Published:
01/03/2010
By: Remco Kruis
The
Dutch go Triple
In Japan it is seen as a real big and welcome addition to the world
of demolition equipment, but with the exception of the Netherlands
this newest and biggest selling addition on the demolition market
“the Triple demolition boom” does not seem to gain ground in Europe
and other parts of the world. Were in Japan
the big four (Hitachi,
Komatsu, Caterpillar and Kobelco) all offer 3 or more Triple models,
they do not see the big advantage of the Triple demolition boom for
the European and other markets. Strange if you compare the figures,
specs. and capabilities.
The Dutch are the big exception as they started to make there
own. “If they do not make it, we will. And we are damn good at
it!”
Abeko BV.
andVan
Tunen BV.
both act as runner-ups in the world with more than 12 heavy (85 tons or more) Triple machines each. Mostly they are used for
other type of works but like the Japanese machines due to its height
versus tool lift capacity they proved to be a welcome rental item
for heavy demolition jobs as well.
Euro
Demolition was the first to enter the demolition rental
market with a real big demolition killer. Its first Cat 5110B Triple
made by STC
BV.
is now known as the ‘Bunker-Killer’, but it proved itself to be
much more than that, as it stood beside its twin brother, a Rusch
build Cat 5110B 33m Triple capable of carrying a 12 ttool, on a barge to dredge and demolish under water
shipwrecks.
And the company still has plans to build what will be the biggest
Triple machine in the world, a machine that will weigh around 600t
and will be able to demolish at 40m depth with a 25 tonne tool.
Last year Van
Groningen BV.
bought a Hitachi ZX870LCH-3 and asked Boforce
to fit it with a
Caterpillar retrofit because it had bought a rarely used 40m Cat 385
UHD boom.
When it went into conversion the company
also decided to ask Boforce to make a Triple boom. To complete its versatile approach it
recently bought a new Cat 385C base machine with retrofit and
standard digging boom.
“So now we have a unique full package. Both machines are fitted
with the same retrofit so we can exchange booms. (digging boom, 40m High Reach boom, and
Triple boom)".
The latest Demolition Triple that was added to the Dutch market was
for demolition contractor Van
Vliet BV.
The base machine a Hitachi ZX870LCH-3 was bought second hand from
Abeko and conversion specialist STC
BV.was asked to convert it into a real Triple beauty. The company
bought a 10 tons Labounty MSD4500R scrap shear that had to be fitted
at the end of the boom. For this STC also added a new piece of the
Triple puzzle at the end of the stick. This proved to be the
solution for better and easier handling. “It now plays with the 10
tons shear and bites away beams at 28m height like they are
cookies”, according to the company. STC
BV. says the machine is constructed in such a way that if Van
Vliet BV.
wants it we can add an extra extension, a longer stick, or fit it
with a 45 m High Reach.
Machine
specifications:
- workingheight: 24.4m (pin)
- working range: 13m (pin)
- total weight: 155 tons
- track length: 8m
- maximum width hydraulic adjustable tracks: 6.5m (650mm
plates)
- maximum tool weight at full height: 10 tons
- new quick coupling system to change booms
- hydraulically removable counterweight
- dust suppression system with build in 1000Ltr tank
- transport height: below 3.90m
- tilt cabin with safety guards and fitted with 3 layers armoured
and tinted safety glass
All of these contractors have offices in the Netherlands but also in other countries.
They all operate in Europe as well as in other parts
of the world so their machines can be
rented to be the strong helping hand in all tough demolition
spots.
Especially for chemical or petrochemical demolition works were the
man with the torch and blown-ups like balling are out of the
question, these machines can be the right and safest solution. But
also those heavy industrial demolition works were you have to deal
with thick reinforced walls or heavy steel structural constructions
at height, and so on, and so on.
In Japanthey say: “If you are going beyond 24m and you know a 3.5tons
tool won’t break it, this is the tool that will do the job for
you”.
