The PL CU 60 20, first of a new series of planers that can make roadside gutters in different depths, effectively performed the job in Livigno in the Italian Alps.
The Italian alpine town of Livigno employs various solutions for managing its roads that are in line with specifications of the bordering Swiss canton of Grisons. One solution is to collect rainwater by milling gutters directly into the pavement, a technique that avoids having to lay or cast products as is the practice in many other European countries. And because the gutters are passable by cars and undergo deterioration just like any pavement, they also need to be maintained in order to preserve their characteristics.
Design of the new PL CU series of planers was prompted by an explicit request by contractors Livigno Scavi, who had asked out dealer Tecnomac from Sondrio if they could come up with a solution to make creating and maintaining gutters faster and more precise, a process that until then was relatively long and took the efforts of several workers.
Simex listens to customers
After analyzing the problem, Simex technicians developed a new planer fitting a barrel-shaped drum in the required width that was able to mill to a depth of 450 mm and a maximum width of 500 mm (scaling proportionally down to a 35 mm depth and 450 mm width and a 28 mm depth and 400 mm width) in order to create the curvature that would adhere to the job specifications.
The machine efficiently solved the application problem, as Ivan Longa, president of Livigno Strade explained: “We’ve been users of Simex attachments for years, and their reliability and productivity have always served us well. What we were really struck by, though, was Simex’s swiftness, both in identifying and in providing a solution for an application challenge that until then was forcing us to do much more work to make the gutters, and then later to maintain the existing ones. We’re pleased that our request has led to a new product line that will enhance the already wide array of Simex products.”
A new series is added to a successful range
The new Depending on the model and type of application, the planer can be supplied with drums that reach different depths. In addition, the new Simex PL CU 6020, like all other planers from the CU series, benefits from the technology that has made the PL series set a standard on the market. In fact, due to the patented self-levelling system, the attachment is the only one of its kind that allows milling depth to be kept constant and identical to that programmed, in any condition and independently of its position with respect to the prime mover and of the ground contour; an advantage that translates into higher productivity because it frees the operator of problems related to poor visibility of the work area.
The Simex PL CU 6020 is also fitted with a hydraulic side shift that allows the planer to be used either centrally or laterally to the right, making it possible to mill along curbs, as was the case in Livigno. On request, the attachment is available with Performer, the device that allows the operator to view the optimum pressure to obtain the best performance from the attachment thanks to a self-calibration system that adapts to any type of prime mover.