Leedale Adds HL960A Wheel Loader To Recycling Fleet

Construction waste management and material recycling specialist Leedale, has put an HD Hyundai HL960A wheel loader at the centre of its growing fleet of machinery. The Alfreton, Derbyshire-based business, which was formed 35 years ago by Lee Walkup, delivers a complete demolition waste management and haulage service to contractors across the North Midlands, taking in waste material to a central operating base.

The company sorts, crushes and screens waste material from contractors, builders and landscapers, creating a range of marketable recycled materials, from MOT Type 1 aggregate, to topsoil. At present, all of this material is recycled within the Alfreton head office site, though Managing Director Oliver Walkup has plans to develop a network of satellite recycling yards around the main Derbyshire operation.

“We only work within a 50-mile radius and we are based just off the M1 motorway, so we can go North and South effectively,” he said.

The company operates a fleet of more than 80 road-going trucks, that transport the material to and from the recycling yard. The road fleet includes tippers, grab lorries, sweepers and general haulage vehicles. Leedale also has a growing number of crawler excavators and wheel loaders, along with specialist crushing and screening machinery. Having invested in its first HD Hyundai in 2021, through local dealer Willowbrook Plant, the company has now moved exclusively to the manufacturer for its loading equipment.

It has excavators from 1-30 tonnes operating weight and the HD Hyundai fleet includes two HX130A LCR crawlers, two HX140A L models, one 30-tonne HX300A L and the new HL960A wheel loader. While the excavators are primarily used to feed crushers and screens, the wheel loader is kept busy stockpiling material within the recycling operation and keeping the unloading areas clear for tipper trucks. The firm employs two separate crushing plants and two screens to process the waste.

Leedale moved from an alternative machinery supplier three years ago, having experienced the exceptional level of service and machine supply available from Northamptonshire-based Willowbrook Plant.

“It’s all down to the relationship that we have with Willowbrook’s Sales Director Andy Greensmith,” said Mr Walkup.

“They are really on the ball, whenever we need additional machinery. We have to be reactive to the market and sometimes need new machinery at short notice. Willowbrook is always there to provide the equipment that we require.”

While Leedale has a team of engineers for the truck fleet, the company outsources the service and maintenance of the HD Hyundai machinery. It has been particularly impressed with HD Hyundai’s Hi-MATE telematic monitoring system, that provides a real-time update of machine health, location and performance.

“We use the Hi-MATE system all of the time,” said Mr Walkup. “We monitor fuel consumption, service requirements and operating faults. Recently we found a machine with six fault codes through Hi-MATE. Willowbrook was on site within the same day and they managed to fix all of the problems. It’s a really great system.”

With a constant supply of material available, the fleet of HD Hyundai machinery is kept permanently busy. That said, the new HL960A loader replaced a slightly larger HL970A, as the 19.5-tonne model provides a better fit for the Alfreton operation, while providing the same levels of productivity. Powered by a Stage V 168kW (225hp) Cummins B6.7 diesel engine, the HL960A has been designed to work with 2.9-3.3m³ buckets, depending on material weight.

All HD Hyundai loaders are available with the firm’s Advanced Around View Monitoring (AAVM) system, offering the operator a complete field of vision around the machine. The system incorporates Intelligent Moving Object Detection (IMOD) and the loader has a reverse drive radar, to detect obstacles in all light conditions.

The Hi-MATE telematic system allows machine owners to monitor their machinery remotely via a dedicated website or on a mobile app, providing access to diagnostics and working parameters such as engine hours, actual working hours and fuel consumption.

Leedale is operating a three-year replacement cycle for its machinery and, as the company continues to expand and develop its service to the wider construction sector, Mr Walkup will be looking for additional equipment to meet those customer needs. There seems little doubt that any new excavators and loaders will be supplied and supported by Willowbrook Plant and HD Hyundai.

To find out more about the Hyundai A-Series, visit www.hyundai-ce.eu