Hitachi
said it had plans to bring their Triple Giants to Europe,
with the official launch at Bauma 2010, but due to the crisis these
plans are now unsure.
On April 19,
2010 Bauma will open its doors. Bauma
2010 features more than a half million square meters (5,382,131 sq
ft) of exhibition space, making it by far the largest and certainly
the most impressive exhibition ever.It is
is the place where all of the market’s leading manufacturers and
key players are represented.
For the Demolition industry it is also seen as the biggest and best
place to display new products. So what can we expect to see. Here is
a quick pre-view.
Caterpillar
shows DEM50
Caterpillar
will have a new high reach demolition machine on its stand - the
DEM50.
This 50 tonne machine will have a high reach demolition
boom with quick-hitch system. Further details are currently not
available but it is said that this is just the first piece of a new range of demolition specific
machines that will appear during 2010. More
info:Caterpillar
Hyundai
shows Robex 520LC-9DM
For
the demolition industry, Hyundai will be showing a 52 tonne 26m High
Reach Demolition model in the shape of the R520LC-9DM, which can
carry a 2.5 tonne tool at full height. According to Hyundai this
will be the first of a possible three model line-up for demolition
applications in Europe.
For the American market Hyundai already offers 6 different High
Reach Demolition excavators. Its line-up there starts with the Robex
290LC-7A and ends with the R 800LC-7A. More
info:Hyundai
Europe
Volvo
shows EC460CHD
Volvo
will have the third of its high reach demolition models, at the
show.
This EC460CHD is available from early 2009, but this will be the
machine's official launch.
Volvo
still has futher plans with the comming of a EC290CHD in the near
future. This will complete the line-up of HRD models which started with the launch
of the EC700BHD at Bauma 2007 and the EC360CHD two years later. More
info:Volvo
Construction Equipment
Liebherr
shows 34 m R954C litronic demolition excavator
Liebherr
will bring the latest addition of its demolition family. This R954C VH-HDW HRD
excavator reaches 34 m , weighs 85.5 tonnes and has an
engine output of 240 kW.
Reach
Limitation
14
m
16
m
18
m
20
m
34
m. Liebherr R954C VH-HDW:
3,00
t
2,75
t
2,50
t
2,00
t
(included quick change adapter, adapter plate and tool)
Like
its smaller brother this R954C is also equiped with the
Liebherr
Demolition Control System LDC. This
active safety component, ergonomically arranged in the driver’s
field of view, provide details in real time of the tool position and
the standing inclination of the machine.
If a critical measured
value is exceeded, the LDC automatically activates the electronic
reach limitation system. When the reach limit is arrived at, the
system shuts down further movements of the equipment elements which
might reduce the stability of the excavator.
Case
will display a production version of its CX470B HRD a fruit of its
own special product factory located in Zeebrugge.
A prototype of
this machine was first shown at Intermat in 2009.
The final product
now weighs 62 tonnes and has a reach of 27.1m. More
info:Case
In
januari JCB introduced a demolition
variant of its 36t excavator called the JS360XD.
It is therefor likely that it will display this machine at the Bauma
expo in April.
The new machine has heavy-duty arm protection, a
platform-mounted FOPS frame, undercarriage
covers, side and rear impact protection, upper structure covers and
a 'Visibowl' air pre-cleaner. Optional extras include a Turbo II
pre-cleaner, full-length track guides, a bucket ram guard and a mesh
screen radiator guard.
Its 'special edition' XD
arms come with wear strips on the underside to increase both
strength and impact resistance. The optional bucket ram guards have
a two-piece sliding design that complete encapsulates the ram to
provide 100% protection.
The belly plates protecting
the undercarriage have doubled in thickness to 10mm while the under
plating of the upper structure has been increased in thickness from
2mm to 10mm. An integral box section design provides an additional
barrier to protect the sides and rear of the machine.
