Capital Equipment News February 2018

COVER STORY

SIZING UP THE TURKISH DELIGHT At the upcoming bauma CONEXPO AFRICA, leading Turkish OEM, Hidromek, will officially take the wraps off its new 39 t HMK 370 LC HD crawler excavator, making it the biggest excavator model currently offered by local South African supplier Maximum Equipment, writes Munesu Shoko .

N ew products are largely the focal point of exhibitions such as bauma CONEXPO AFRICA, which is to be held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in South Africa from March 13 to 16, 2018. For Turkish original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Hidromek, bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018 – the third international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construc- tion vehicles – presents a perfect opportuni- ty to officially introduce its new HMK 370 LC HD excavator. The new model, coming in at 39 t of oper- ating capacity and a 2,2 m bucket capacity, becomes the largest Hidromek excavator model currently supplied by Maximum Equipment to the local market. Vaughan Ellis, MD of Maximum Equipment, says the official debut of the HMK 370 LC HD will mark a step up in the Hidromek excavator line-up locally. Before the arrival of the new 39 t model, the largest Hidromek excavator in the Maximum Equipment stable has been the 30 t HMK 300 LC. Together with the 20 t HMK 220 LC and the 14 t HMK 140 W wheeled excavator, the existing range largely caters for the general construction market. Fully spec’d for mining The new HMK 370 LC HD allows Maximum Equipment to offer the Hidromek “Turkish delight” to a whole new segment. “It is a mining spec’d machine. It will largely cater for small-scale mining and quarrying applications,” explains Ellis. “It can load a 10 m³ tipper fast and cost effectively, achieving 4-5 passes with its 2,2 m³ bucket.” The machine ticks all the right boxes

for mining and quarrying applications. It comes fully spec’d with hammer lines and an in-line filter as standard, making it the ultimate tool carrier. Hammer lines allow for immediate installation of hydraulic attach- ments, while an in-line filter guards against particle contamination of the hydraulic sys- tem. Contamination of hydraulic oil, mostly when using hydraulic attachments, can be detrimental as it reduces the service life of hydraulic components. Apart from standard hammer lines and an in-line filter, several standard safety features make the HMK 300 LC a perfect fit for mining applications. It comes with a full cab protection system that protects against falling objects, as well as a reverse camera, as standard. “These are features you get as optional extras on competitive machines,” argues Ellis. “The Hidromek machine is the only excavator on the market that comes with a total of nine spot lights, a reverse camera, factory-fitted beacon light and a cab guard, as standard.” Heavy duty machine The HMK 370 LC HD is also designed as a heavy duty type machine, making it a perfect fit for challenging mining conditions and for carrying heavy duty attachments such as crusher buckets and hydraulic breakers. “All fabricated parts, including boom, arm, bucket, undercarriage, as well as lower and upper frames, have been designed as heavy duty type,” explains Ellis. The X-shape box type sub-frame offers greater resistance against bending forces and vibration stress as it homogeneously distributes the stress exposed on it. The lower rollers are connected to the sub-frame by pentagon shape fittings, enhancing the

strength and lifetime of the frame. The standard long track maximises the balance of the machine by offering a durable platform for the machine to work on. Two roller housings in each track keep track chains in straight direction and therefore prevent corrosion of lower rollers. The upper roller, lower rollers and front idlers are suit- able for heavy duty working conditions; they have been sealed with life-time seals which are maintenance-free. Operator in mind The new HMK 370 LC HD also comes with several features that have the operator in mind. The Opera Control System – which comprises four power modes and three working modes – helps the operator choose the most suitable working conditions in accordance with the requirements of the job at hand through perfect matching the Isuzu Tier 3 engine with the hydraulic pump. “The Opera Control System also continu- ously monitors the most important parame- ters of the machine and warns the operator in case of any abnormality through audio

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