Skip to main content

Dynapac planer improves racing line

A Dynapac PL350T cold planer helped carry out critical demarcation work on the roads used for the famous Isle of Man's TT motorcycle races. It was used to remove the road markings on the isle in the Irish Sea in readiness for the races. The Dynapac machine is equipped with a special micro milling drum which contains 117 bits, compared to the standard 38, spaced at intervals of 3mm as opposed to the conventional 12mm. In addition, to avoid a sharp edge at the sides of the demarcation area, the drum is slight
July 30, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A 206 Dynapac PL350T cold planer helped carry out critical demarcation work on the roads used for the famous Isle of Man's TT motorcycle races. It was used to remove the road markings on the isle in the Irish Sea

in readiness for the races. The Dynapac machine is equipped with a special micro milling drum which contains 117 bits, compared to the standard 38, spaced at intervals of 3mm as opposed to the conventional 12mm.

In addition, to avoid a sharp edge at the sides of the demarcation area, the drum is slightly offset by 1 or 2mm at the edges, although very flat across its 300mm surface. This is essential to avoid any danger to the high-speed bikes.

The planer's additional 600kg of ballast on top of the cutter housing ensures the minimum vibration during milling operations and a much smoother and uniform result.

According to the isle's Department of Transport (DOT) maintenance team, other drums with smaller diameters cannot use the standard bit system, which means the Dynapac bits last approximately four times longer than competing drums as they have to use mini-bits.

The machine offers a huge increase in productivity over the previous and labour-intensive method used for line removal with standard blasting equipment.

The TT fortnight attracts around 40,000 visitors/year, takes months to plan, not least by the island's DOT, both in securing the route for bikes, which hit speeds of over 300km/h, and in ensuring the safety of both riders and spectators. House-fronts, walls, lamp-posts and safety barriers are all protected with air fencing and roundabouts are removed along the highly demanding 60km route.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Trimble’s milling technology wins at Misano World Circuit
    April 4, 2016
    As Europe’s motorcycle racing season gets underway this year, Trimble employees will be avidly following the competitions at one venue in particular – Italy’s Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. A Trimble solution recently helped to efficiently reconstruct the racing surface at Misano, about 14km south-east of the Italian city of Rimini on the eastern Adriatic coast. Since 1991, the racetrack has hosted the World Superbike Championship and, since 2007, the San Marino and Rimini's Coast motorcycle Gran
  • Developments in the concrete pavers market
    February 20, 2012
    The market for concrete pavers continues to fuel research and development into new models writes Mike Woof. The range and breadth of concrete slipforming and paving equipment on the market continues to grow as firms develop new and improved models. Prior to the recent CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 construction equipment show in Las Vegas, some of the best known manufacturers had already announced their new and improved slipforming machines. GOMACO, Guntert & Zimmermann, Power Curbers and Wirtgen all had recent or ne
  • Hydrodemolition equipment helps Swiss bridge rebuild
    December 2, 2014
    A highway bridge in Switzerland has been refurbished with help from hydrodemolition equipment supplied by Aquajet The firm’s latest Rotolance 2500 was used alongside an Aquacutter 710 VE evolution on the Viaduc de Chillon link, above Lake Geneva. The machines were used by Zurich-based hydrodemolition specialist contractor, Walo Hydrodynamik, to remove more than 25,000m³ of concrete deck on the bridge.
  • Asphalt paving review for 2019
    February 12, 2020
    A series of new asphalt pavers have been introduced in 2019