Power comes from the a
7.8-litre, 6-cylinder Isuzu engine which develops 212kW at 2000rpm
and comes with an electronic governor which automatically sets the
optimum engine speed and power to suit the hydraulic demand. More
info:JCB
Sennebogen's
spokesman and the person responsible for the demolition models;
Herr Stuckenberger
said that if developments run as planned, Bauma 2010 would be the
place were it would launch its second special demolition recycling
model.
This
65
tonne 840R
HDD demolition rig
is the bigger version of its first new demolition model the
830 R-HDD a machine that was displayed at Intermat last year.
The
new machine
will have a working height of somewhere in the range of 21-23 m. Its counterweight and track
elements will be removable, reducing the carrier weight to 30 tonnes
to allow easy transport. More
info:Sennebogen
Hitachi
will
have at least one High Reach Demolition excavator on its stand being
a ZX670LCH-3 with 30m three piece boom.
Resently
we mentioned that Hitachi had big plans for its Demolition
costumers.
These plans would have beeen
officialy announced at Bauma 2010, but due to the economic climate
its unsure if these plans still stand. We will have to wait and
see. More
info:Hitachi
Construction Equipment
Komatsu
shows PC290LC/NLC-8 HRD at Bauma
In
MunichKomatsu
will show its
latest addition to its highly successful demolition
range.
This
PC290LC/NLC-8 HRDhas been
specifically developed at its factory in Belgium
to meet the needs of the European demolition market and
is ideally suited for
demolition
of two to four storey structures, particularly in restricted areas.
It gives a maximum height of
18.3m and
a tool carrying capability of 3000kg.
The
relatively
light
weight of the machine means that it can be easily transported and
work in areas
where
larger 60-70 tonnes machines with normal boom configurations cannot.
This new
HRD model
is the third in its line-up and has been
specifically developed at its factory in Newcastle, UK. The home of
the special product group for crawler excavators in Europe.
Like
all the Dash 8 machines, it is fitted with Komtrax, Komatsu’s
Satellite
Monitoring System. Machine data is easily accessible over the
internet and
allows
owners or fleet managers to view the machines’ location,
performance and service
requirements.
Komtrax can even help secure equipment, and will email the owner or
fleet
manager
when a machine shows a caution alert or if it is activated outside
an engine lock
period. Designed
to offer total safety for both the operator and people around the
machine, the
PC290LC/NLC-8
HRD features Komatsu’s unique roll-over cab, specifically
developed
for
hydraulic excavators. The ISO10262 Level 2 FOPS guard system
includes a side
hinged
front guard, allowing the operator easy access for periodic
windscreen cleaning. The
machine is fitted with a laminated front windscreen increasing the
already high
standard
of operator protection from falling objects. As standard, the cab is
fitted with a
roof
wiper and can tilt from 0-30 degrees to allow the operator a
comfortable and easy
view of
the work tool.
The
boom
change
system allows the machine to be reconfigured from High Reach to dig
configuration
with the option to have a 2.6m or 3.2m arm. Two additional
attachment
circuits,
controlled by sliding proportional joystick buttons, are fitted as
standard; and
include
attachment rotate motor drain lines.
The PC290LC/NLC-8 HRD features
demolition
specification undercovers and side guards. There is also an
attachment
cylinder
guard fitted as standard to ensure maximum protection against damage
from
falling
debris.
The
operator can choose between 5 Working Modes to optimise performance
and fuel
usage
when using the machine for digging The Eco gauge on the right side
of the monitor
panel
lets one see at a glance just how hard the machine is working. In
Economy Mode,
and with
Komtrax activated, fuel usage can be easily monitored for maximum
fuel
efficiency
and minimum nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
The Komatsu ECOT3 engine meets the requirements of EPA Tier 3 and EU
Stage 3A.
The
PC290LC/NLC-8 HRD has the Komatsu Hydraumind system fitted as
standard, for
exceptionally
smooth and precise combined operations.
Specifications: Net
power 140kW / 188 HP
Operating weight 40500kg (including 3000kg tool)
Max. bucket capacity 2.02 m3 Max
tool capacity 3000kg More info:Komatsu
Europe
