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Elgin Redesigns (Former Wittke) Road Wizard |
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May 10, 2010 Redesigned Road Wizard From Elgin Sweeper Offers Many New FeaturesIntent of Elgin Sweeper's makeover of the original Wittke-designed Road Wizard it to position the machine as leader among heavy-duty construction cleanup broom sweepers.
Federal Signal, parent company of Elgin Sweeper, purchased Wittke Waste about five years ago. The acquisition included Wittke's Road Wizard mechanical sweeper. Although the rest of Wittke was subsequently re-sold, the Road Wizard was retained and included in the Elgin Sweeper model lineup. The Wittke Road Wizard design was widely regarded as a sturdy, very heavy duty machine, Elgin engineers have come up with a re-design that addresses a few issues with the original Wittke design. After 6 months in the testing process, Elgin is now ready to offer the newly updated Road Wizard as a standard production unit. 
The improved Road Wizard design is available with a choice of chassis – Freightliner, UD, International, conventional or cabover. The sweeper is powered by a liquid-cooled, low emission Tier 4i engine that provides variable control over sweeper speeds with no effect on truck speed. The new design features:
New broom design"The broom placement on the Road Wizard has been optimized for sweep performance, making it ideal for heavy municipal and construction applications," said Brian Giles, sweeper product manager at Elgin Sweeper. "The improved design also includes chassis wheelbases as short as 132 inches, resulting in a 9-foot sweepable inside radius for cul-de-sacs and islands and a 25-foot sweepable outside radius for cul-de-sac curb lines and tightly winding streets." Giles said Elgin Sweeper's engineers worked directly with their dealers and customers to conduct field testing on the Road Wizard and provide input. "We are pleased with the feedback we've received from the field and we are also encouraged that our customers have played an important role in ensuring the ongoing success of the Road Wizard sweeper." New elevator designThe new elevator design on the improved Road Wizard provides variable sweep heights – standard, elevated and transport heights – and dramatically reduces machine downtime for elevator service. The modular design of the sweeper's conveyor allows for rapid removal for repair or replacement. New water tank and hopper designThe water tank assembly on the redesigned Road Wizard consists of three tanks, eliminating the need for internal baffles and allowing for easy replacement. The capacity on the new water tank has been increased from 340 gallons to 360 gallons for extended operation. The volumetric capacity on the new hopper remains one of the largest in the industry, at 5.4 cubic yards. The new hopper adopts the "tilt frame" concept along with other Elgin products, assuring a robust and long life hopper and lift assembly. 
The Road Wizard was designed for the most demanding jobs," Giles said. "These new improvements to the sweeper deliver increased operator efficiency and productivity and feature the latest technology for superior sweeping results." We also offer an 8-minute long, WorldSweeper.com exclusive, audio interview with Brian Giles about the new Road Wizard. We invite you to listen as Giles discusses Elgin's changes to the Road Wizard, what he sees as the product's primary niche and more. Note: To play the audio interview, click this link or on the small triangle inside the circle. That should open the audio player with the embedded interview. If you have any trouble accessing this audio, please let us know. For more information on the new Road Wizard sweeper, please contact your local Elgin Sweeper dealer, or visit www.elginsweeper.com to find a dealer near you. If you have a question or comment about this article, please let us know. If appropriate, we'll add it to the bottom of this page. |
 © 2010 World Sweeper
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