The purchase is part of a group of eight sets of MTS Suction Systems UK equipment being fitted to new Mercedes-Benz trucks supplied by Orwell Truck & Van.
MTS, which has a sales headquarters in Ely, Cambridgeshire, ordered the seven 32-tonne Arocs 3251 ENAs and a single 26-tonne Econic 2635 L ENA from dealer Orwell鈥檚 Newmarket branch. The trucks are being fitted with their bodies and ancillary equipment at MTS Suction Systems鈥� production facility in Germersheim, southern Germany.
The first Arocs, a left-hand drive version, is now in service with suction excavation specialist Vac-Ex of Doncaster. Vac-Ex is also due to receive another two, identical trucks before the end of the year.
The remaining four Arocs have all been specified in right-hand drive form, for use by a multinational infrastructure group.
The Econic has been built for another specialist operator of suction excavation equipment, which is based in Chesterfield. This company chose the low-entry chassis for its direct vision safety credentials, and is looking forward to the arrival of its new truck later this month.
MTS Suction Systems UK鈥檚 managing director Russell Fairhurst said: 鈥淲e are client-led when it comes to vehicle marque, and this is the first time we鈥檝e sourced Mercedes-Benz chassis here in the UK, rather than from Germany. The experience of working with Orwell Truck & Van has been entirely positive.鈥�
The company said that vehicles built by MTS Suction Systems typically cost between 拢350,000 and 拢400,000 apiece, so represent high-value investments. 鈥淒espite this, the explosion over recent years in the use of fibre optics and other underground services mean the company鈥檚 vacuum excavators are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional machinery such as mini-diggers, and even shovels,鈥� it said. 鈥淣ot only do they offer protection from injury for operatives who might otherwise hit live electricity cables or other utilities beneath the ground, but they also help contractors to minimise the risk of incurring potentially crippling fines for damaging infrastructure.鈥�
The surface of the footpath or roadway is first disturbed by a conventional road breaker 鈥� the new trucks all carry one. A compressed air lance is then used to further agitate and loosen the ground, before the debris is removed via a 250mm-diameter suction hose.
The suction hoses are capable of picking up 75kg rocks the size of footballs, while an automated self-cleaning filtration system limits the amount of dust that escapes into the atmosphere.
As well as being non-destructive, suction excavation allows for very rapid removal of spoil 鈥� according to Vac-Ex, it is up to five times faster than digging by hand, and offers the capability to excavate very narrow and deep holes or trenches. 聽
鈥淲e used to be happy to sell two or three suction excavators per year, but we鈥檙e looking at between 25-30 now,鈥� said Fairhurst. 鈥淭he capital cost means this equipment will never replace conventional methods altogether, but for areas with high concentrations of underground services the benefits in terms of health and safety, and damage-free operations, are compelling.鈥�
Vac-Ex proprietor John Mee said: 鈥淲e run a mixed-marque fleet currently, but moving forward will only be buying Mercedes-Benz trucks. The three-pointed star conveys an image of quality and professionalism, while experience has proved the Arocs to be exceptionally reliable and cost-effective to operate. The manufacturer鈥檚 contract maintenance provision also represents very good value, and the back-up we receive from our local Dealer is first class.鈥�
Mee鈥檚 company was trading under another name when it purchased its first suction excavator, which was also one of the UK鈥檚 first MTS-built vehicles, 12 years ago. 鈥淲e knew the risks associated with working in the vicinity of underground services and felt this was the right way forward,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚t鈥檚 proved to have been a wise decision.鈥�
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