Modern Mining February 2019

COVER STORY

Flagship Volvo excavator carves out market share Babcock, the Southern African dealer for Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE), has notched up good sales of the Volvo EC950E crawler excavator since it was launched locally in May 2017, with 11 units out in the field with six different cus- tomers. A 90-tonne machine, the EC950E is the largest crawler excavator that Volvo CE has ever produced and is perfectly matched to the company’s A60H articulated hauler, which has also proved a ‘hit’ with customers in the Southern African region.

designed for optimum control and efficiency. The EC950E is gener- ally configured with a 5,6 m 3 bucket, specially designed for local condi- tions. Other options are, however, available with

customers being able to choose from a number of general purpose, heavy-duty or extreme- duty buckets with capacities ranging from 3,9 to 6 m 3 . Maximum digging reach is 12,27 m and maximum digging depth is 7,12 m. Commenting on the market’s reception of the EC950E, David Vaughan, Managing Director of Babcock’s Equipment business, says the number of sales is impressive, given that the EC950E was launched during a mining down- turn and that – even at the best of times – the total market for machines of this size is limited in Southern Africa. “We are extremely pleased with the success we’ve had, the more so since we’re up against some very capable and established machines from other suppliers,” he says. “The feedback we’ve had from customers on the EC950E’s capabilities has been excellent and we believe we have a real winner on our hands.” Vaughan’s colleague, Ben Buys, who is Technical Director – Equipment for Babcock, notes that the EC950E incorporates tried and tested componentry, much of which it shares with other machines within the Volvo CE line-up. “The engine, for example, is the same engine that is used in our top-end articulated haulers, the A60H and the A45G,” he says. “This commonality of parts and components obviously facilitates maintenance.” He adds that there was much South African input into the design of the EC950E, with Volvo engineers having visited South Africa during the design

W ith over 424 kN of break- out force and 408 kN of tearout force, the EC950E is designed to deliver high productivity in mining and quarrying applications. It features a new electro-hydraulic control system and Volvo’s unique ECO mode, which both contribute to its outstanding fuel efficiency, while a wide track gauge, a long track length, a retractable undercarriage and an optimised counter- weight ensure a high degree of stability. The machine is powered by a proven and highly reliable 16-litre Volvo diesel engine that devel- ops 450 kW at 1 800 rpm. The cab offers a comfortable, spacious and low-noise environment and all machine inter- faces – including joysticks, keypad and LCD monitor – are ergonomically positioned and

Ben Buys (left), Technical Di- rector, and David Vaughan, Managing Director, of Bab- cock’s Equipment business.

18  MODERN MINING  February 2019