Market leader advances on all fronts

The new boss since the turn of the year of market leading Johnston Sweepers,

Dan Wright, brings a wealth of experience in industrial management to the MD’s

post at Johnston Engineering.

A major customer fitting that bill is the Go Plant Group which has placed a

record order for 70 Johnston 600 Series truck-mounted sweepers, in a deal worth

in excess of £5 million.

This ranks as the largest for Johnston since the MOD bought 55 RS 8000 runway

sweepers in 2000 and brings the total number of Johnston machines ordered by

the Go Plant Group this year alone to 100. The 600 Series sweepers for Go Plant

will be supplied on DAF chassis with production scheduled to begin next month

(August) at the Johnston Sweepers’ plant in Dorking.

One of the Go Plant fleet was featured on the sweeper manufacturer’s stand

at the IWM 2002 Exhibition at Torbay, where Johnston presented its “Complete

Sweeping Solution”.

The UK based manufacturer has based its success in the past on the 600 Series,

recognised internationally as the leader in the truck-mounted sweeper market

but over recent years has broadened its product range substantially through

a series of acquisitions and design innovations. The company now lays claim

to produce the most comprehensive range of outdoor sweeping machines in the

industry, from pedestrian sweepers and litter collectors through to specialist

heavy duty machines.

Innovation on show

The IWM event was the platform for Johnston Sweepers to launch its new 2003

model 5000 Series 4m3 mid-sized sweeper. The 7.5 tonne machine has undergone

a technical makeover for 2003 to improve performance, driver comfort and ease

of operation.

Central to the design enhancements is the introduction of the six-cylinder 100kW

turbocharged EURO 3 engine, engineered to provide high performance and reliability

with low emissions. A four cylinder version of the same engine was introduced

to the Johnston Compact in 1998. As with the Johnston Compact, the new Linde

transmission pump and motor are managed by a simple new Jet controller, which

gives a smooth “automatic” feel to the drive and increases finesse

of control. The device also enables seamless transfer between transit and work

modes.

Among the newly engineered features, Johnston points out, are a simplified

hydraulic system, increasing reliability and serviceability, and a new electronic

sweeper control system with built-in self diagnostics, allowing rapid identification

of servicing needs.

The steering column and power steering box have also been redesigned, giving

a far lighter steering feel than on previous models. All round disc brakes have

been introduced and remote operation of the hopper, rear door and high dump

frame, by means of a pendant control, also figure among the innovations.

The 1,650mm width of the 5000 Series eases access to confined areas, offering

obvious advantages for inner city use. The high dump option allows load discharge

at 1,800mm. Road speed is 80kmph maximising range.

Bagless option for Madvac

At the smaller end of its range Johnston Sweepers introduced new options for

the Madvac PS 300 pedestrian sweeper. The first is a new high side dump system

which raises the litter basket at the touch of a button, and which incorporates

a completely bagless sweeping operation.

The litter basket is lifted by means of a hydraulic scissor lift mechanism,

operated from a switch on the control panel. Once fully raised, the basket can

be tilted over to enable side dump into a refuse sack. As part of the new design

the basket itself has been completely re-engineered to allow a bagless collection

system, which reduces running costs significantly.