McNeilus hatches concrete plans for a UK Revolution
Page 9

If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FIVE YEARS AGO, CM reported on a revolutionary new concrete mixer drum made of plastic. Now, the Revolution, from the McNeilus subsidiary of the US manufacturer Oshkosh Corporation, has reached UK building sites.
The composite egg-shaped drum is built by glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) being wound around a polyurethane liner and offers a weight saving of 600kg, compared with a steel drum of the same 8m3 capacity, and with up to twice the service life.
This allows a 32-tonner to carry a full load without the danger of an overload, a risk that forces operators to run at 0.5m1 less than full capacity.
At the time of our original story. Oshkosh predicted a payback time of between eight and 16 months based on US figures.
This first example is being tested by Tarmac contract haulier John Smith, out of its hatching plant at Stancombe near Bristol. Mounted on a Daf lightweight FAD CF75 four-axle chassis, the complete vehicle weighs in at 12,200kg.