UK’s first Hitachi ZX870LCR-5B goes to Walters Group
South Wales-based contractor purchases largest excavator exhibit off the stand at Hillhead 2014
FOLLOWING their return to Hillhead after nine years, Hitachi Construction Machinery UK (HCMUK) have sold the UK’s first Hitachi ZX870LCR-5 excavator to the South Wales-based Walters Group, who took immediate action to secure the machine after viewing it on the Hitachi stand.
Walters Group chairman David Walters and group managing director Huw Richards were visiting the show when they decided to take a look around the Hitachi ZX870LC-5BE, which was the largest excavator being exhibited and proved to be very popular with visitors.
‘The Hitachi ZX870LC-5BE is an impressive piece of equipment and its excellent reputation for fuel economy, reliability and productivity were all factors that influenced our decision to make the purchase’, commented Mr Richards. ‘In addition, we have operated large-size Hitachi machinery in the past and have been impressed by the residual values and HCMUK’s strong support network.’
The machine’s first job will be at Heysham in Lancashire, where it will be used in the removal of around one million cubic metres of material for a new link road from the M6. The project includes the remodelling of junction 34 along with a new bridge across the river Lune and is expected to be open to the public by the summer of 2016.
Mark Turnham, HCMUK’s mines & quarries manager, commented: ‘I am delighted that the Walters Group have purchased the first machine of this type in the UK and am looking forward to it proving itself on its first project.’
The new ZX870LCR-5 incorporates the HIOS IIIB hydraulic system, which allows for faster operation with lower fuel consumption and increased front speed. This has increased productivity by 6% in H/P mode (compared to the previous Zaxis model), while swing torque has also increased (by 9%) and the speed of light-load operations, such as grading, has improved, thanks to a larger volume of hydraulic flow.
The incorporated muffler filter reduces emissions by capturing air pollutants, with the auto-shutdown and auto-idler features enhancing fuel consumption while reducing noise, exhaust emissions and CO2.
Hitachi say the exclusive specification ‘R’ series offers enhanced durability with reinforced components and added protection to further strengthen the undercarriage and front attachment. Wear-resistant steel buckets have been designed specifically for the rigours of handling hard and abrasive materials.
Walters Group, established in 1982, are one of the largest contractors in the UK, running more than 500 units of major plant machinery, with the capacity to move in excess of 30 million cubic metres of material a year. The company operates in plant hire, civil engineering, demolition, quarrying and mining throughout Great Britain, with an annual turnover of more than £100 million.
