Hague Plant add another Volvo to demolition fleet

Sheffield-based firm opts for new Volvo EC300D complete with multi-stage high-reach demolition rig

LAUNCHED as a concept at last year’s Hillhead exhibition and utilizing a standard EC300D base machine, a bespoke high-reach demolition rig has been created especially for the machine by Messrs Kocurek of Ipswich.

The rig can be altered to provide four options for the machine’s maximum working height and thus allow differing weights of end attachment or tool. The maximum working height possible is 21m working with a 2.5-tonne tool. The equipment can then be adjusted to provide working heights of 18.5m, 15m and 12m handling 3.5-, 4.5- and 5.5-tonne tools or attachments respectively.

And with a working height of 21m, the EC300D Hi Reach sports a maximum forward reach of 11m, making the machine a flexible alternative in the mid-range of available equipment on the market.

‘We’ve run Volvo equipment for many years now and are more than pleased with the overall back-up and service support, as well as good machine reliability,’ said Hague Plant’s general manager, William Hague.

‘Based on current demand, we needed to add yet another bespoke demolition rigged excavator to our fleet and decided upon the EC300D due to our past experiences, the flexibility of the specification and the overall package on offer from Volvo.’

The flexibility of the machine’s specification means that the high-reach equipment can be swiftly changed for standard backacter duties, which is a significant benefit to Hague Plant. Besides holding a large portfolio of demolition contracts, the company also has a healthy order book for forthcoming civil engineering projects requiring medium-sized excavators for bulk earthmoving.

Further enhancements to the EC300D include: a bolt-in counterweight section fitted between the main superstructure and standard counterweight; a full SIPS (side impact protection system); reinforced belly plates; and enlarged boom cylinder casings to facilitate a larger volume of oil and thus more lift capacity for the high-reach rig.

In addition, the main turret has been fitted with safety rails and kick plates for safe access to the top of the superstructure, while the 30-degree hydraulically tilting cab has also undergone major modifications to suit the high-reach application, including five-layer laminated glass to the front screen and roof glass, and heavy-duty FOGS guarding which is anchored to the superstructure.

The new EC300D is powered by a Volvo six-cylinder D8H Stage IIIB engine which develops 228hp and is coupled to an advanced mode control system that ensures the maximum possible hydraulic horsepower available is delivered at a constant engine speed under varying load conditions.

Hose rupture valves are fitted as standard to the boom and dipper cylinders as are quick-fit hydraulics and a hammer/shear service. The high-reach rig also benefits from a dust-suppression system. The total revised operating weight of the machine, including the 21m equipment option, is 44.8 tonnes.