Capital Equipment News January 2018

EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT

fittings, enhancing the strength of the frame and its lifetime, too. The standard long track undercarriage maximises the balance of the machine by providing a durable platform for the machine to work on. Two roller housings on each track keep track chains in straight direction and therefore prevent corrosion of lower rollers. Several features on the HMK 220 LC have a particular focus on the operator. The ma- chine’s main control valve ensures sensitive and vibration free operation in each combined movement. The operator is able to focus only on his work since the priority at the arm, boom and swing movements are provided automat- ically by the control valve, thus maximising efficiency. The regenerative system prevents cavitations during boom, arm and bucket movements and increases both the life of the hydraulic system and speed of the machine. “One of the key improvements on the up- graded version is a brand new air suspension seat which automatically adjusts to the op- erator’s weight,” says Ellis. “The machine also comes with improved hand rails for in- creased safety.” One-stop shop As part of its quest to offer a one-stop shop service, Maximum Equipment has a full range of attachments in its stable. “We have a full line of attachments and a solution for every need. We can cater for all our customers’ applications, all the way from materials handling, through to civils construction and mining,” says Ellis. In Komac and Torpedo, Maximum Equip- ment has a full range of Korean-made hydrau- lic breakers that can meet a wide range of customers’ needs. “We also supply our own Maximum viper ripper attachment, which is a product out of Korea we have branded our- selves,” says Ellis. This is a heavy duty hy- draulically activated ripper tooth which uses centrifugal force generated by eccentric axis rotation which penetrates and breaks mate- rial faster and more efficiently than hydraulic hammers. The Fine Technology excavator rock drill, the EX-Drill series is said to provide cus- tomers with economical and efficient per- formance with multiple functions and wide working range using hydraulic excavator power only. The rock drill adds a further di- mension to the excavator versatility and can be used as and when required for general drilling applications. “We also supply a range of crusher buckets, rotary cutters and compactors from Simex, an Italian manufacturer. Their range of cutting heads are ideal for trenching in hard and compact ground, concrete or rock wall profiling, quarrying, demolition and dredging,” concludes Ellis. b

As part of its quest to offer a one-stop shop service, Maximum Equipment has a full range of attachments in its stable.

lation of hydraulic attachments, while an in- line filter guards against particle contamina- tion of the hydraulic system. Contamination of hydraulic oil, mostly when using hydraulic attachments, can be detrimental as it reduc- es the service life of hydraulic components. Fully spec’d machine Apart from hammer lines and an in-line filter, the HMK 220 LC is fully spec’d with an array of standard features such as the cab guard and reverse camera. “These are some of the features you don’t get as standard on competitive machines,” argues Ellis. Safety is paramount importance on Hidromek machines. The machine is said to be the only one on the market that comes with a total of nine spot lights as standard, a reverse camera, factory-fitted beacon light and a cab guard. Another feature that sets this machine apart from the competition is that it comes with a 1,2 m³ bucket, compared with the usu- al 0,8-1 m³ synonymous with the 20 t exca- vator range. According to Ellis, when times are this tough, companies tend to consider the initial upfront cost as a major factor in the decision process, at the expense of the total value offering of the machine. He reasons that there are several other crucial things to consider when it’s time to gear up – usage, availability and more importantly, the total value offering. “The competition’s machine may look cheap- er considering the upfront cost alone, but it’s more important to look at the spec of the machine, the strength and performance and the durability of the Hidromek. Most rival ma- chines don’t have features like hammer lines, reverse camera, in-line filters and cab guards. To do an aftermarket installation of hammer lines with an in line filter alone would cost

between R120 000 and R150 000,” says Ellis. Apart from the mentioned features, the Hidromek machine is powered by a 6-cylinder Mitsubishi engine, delivering 110 kW of power. Recently at a construction site, they did a comparison with a competitive premium 20 t machine. “The competition’s machine is con- suming about 20,9 ℓ of diesel per hour, while the Hidromek machine is consuming about 15,45 ℓ per hour. This is also considering that the competition’s machine comes with only a 1 m³ bucket, whereas the Hidromek machine comes with a 1,2 m³,” explains Ellis, adding that this equates to 20% more production and 25% more fuel efficiency when using the Hidromek machine. “Hidromek is not about price, it’s all about the knowledge of its features and benefits. It’s all about making an informed buy,” reasons Ellis. “Customers should be able to earn a quick return on their big ticket purchases, and this is achievable with Hidromek machines.” Apart from a reliable product, Maximum Equipment also offers superior warranty and full parts back up for its Hidromek excava- tors. “Our standard warranty is 12 months unlimited hours on the machine, extended to 24 months or 5 000 hours on the drive train as well,” says Ellis. “We also provide a free 1 000 hour service plan on all new machines. We have a full stock of parts and service ex- change components to back up the machines.” More features As part of Hidromek’s focus on producing a reinforced heavy duty machine, the HMK 220 LC comes with an X-shape box type sub- frame said to offer greater resistance against bending forces and vibration stress because it homogeneously distributes the stress exposed on it. Meanwhile, the lower rollers are con- nected to the sub-frame by pentagon shape

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