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

  • Speed and precision make for perfect tunnelling combination
    May 21, 2014
    Speed and precision have been the hallmarks of a number of major road tunnelling projects across the globe over the last 12 months, as the latest sector equipment from leading manufacturers has found itself in high demand. Guy Woodford reports Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines (TBM) have been busy tunnelling under major Chinese rivers, demonstrating phenomenal speed, top safety levels and extreme precision while playing a key role in the construction of road tunnels in the Yangtze River Delta. The Yang
  • Difficult terrain in Ostend
    September 1, 2022

     

    Soil stabilisation with the BOMAG RS 300 tractor-towed stabilizer.

    In the Belgian city of Ostend, soil stabilisation with lime was required for 4,000 square metres of future industrial space. The Verhelst Aannemingen company was commissioned to carry out the work. The Ostend-based family business used the BOMAG RS 300 tractor-towed stabilizer for the first time.

  • Improving road safety in Europe?
    July 24, 2012
    New plans by the European Commission are being proposed in a bid to reduce accident levels on the road. The changes are being made in a bid to reduce accident levels caused by defective vehicles. Under the new rules, all motorcycles and scooters would require technical inspections at regular intervals.
  • Recycled asphalt cuts costs, maximises performance
    February 10, 2012
    The need to maximise road performance and cut costs has resulted in Indonesian contractors being keen to adopt cold recycling methods