Steve Bullman

You may think that if you’re operating petrol-powered equipment, particularly in poorly ventilated spaces, that exposure to harmful hydrocarbons is largely unavoidable. Benzene is just one of the many hydrocarbons found in conventional pump fuel and exhaust emissions, often considered the substance most dangerous to human health. However, there is an alternative in the form of Aspen Alkylate petrol – switching to which can reduce benzene emissions by up to 108 times! The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) regulations advise against benzene exposure completely, but where this cannot be reasonably achieved, there are steps that can be taken to adequately control exposure as far as is reasonably practicable - and certainly below the workplace exposure limit (WEL) assigned for benzene of part per million (ppm) of air averaged over an 8-hour period. One way of doing this could be switching from traditional pump fuel to Aspen. An Alkylate petrol, Aspen is made using only the cleanest Alkylate components that occur when oil is refined. This process involves combining excess gases from the distillation of crude oil and from the cracking plant, resulting in a liquid alkylate. Once some additional components are mixed in, the result is a finished fuel which is significantly purer than traditional petrol, with content of harmful aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene and polyaromatics (PAH) close to zero. Being virtually free from benzene, as well as sulphur and many other harmful substances, using Aspen Alkylate petrol improves the health and performance of your equipment, the working conditions for the operator and significantly reduces the harmful impact your machinery makes on the environment. Aspen is also ethanol-free, which improves reliability, maintains engine performance and preserves the life of component parts which can be susceptible to failure when running on conventional pump fuel, especially if it has been left for any extended period of time in storage. Aspen is available in a range of unit sizes (5L, 25L, 60L and 200L) and in both pre-mixed 2-stroke and 4-stroke varieties.

Having cemented their position in the 6” market with the revolutionary EVO 165 series, GreenMech are introducing its ‘big brother’ in the shape of the 8” EVO 205D, which promises to set the new standard for large capacity woodchippers. Extending the EVO concept of more powerful bite, torque and throughput, the 205D delivers even greater performance to tackle the biggest tasks with reliability and ease. At the heart of the 205D’s design is a Stage V compliant 50hp Kubota Diesel engine which can process up to 25 cubic metres of material per hour, making it one of the most productive machines in its category. GreenMech’s new ‘Smart Sense’ controller provides ‘no-stress’ overload protection and automatic load detection to ensure optimised performance and fuel consumption. A new, generous in-feed hopper measuring 1250mm x 700mm allows for the free-flow of bulky brash and timber, gathered and gripped by the twin horizontal hydraulic rollers and fed to the heavy, six-disc blade flywheel, which offers unparalleled processing power. Strength and durability in construction is provided by the deep beam, high tensile steel chassis, together with an all-steel hinged and lined bonnet which not only offers all-important protection to the engine but makes the EVO one of the quietest chippers on the market. All major grease points have also been centralised on the EVO series to make the ongoing maintenance of the machine quick and convenient. Available at launch in road-tow format, SAFE-Trak and SURE-Trak versions of the EVO 205D are due to follow later in the year as replacements for the legendary 19-28 models. As standard, the EVO 205D comes with GreenMech’s Disc-Blade chipping technology, a three year, no-quibble parts and labour warranty and the unrivalled support of their nationwide dealer network.