LMD invests £3.5m to add nine new vacuum excavators to its fleet making it one of the largest in the United Kingdom

LMD Vacuum Excavation has placed orders worth £3.5m for nine vacuum excavators with German manufacturer, MTS. The new vacuum excavators will reinforce LMD’s position as one of the UK’s top providers of vacuum excavation services to construction, utility and highways contractors.

The first of the new machines has already arrived at LMD Vacuum Excavation’s main depot in Staveley, near Chesterfield. The MTS Dino 12 is a 32-ton eight-wheel workhorse, based on a MAN TGGS35.500 chassis. Its specifications include a hydraulically-operated boom that delivers pinpoint accuracy for the excavation nozzle, and a hydrostatic drive feature that enables the nozzle operator to ‘nudge’ the vacuum excavator along without having to get back into the cab. These features enhance the ability to maintain productivity whilst minimising the size of excavation needed.

LMD Vacuum Excavation already has the most flexible vacuum excavation fleet in the UK, including left tip, right tip and high-tip options, the Econic urban vacuum excavator for works in the built-environment, and tracked vacuum excavators that increase the maximum excavation distance from the nozzle to the skip housed in the vacuum excavator’s body to 150m.

The market for vacuum excavation services (also referred to as ‘suction excavation’) is growing strongly across Europe, according to LMD Managing Director, Mick Dysart:

‘There are very few manufacturers of high-performance vacuum excavators. MTS is probably the market leader. The decision to invest £3.5m over the next two years ensures we have the capacity to satisfy the needs of both existing and prospective customers into the future. The new MTS Dino 12 has been immediately put to work to support our projects across the length and breadth of the UK.’