Volvo Construction Equipment, a subsidiary of Sweden’s AB Volvo, has launched a new pipelayer, which can swap booms to convert to a standard excavator.
The PL3005D is powered by a 202bhp Volvo D8H engine and has a 50-tonne lifting capacity. Its superstructure can swing 360°, allowing it to lift pipes and place them anywhere around the machine.
It can operate on slopes of up to 30° and in rugged conditions. Its standard 600mm tracks can also be upgraded to wider 800mm tracks for added stability and lower ground pressure. 
The new 35-tonne tracked pipelayer is also equipped with a load management system (LMS) which uses inputs from hook, boom and base machine-mounted sensors to allow the operator to determine what weight can be safely lifted in any position relative to a slope.
Volvo’s Attachment Management System is also included as standard, which stores up to 18 pre-sets for the use of a variety of attachments, allowing operators to adjust hydraulic flow as standard, and make adjustments to hydraulic pressure as an option.
