Digging deep with customized Volvo EC380E Hybrid
Specially customized excavator works effortlessly above and under water in German gravel pit
A CUSTOMIZED EC380E Hybrid excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) is tackling an exciting new challenge, helping with underwater digging at a gravel pit in Germany.
The innovative 40-tonne machine belongs to Gruber Betriebs GmbH, a leading building construction and civil engineering firm in Bavaria, Germany. But this is no ordinary EC380E Hybrid. It has been specially customized to work effortlessly both above and under water at the firm’s 9.2ha gravel pit in Vogtareuth, helping to extract some 82,000 tonnes of gravel each year.
Rudolf Gruber, the founder’s son and a key member of the 100-strong team for 11 years, explained: ‘With a new permit allowing a gravel quota of 3.8 million tonnes, we needed an excavator that could extract the gravel efficiently and the Volvo EC380E Hybrid was the answer. We’ve never had a machine quite like this ‘monster’ before.’
Operator Srdan ‘Schorschi’ Jorgic is equally impressed. He said: ‘Around 70% of the time the new excavator will be used in the gravel pit. We used to rely on a cable excavator for the underwater work, but with the EC380E Hybrid fitted with the long boom, we can now easily dig up to 8m deep.’
The excavator really proved its worth after heavy rainfall increased groundwater levels in the pit by around 2.3m.
The excavator has been fitted with a custom-made long boom and screening bucket, which is punched like a perforated plate. Both have been designed by Beco, a Volvo CE-authorized partner in the Netherlands.
Danijel Babalj, Bavarian branch manager at Volvo CE dealer Robert Aebi GmbH, explained: ‘We ordered the EC380E Hybrid with a mono boom from the factory. Beco Modifications then extended it by adding an extra middle attachment, creating an interchangeable system. Within an hour, the short boom can be swapped for a 14m version, including all hydraulic connections. The cab design is also completely new.’
With Volvo CE’s innovative hybrid technology, the machine harnesses the lowering movements of the boom to charge a hydraulic accumulator. Depending on the power needed, the stored energy is used to switch on an auxiliary engine to support the drive system, delivering both fuel and CO2 emissions savings. The hybrid model was ordered as the excavator will mainly be used in the gravel works, where the energy recovery can be put to good use. Fuel savings of 10–15% are anticipated.
Rudolf Gruber said: ‘If the estimated savings are accurate, we will save around €15,000 a year. Our trust in in Volvo CE is why every excavator in our 42-machine fleet is a Volvo. I believe our investment in the EC380E Hybrid will pay for itself with the work at Vogtareuth alone.’
Another special feature of this machine is the presence of two different central lubrication systems which work independently of one another. This design allows for a biodegradable lubricant to be used for the underwater tasks with the long boom, preventing any groundwater contamination, even in the event of a faulty pipe. This aligns with guidelines set by the local water-management authority.
Gruber extract around 220,000 tonnes from their six gravel pits every year, 82,000 tonnes of which come from Vogtareuth. The EC380E Hybrid will operate in Vogtareuth for around three years, before being moved to another site. The machine extracts around 1,000 tonnes daily, making it significantly faster and more flexible than the duty-cycle crawler crane it replaces. After extraction, the gravel pit is being backfilled and re-naturalized.
Mr Gruber explained: ‘We have another gravel pit with 9m of overburden and have managed to remove the gravel here and bring in the overburden from the other site. The shorter boom is used for the overburden as this must be removed to extract the gravel at depth. With its combination of short and long boom, our excavator is certainly unique in Germany, if not Europe.’
The excavator will also be used for earthworks and demolition work as required, for which the short boom and suitable bucket will be the ideal combination. Thanks to another Beco modification, the counterweight can be lowered hydraulically so that the excavator, counterweight, and boom can be transported in three parts without needing a special permit.
For Volvo CE’s Martijn Donkersloot, product manager - Special Application Solutions, the EC380E Hybrid developed for Gruber is a prime example of a tailor-made customer concept in action.
‘Special Application Solutions (SAS) is the perfect partner for individualized construction machines designed to meet the unique operating conditions of our customers. In this case, a low transport weight to simplify loading, but also the combination of a long-reach and a normal digging solution available on one machine – precisely tailored to the customer's needs. Our SAS department at Volvo CE supported Beco Modifications in all aspects of implementing this solution.’
