With Malaysia’s pothole problem worsening due to various movement control orders during the last two years, this new machine has been developed specifically to give local authorities and road contractors a single machine solution to costly pothole repair work.

The new 3CX Potholemaster offers a rapid, mobile and safe solution for tackling the growing road maintenance challenge. Its compact dimensions and manoeuvrability enable operation on narrow lanes or congested urban areas – so it can repair pothole damage with less disruption to the public and in restricted locations which would be challenging for larger equipment.

Equipped with an excavator-mounted patch planer and a sweeper shovel located on the front loader arms, the 3CX Potholemaster is capable of rapid travels speeds of 40km/h.

This offers local authorities and road contractors a fast, self-deployable machine that can cover the significant territory. Its extreme versatility and the fleet management functionality of JCB’s Livelink telematics system also allow local highway authorities to tangibly demonstrate more effective plant utilisation, a reduction in standing time and increased resource capacity within existing budgets.

Tailor-made for highway repair and maintenance, the 3CX Potholemaster is fitted with a purpose-built patch planer from JCB Attachments that have been hydraulically matched and flow-rated to work specifically with this machine’s high output auxiliary hydraulic service. It is suitable for tarmac applications and provides a smooth and well-prepared working area, ensuring a long-term pothole repair, rather than a temporary solution to the problem.

The front end of the 3CX Potholemaster is equipped with a hydraulic sweeper collector shovel. The overall width, including the hydraulic motor, is within the width of the machine, making it easy for the operator to travel safely on the road.

The sweeper shovel’s enclosed brush, which uses an integrated mix of plastic and wire brushes for maximum durability, provides a clean pick-up of road planings with minimal dust and no risk of material being thrown away from the machine. Unlike conventional sweeper collectors, it has also been designed to allow downward pressure on the brushes to maximise the removal of debris.

One or two passes of the planed area are enough to provide a clean work area that is ready for repair and relaying of asphalt. The brush enclosure also greatly reduces any dust as the shovel is tipped into road tippers, for removal from the site. Furthermore, the onboard dust suppression system uses a water tank and pumps to keep dust to a minimum during dry weather operations.

The engine drives through a four-speed JCB transmission to all four wheels, for maximum traction in difficult site conditions. The transmission offers a 40km/h top speed for travel between sites. This allows local authorities and contractors to rapidly move the machine between road repair sites, without the need for additional transport, increasing utilisation and ensuring maximum productivity throughout the day.

JCB’s innovative hand-held power tool hydraulic circuit, mounted on the side of the 3CX Potholemaster, allows operatives to use a wide range of hand-held tools from submersible pumps to breakers and saws, to cut around ironwork in the road and to provide a clean end to the patch area.

This also allows the road repair crew to access difficult areas that cannot be reached by the patch planer. The submersible pump is especially relevant to Malaysia as it can be used to help clean up after heavy rain periods.

Traditionally authorities and contractors have had to use a wide array of cutting, breaking and planing machinery, with separate road sweepers and rollers to carry out even the smallest of pothole repairs. The single backhoe loader-based solution greatly reduces the number of machines required to carry out this type of work, reducing cost and increasing utilisation for the user.

Smaller tools and machines have to be carried to the site on additional trucks and delivery vehicles, while the JCB Potholemaster can carry out road repair preparation and then rapidly move independently to the next site, while the repair team lays the new materials.

As a result, with one machine, a 3CX Potholemaster operator can go directly to the site without additional transport, plane a hole, clear the planings and prepare the edges – all before any other road maintenance workers or equipment need to arrive. This innovation to the repair process has huge efficiency benefits with JCB customers recording up to 60% improvements on their previous approach.

A further benefit of the Potholemaster design is that when not being used for road repair duties, it is possible to remove the attachments and operate the 3CX as a high-powered backhoe loader. Contactors and authorities will have a machine that is capable of helping with flood prevention, utility installation and other maintenance duties throughout the year. This ensures that the customer can achieve maximum utilisation with a lean operation.

“We are grateful for the trust and confidence our customers have shown in our backhoe loaders since their inception and a key reason for this has been our ability to continuously improve the product. Following on the legacy of this innovation, we are excited to introduce the new 3DX Sitemaster range of machines to the region,” says Bill Tok, Executive Director, Mach 1 Construction Equipment Sdn Bhd.

For further information contact the Supplier/Dealer for Peninsular Malaysia:

Mach 1 Construction Equipment Sdn Bhd. Tel: +603 5191 3393 or visit their website at: www.mach1jcb.com.my

Mandy Tan JCB Sales Asia: Tel: +65 6690 4212 Fax: +65 6863 42903 E-mail: mandy.tan@jcb.com www.jcb.com

Tel: +603-7784 6688      Fax: +603-7785 2624 / +603-7785 2625