Allied Drilling for specialised major resurfacing

Success in UK for Cimline Magma 110 Melter/Applicator used for applying hot bituminous materials and sealing joints and cracks in roads, runways and pavements.

The Cimline Magma 110 Melter/Applicator made its It has proved to be considerably faster, more efficient, user friendly, much safer and more cost effective than the traditional sealing method of pouring the very hot liquid from a hand held can or metal fabricated cones.

Sawing and drilling contractor Allied Drilling, specialising in airfield maintenance and runway resurfacing projects, has been using the versatile trailer mounted Cimline Magma110, towed behind a maintenance van, during night-time closure possessions of the airfield.

Allied Drilling, based in Leigh, Lancashire, has been working for main airfield lighting contractor ATG Airports, who are working alongside principle contractor Mansell Airports for Cornwall County Council, core drilling large diameter holes for new runway lights and saw cutting for cables chase runs.

After the saw cutting operation, ATG Airports installs the new cables into the cable slots.

Allied Drilling returns and follows on with the Cimline Magma110, rapidly sealing the chases with polymer modified hot bituminous Armourseal N2 JS joint sealing compound, using the machine's heated flexible hose, wand and adjustable nozzle.

This work is done before the runway is resurfaced.

Once the resurfacing is completed, Allied Drilling returns to the light positions and installs the seating ring housings for the runway lights.

ATG Airports then installs the luminaire along with the necessary electrical switching units.

The new lighting is part of the Transition Project needed by Newquay Cornwall Airport to secure a Civil Aviation Authority Licence during the conversion of the military airfield at RAF St Mawgan to a civilian operated airport and keep it open when the RAF finally cease flying.

The airfield's 2.75km long runway is capable of handling the largest aircraft, including the Boeing 747 and the latest wide bodied double deck Airbus A380.

Expansion of the arrivals and departure hall lounge and facilities to accommodate the increase in flights is also complete.

Allied Drilling is sawing about 15,000m of 15mm wide slots varying in depth from 100mm to 255mm and sealing after the cables have been installed.

"We've been looking for a safer method or machine to replace sealing with hand applied methods," says Allied Drilling contracts manager Rob Brown.

"The Cimline is proving to be an excellent piece of equipment and is so much faster, safer and easier to use than other methods".

"This job would have taken us twice as long to do the sealing with hand applied methods and has saved us a lot of time and money".

"The machine is very easy to operate, and does such a quick, neat job it needs someone constantly loading it with material".

"On some nights, we have been putting over a ton of material through the machine, and when we finish at Newquay the machine is earmarked to go onto other runway resurfacing projects".

"We also foresee it having a major impact on motorways and trunk roads sealing transverse and long horizontal joints".

The Cimline Magma110 is one of a four-model range available in the UK through sole distributor Castellan Group in Milton Keynes.

The company believes the Cimline Magma machines could play a key role in road and airfield construction and maintenance projects".

""I couldn't believe that in 2008, with all the emphasis on site health and safety, that contractors were still using hazardous propane gas fired boilers and running back and forth with a 2 gallon watering can full of hot bitumen to make a sealed joint," says Castellan managing director Colin Jailler".

""I thought there must be a much safer, faster and more productive way of hot sealing joints, cracks and channels and found the Cimline machines in the US, where they have been used for the past 20 years or so".

"The Magma 110 is basically a self contained, 415 litre capacity, indirect heated diesel fired boiler, with a hydraulically driven pump and agitator".

"A diesel hydraulic drive system powers the material agitator and external pump, which circulates the temperature controlled, hot material through a 6m long heated flexible hose to a hand held lance with a variable flow nozzle controlled by the operator".

"The sealant comes in 15kg blocks, which are placed in the machine's heated mixing tank through angled splash proof doors and can be ready for work within 40 minutes of initial start up".

"Emissions are minimal and the operator has far greater control and accuracy of placing the very hot sealant directly where it is needed safely and efficiently.".

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