Ammann Group Offers APH 65/85 Hydrostatic Vibratory Plate Compactor

The APH 65/85 hydrostatic vibratory plate compactor from Ammann Group, Langenthal, Switzerland, offers a patented triple-shaft exciter system for consistent plate movement and Ammann Orbitrol steering to control the adjustment of the centrifugal weights.

The plate compactor has a fully hydrostatic drive system to eliminate the need for a V belt or centrifugal clutch and offers a standard hand guide that is isolated to minimize hand-arm vibration. Ammann Group provided this case study to give you more information.

L. Gasser & Co AG Civil Engineering, based in Zurich, specializes in smaller construction projects and therefore relies greatly on vibratory plates for their compaction tasks. The main jobsite challenge the company faced was maintenance of these machines. They required a great deal of servicing, which drove up ownership costs and often made them unavailable when needed.

L. Gasser, a third-generation, family-owned business, recently turned to the Ammann APH 65/85 hydrostatic vibratory plate compactor to reduce maintenance issues and to provide compaction power. A roller is often too large to be used on the company’s projects. The jobsites often require vibratory plates that have good compaction output and cover ground quickly, yet still fit on the smaller projects.

L. Gasser put the Ammann compactor to work on a refurbishing project on “Im Wiesenbeetli” in Zurich. The sub-grade layers had been prepared the week prior, and the Ammann machine excelled at compacting gravel for the surface layer. A few days later the crew used the APH to compact a trench for the water supply to a new building complex. The APH fit nicely in the tight trench, which was 2 metres deep and 1 metre wide. The plate first compacted a 1-metre-deep layer of fill material. Another metre of material was then placed, and the APH compacted that layer, closing the trench.

The narrow width allowed only a plate compactor to access the trench, yet great force was needed to compact such deep layers. The APH 65/85 plate offered the compaction performance needed thanks to the unique triple-shaft exciter system. The compactor has a working width of 700 mm (27.6 in) with standard extension plates.

The crew, led by foreman Amit Ismaili, appreciated the machine’s compaction performance as well as its ease of operation and precise steering, which are essential on tight jobsites.

“The compaction power of the plate is exceptional,” Ismaili said. “It helps us to compact the deep layers in fewer passes.” In addition, the plate is designed to minimize the amount of unwanted vibration that reaches the operator, reducing stress and the risk of injury.

But performance, control and comfort were only part of the equation. The L. Gasser management team was concerned about maintenance needs and the associated costs.

They quickly learned that Ammann compactors are engineered to lessen downtime. Ammann APH plates feature a hydraulic system that drives the machines without a V belt, eliminating the wear and maintenance costs of the component. Other key parts of the Ammann compactor are maintenance-free. Fluid intervals are extensive, too, reducing costs for the acquistion of new fluids and the disposal of the old.

Source: Ammann Group

For more information, contact Massimo.Mezzofanti@ammann.com or info.aaa@ammann.com.