Using innovative technologies to deliver affordable, sustainable and quality products to their customers is the hallmark of clay brick manufacturer Claytile, which is why the Babcock range of Volvo construction equipment represented much more than just another brick in the wall when it came to a fleet upgrade.
Claytile is a member of the Heavy Clay Products Group, the largest independent producer of clay building bricks in the Western Cape, with a present production capacity of around 8-million bricks per month and a commitment to producing consistently high quality bricks.
Over the last two and a half years, Claytile has replaced their existing fleet of machinery with five new Volvo machines, supplied by equipment distributors Babcock International Group. Babcock has been the exclusive distributor for Volvo Construction Equipment in southern Africa since 2000.
Babcock’s expert, local knowledge, reliable availability of parts, modern servicing facilities and commitment to after-sales service and support were some of the main reasons why Claytile turned to Babcock when machinery replacement became necessary. Julian De La Hunt, Managing Director of Claytile, says that the company has had a working relationship with Babcock for the past three years and has always been highly satisfied with the service received from Babcock. “Our machinery runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days of the year, so of particular importance to us was the after-sales support provided by Babcock and the high levels of uptime associated with the Volvo brand,” says De La Hunt.
Considering Claytile’s substantial production capacity, it is of utmost importance to the brick producer that any unnecessary downtime is avoided and that replacement components are readily available.
“Our ongoing relationship with Babcock together with the high levels of safety associated with Volvo machinery, and the preventative maintenance procedures offered by Babcock, sealed the deal,” continues De La Hunt. Babcock’s preventative maintenance approach ensures the supply of spare parts and guarantees the possibility of repairing all breakdowns within optimum time, ensuring reliability and sustainability for their customers.
The five Volvo machines purchased by Claytile that are being used in their modern, automated plant are the EC210 excavator to break stockpile for blending and other general work in the factory; the L90F and L120F wheel loaders for loading of raw material; the L150G wheel loader for distance running and loading of materials into the hopper; and the SDLG LG958 for general work.
The Volvo EC210 excavator was a natural choice for Claytile thanks to its industry-leading fuel economy and legendary Volvo cab, while the F-series wheel loaders were selected for their low fuel consumption, quick and easy maintenance and high resale value. The recently improved L120F sports a new generation Volvo HTE 200-transmission, providing smoother shifting and lower fuel consumption, as well as a spacious Care Cab with improved all-round visibility and safety.
The SDLG LG958 is the ideal machine for all purpose work as it is robust, fuel efficient and easy to maintain and repair.
De La Hunt says that the fact that Volvo comes backed by a 175-year heritage and places a strong emphasis on safe, comfortable, productive machines that also minimise environmental impact fell perfectly in line with Claytile’s ethos of being committed to environmentally friendly initiatives. “We utilise waste water and implement energy efficient systems, coupled with limited wastage of end product in order to minimise our carbon footprint on the environment,” he says.
Babcock has a track record of more than 60 years in the construction equipment market with a reputation for unparalleled levels of service and support and a customer focused approach, while around the globe Volvo Construction Equipment is the leading solution for reliable equipment that is backed by Volvo dealers with expert, local knowledge.