach
all the necessary components on the engines and hydraulic pumps for fast and
easy service and maintenance. And because the engines are cross-mounted rather
than parallel to the frame, they provide optimal weight distribution and
contribute to the units’ minimal footprint.

The CA1300 features a Tier 4 Final, 75-horsepower Kubota
diesel engine, and the CA1500 uses a Tier IV Interim, 100-horsepower Cummins
diesel engine. Both have top-mounted, cool air intakes with side vents that
combine with the ejector exhaust outlet to minimize engine noise and prevent
dust from being sucked into the engine compartment, which is a common
occurrence on soil compaction sites.

The rollers’ high static linear loads make them ideal for
compacting a range of materials, from clay to rock fill. The CA1300 features a
static linear load of 73 pounds per linear inch (PLI), and the CA1500 has 112
PLI. The compaction power is transferred through the rollers’ drums to
efficiently compact soil with minimal passes. 

The CA1300’s 54-inch drum and the CA1500’s 66-inch drum give
operators optimal visibility and allow them to maneuver into tight workspaces,
such as pipe trenches or road shoulders. “With high visibility, operators can
monitor the drums and keep an eye out for nearby workers,” said Vijayakumar
Palanisamy, Atlas Copco Dynapac product marketing manager. “This means
operators don’t need to sacrifice productivity or safety when working on
cramped worksites.”

Atlas Copco’s ABC system, an optional feature for the CA1500
through CA6500 models, prevents operators from over-compacting the soil, which
can damage the rollers. Once soil reaches its maximum density, further
vibrations from the roller begin to travel back into the machines. This double
jumping can crack drums and cause premature fatigue damage to the rollers’
frame, hitch and other structural components, which are expensive and time
consuming to replace. The optional ABC system helps protect the frame and drum
by detecting double jumping as soon as it begins to occur and shutting off the
roller’ vibration.

“We created our exclusive ABC system specifically to help
contractors get the most life from their compactors by minimizing a main cause
for roller repairs,” Palanisamy said. “Without double jumping, the equipment
stays in the field longer; compaction is more efficient; and the ROIs are
greater.”

The service alert systems and easy-access engines allow
contractors to service and maintain the rollers on the worksite without taking
them to a shop. The service interval alert in the instrumentation display
indicates when and what type of maintenance is required.

Optional strike-off blades help the rollers’ consistency by
removing oversized rocks and obstacles in front of the thick drum shells. The
blades have an innovative, divided profile that efficiently pushes out rocks,
which can break up compacted soils. All Atlas Copco pad foot rollers are fitted
with heavy-duty drum scrapers to keep the drums clear of clay and mud to ensure
consistent compaction.

For environmentally sensitive worksites, the rollers feature
Atlas Copco’s ECO Mode, an rpm-management system. The system reduces fuel
consumption as much as 20 percent by delivering to the rollers only the amount
of power that is necessary to operate at any given time. It is standard on the
CA1300 and is also included with the Antispin/ECO Traction Systems for the
CA1500 through CA6500 models.

Atlas Copco’s speed limiter makes it easy for the operator
to reach consistent speeds in the CA1500 through CA6500 models. With a speed
limiter setting, the operator sets the desired speed in the controls and pushes
the joystick completely forward to quickly and accurately achieve the same compaction
speed every time.