Norwegian quarry operator purchases Hitachi wheel loader
Hamar Pukk og Grus invest in new ZW310-5 model for demanding load and haul operations
A NORWEGIAN producer of high-quality aggregates has strengthened its fleet of construction machinery with the addition of a new Hitachi wheel loader. Hamar Pukk og Grus are currently using the ZW310-5, the company’s first ever Hitachi machine, to load trucks and trailers at their 60ha quarry on the outskirts of the town of Hamar.
Supplied by Norwegian Hitachi dealers Nasta, the new wheel loader joins a team of six personnel on site, who are responsible for excavating 120,000 cubic metres of materials and producing 250,000 tonnes of aggregates per annum.
Materials are loaded into a primary crusher to remove the sand, which is then used for the production of concrete. A secondary crusher removes some of the larger stones and these are sold as 20–120mm for road and general construction applications. The remaining materials go through a third crusher to produce 0–4mm, 4–8mm, 8–11mm, 11–16mm and 16–22mm aggregates for use in roads, concrete, foundations and drainage work.
‘We wanted to try something different to our previous machines and this approach was welcomed by the owners,’ said Rune T. Lund, general manager of Hamar Pukk og Grus. ‘We were able to test a larger model, the ZW330-5, beforehand thanks to Nasta and this helped us make our decision.
‘Hitachi is a good brand and the ZW310-5 has already proved to be an excellent choice and the right size for our site. It’s comfortable for our operators and a powerful machine with a strong traction force for driving into materials.’
Tore Bergrud, one of the technicians operating the wheel loader on site, commented: ‘I really like the ZW310-5; it’s as good as any other machine that I’ve driven. It has a high capacity for the loading process and it is highly effective at driving into the stockpiles. It is also easy to manoeuvre and very smooth turning on full lock in a tight space.
‘The Hitachi machine is advantageous for load-and-carry operations and travels relatively quickly uphill compared with other larger machines. The visibility to the front and rear is good, and I have found it to be user-friendly.’
