At modern construction sites, the development of mineral resources, the laying of large pipelines, you can find a variety of equipment, but most of all, excavators amaze with their power and size.
These earth moving machines are equipped with the most modern equipment and mechanisms, and due to this they can perform various functions. The world's leading companies are conducting an unspoken debate on the creation of the largest and most reliable mechanism. The result of their competition was that today the largest excavators are able to perform complex operations in difficult conditions and any climatic zones. TheBiggest.ru decided to figure out which is the largest and most powerful excavator in the world.
The largest excavators in the world
According to the method of operation and its main application, excavators can be divided into two large groups. The first is hydraulic excavators intended for loading land and rocks, and the second group is mining excavators, which are more powerful and can not only ship, but also produce rock independently.
First we introduce the first group and find out which is the largest hydraulic excavator.
Komatsu PC8000
This giant, assembled at the famous Japanese company, is used in the mining industry, as well as in metallurgy. Its weight is 722 tons, and its capacity is just over 4 thousand horsepower.
Specialized mechanisms and machine power allow for the shipment and development of a large volume of various cargoes, and its main feature is good maneuverability and stability.
Manufacturers paid great attention to operator safety, so the cab has additional reinforcement.
Demag H740 OS
The mechanism, whose weight is 744 tons, was specially designed and assembled to work in the sand pits of Canada. The volume of the bucket is 40 cubic meters, and the power of its two diesel engines is almost 4 thousand horsepower.
It was commissioned in 1999, and today a large hydraulic excavator is in demand and performs a large amount of work. The main tool of his work is a wide shovel, which is installed in front of the machine.
This model is quite reliable, as indicated by the long life and performance.
Liebherr r9800
A large loader model R9800 off the assembly line of a Swiss company, and is designed to work in quarries for loading into mineral vehicles.
Bucket capacity and power allow you to produce a large amount of work in a short period of time, and most importantly, that can work without stops and refueling up to 3 days.
A powerful hydraulic system is installed on the excavator. Moves around the place of work and on the highway independently, using a tracked chassis.
Hitachi EX8000-6
This modern model of Japanese excavators in many respects, and most importantly in performance, is much superior to previous models of this line. For example, its predecessor Hitachi ex5500 6.
The total mass of this Japanese giant is 811 tons, but even with such a mass, large dimensions are enough, the machine is very maneuverable. The EX800-6 bucket can lift a load of 75 tons at a time.
In principle, it can perform any tasks and work in any climatic zones and mining conditions.
Terex rh400
Leader in size and performance among the largest hydraulic excavators
The American company "Terex" created this model to perform complex work in deep quarries. In the entire history of the development of earthmoving and mining machinery, there has not yet been a machine with a bucket capacity of 100 tons. He is also the champion in the extraction of rocks per hour, almost 10 thousand tons.
Customers did not spare their money, which they invested in the acquisition of such powerful equipment, because the RH400 costs almost 14 million euros.
Mining excavators
And now we will introduce the largest mining excavators in the world, which are represented by both tracked and walking machines.
In the 60s, designers and engineers began to develop a fundamentally new excavator, which had a completely special movement system, and was placed not on caterpillar chassis, but on hydraulic platforms. The result of their work was the creation of the situation of a large walking excavator.
Big muskie
And the first on this list is the largest walking excavator from Bucyrus-Erie (USA) with the beautiful name Big Muskie.
Excavators of this class are widely used in quarries at great depths, where it is difficult to go down to mechanisms on tracks. While working, “Big consumed energy, which is able to provide electricity to 30 thousand homes.
After working for 30 years, it was decommissioned, but made a major breakthrough in the development of the mining industry. So in history, the Great Muskie is the largest and most powerful walking excavator in its class.
ESh 100/100
In this series, it is worth mentioning the largest Soviet walking excavator, which came off the Uralmash assembly line in 1976. At that time, it was a major breakthrough in the consciousness of similar technology in the USSR.
Due to the bucket volume of 100 cubic meters, coal mining productivity has significantly increased. He was also quite tall, because his arrow was 100 meters, and allowed him to get to hard-to-reach areas.
After working for 15 years, the Soviet mining unit was decommissioned and disposed of for scrap.
Marion 6360 "Captain"
Let us represent among the largest caterpillar excavators and a rare copy, which remained only in memory and in photographs.
After the accident, when a malfunction occurred in the mechanism that caused a fire, it was decided to take the machine out of service and dispose of it.
It was built in 1965, and was designed to perform a variety of work. The height of the arrows was 67 meters, and Marion weighed more than 13 thousand tons.
Bagger 293
In the 70s, German designers and engineers began to create a new line of earthmoving machines that could work and mine coal in difficult conditions of deep quarries with a large slope.
As a result, the Bagget model appeared, and the rotary Bagger 293 is by far the largest excavator in the world. Bagger 293 can process and ship 240 thousand m³ of rock mass per day. Just think, but this giant produces coal and rocks, for the export of which almost 4 thousand KAMAZ trucks will be needed.
He works in German coal mining, and coal is shipped using an excavator to large platforms for further transportation.
R & N 4100 HRS
It's time to introduce the most powerful excavator in Russia, the bucket capacity of which is 57m³. They produced it in the United States, and is used in coal mining in the Kuzbass coal basin.
It was with its commissioning that it was possible to significantly increase production volumes, and today the excavator helps to extract up to 15 million tons of coal annually.
Everything in the car is made for the convenience of the operators serving it. The mechanisms serve two people, and the cabins have toilets and a place to relax.
As you can see, large excavators are mainly used in mining quarries, and their subsequent shipment for transportation.
Technological progress does not stand still, and new challenges for the mining industry in the future may push the designers of the world's leading companies to create larger mechanisms, and, of course, real masterpieces of mining technology will appear.