70-tonne Case excavator for Fairhurst Stone
CX700B mass excavator proves to be a class act for one of UK’s leading York Stone suppliers
KIRKBY Lonsdale based Fairhurst Stone, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of York Stone paving, have taken delivery of a new Case Construction Equipment CX700B mass-excavation unit.
The 70-tonne, 360° back-acter is working in Fairhurst’s sandstone quarry at Ravensworth, North Yorkshire, where it digs out blocks of stone weighing up to 30 tonnes. The blocks are loaded into the company’s own fleet of HGV’s and taken to be cut into high-quality York Stone slabs for paving and landscaping.
The machine was delivered in late May 2012 by Case dealers C.J. Leonard & Sons, based in Guisborough, Cleveland, and replaces a 50-tonne Caterpillar 345 which previously worked in the quarry.
‘Basically, the Cat was too light for the duties here’ explained Edward Fairhurst, director of Fairhurst Stone. In search of a more suitable machine, Fairhurst approached C.J. Leonard, from whom the company had previously purchased Case equipment. ‘We already have a Case CX460 and a CX130 working at another quarry. They are both good machines, so we wanted to see what Case could offer in place of the old Cat.’
The CX700B ME weighs 20 tonnes more than the Cat 345 it replaces, but it performs like an even bigger machine. With tear-out forces of up to 224kN, extremely fast loading and a modern engine and hydraulic management, Case say the CX 700B ME is one of the most productive machines in its class.
Fitted with a Miller rock bucket, the new digger picks up 30 tonne blocks with no difficulty,’ said Mr Fairhurst. ‘Productivity is brilliant; it will move twice as much as the Cat.’
The Case excavator also appears to be delivering low fuel consumption for its size. ‘So far it seems to be working out similar to the Cat – but of course it’s a much bigger machine and it’s doing twice the work,’ explained Mr Fairhurst.
As well as low fuel consumption, the new Case CX700B ME has long service intervals (eg 5,000h between hydraulic fluid changes and 1,000h bucket lubrication intervals) to reduce maintenance costs and machine downtime.
The machine, which is soon due to move to the company’s quarry in Whitworth, Lancashire, works long hours, so operator comfort is also vitally important. Equipped with the latest Case B-Series cab, the CX700B ME offers excellent visibility and plenty of space and comfort with minimal noise and vibration. Short joysticks provide precise control with minimal effort, while safety is assured by a cab structure that is three times more rigid than previous designs.
