For more than 50 years, LHC Inc. has provided construction services to Montana’s Flathead Valley. It has completed and is currently working on some of the Treasure State’s largest, most complex, and high-profile projects, including the construction of a nearly $34 million bypass around its home city of Kalispell.

LHC’s services include design, engineering, and construction of all types of infrastructure undertakings, as well as site work for commercial and other properties. It self-performs nearly every aspect of a project, including mass earthwork, utility installation, subgrade prep, and asphalt paving. LHC supplies the materials for the latter from three strategically located gravel pits around the Flathead Valley.

LHC recently added its first two Dynapac CC6200 VI Rollers to its asphalt paving operations. With an operating mass of 27,340 pounds and 84-inch drum width, the CC6200 VI is the largest in Dynapac’s tandem rollers line up. Operators Dustin Yeadon and Stanley Appelt said the machines have increased productivity and efficiency.

“We call them the Swiss Army knives of compaction because they actually work great in all three paving stages: breakdown, intermediate, and finish,” stated Appelt. “Typically, we just use them for the latter two because you can do both virtually simultaneously with a CC6200 VI. You can do more in one pass than with competitive machines.”

Yeadon added, “The ability to get the job done with fewer passes gives us time, labor, and fuel savings. We basically can run all day on less than half a tank. And, if we can handle two stages with one machine, that eliminates the need for additional rollers, which increases the savings.”

Dynapac designed its CC asphalt tandem rollers for high vibration frequency with low amplitude in order to maintain high efficiency on modern, thin asphalt layers. This allows them to compact quickly without crushing the aggregate material. They can also be used for thick layers with high amplitude and a “normal” vibration frequency. A wide frequency and amplitude range provides optimization in any application.

“Being able to adjust the vibration frequency increases versatility,” said Appelt. “We used the CC6200s on everything from smaller parking lots to large-scale highway projects. You can set your numbers to what you need, and it will tell you the range of where you need to be speed-wise for optimized production. That helps with efficiency.”

Vibration frequency is set through the new instrument panel and controls that were designed with simplicity in mind. A bigger touch screen ensures maximum visibility. The latest technology simplifies roller operation and ensures optimized handling, thus increasing the quality of the compaction job.

“It’s very user-friendly with a dynamic screen that gives you instant feedback with information such as where you’re at in terms of impacts per foot,” said Appelt. “You can input your numbers pre-workday, so you can get right to work when it’s time. If you do need to make a quick adjustment, it’s two or three buttons and you’re back to rolling.”

The swivelling operator’s module in the CC6200 VI allows a 180-degree turn of the seat, instruments, and levers. It can also slide from side to side, making it possible for the operator to see drum surfaces, sprinkler nozzles and drum edges.

Yeadon and Appelt can set how often water from the high-capacity water tank is sprayed on the drums with the control panel and a joystick button. The tank can be filled from both sides of the roller, and there is a two-bar setup on both drums.

“If you want water on demand, just push the button; otherwise, you can adjust how often it sprays to match the job,” Yeadon pointed out. “In most cases, even if it’s the lead roller behind the paver, it takes a good, long time for the water to run out. We typically put down 400 to 500 tons between fill ups.”

LHC Inc. purchased the Dynapac CC6200 VI rollers from Modern Machinery with the assistance of Territory Manager Ben Ralls. Modern has a long history with Dynapac in Montana and Idaho, and in 2021, it added Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon to its territory – making it one of North America’s largest Dynapac dealers.

“Modern is well-respected in the market and a perfect fit for Dynapac,” said Dynapac North America Vice President of Sales Jamie Roush when the expansion was announced. “This partnership will enable us to strengthen our brand presence and customer support even further in this region.”

Ralls and Modern set up a demo with one CC6200 VI so LHC could put it to the test on a highway paving project. Dynapac representatives, including Western Region Manager Steve Cole, were on hand to answer questions and provide training and support.

“They gave us a walk-around and showed us every aspect, which gave us a leg up before we started,” said LHC Inc. Superintendent Cruz Smith. “That was a huge help, and they have followed up since we purchased the machines to make sure everything continues to run smoothly. We are looking forward to doing more business with them after purchasing these rollers and seeing how they increase our productivity.”

Ralls emphasized that others could see similar results. “I have seen these and other Dynapac rollers get compaction where other brands would struggle. Having equipment like Dynapac, that’s backed by great manufacturer service and support, plays a strategic role in Modern Machinery’s ability to build trust with customers. Both companies are excited about the partnership expansion, as it gives us the ability to help other customers like LHC be more productive, efficient, and profitable.”