Everything from one source

ATLAS excavator equipped with several ATLAS grabs and buckets – carrier machine and attachment tools from the same manufacturer – in practical use at the WSA Verden – featuring a wide range of tasks, like bank reinforcement, wood clearing, material movement from a pontoon.

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For its wide range of tasks the Wasserstrassen- und Schifffahrtsamt Verden (WSA – waterways and shipping office) has equipped, among others, an ATLAS 340 LC excavator with various ATLAS attachment tools. These include an E 75.32 clamsheel bucket with a capacity of 1,000 liters, the orange peel grab E 772 with five grippers and a capaciaty of 800 liters, the ditch bucket G 742 with a width of 2,200 mm, the wood grab E 624/2V with a capacity of about 1,000 liters, and the load hook K 710 SW which can carry a weight of up to 8 tons. This versatile equipment helps demonstate the range of jobs they must to be able to perform.

Maintenance of waterways

The WSA Verden is a division of the GDWS (General-Directorate for Waterways and Shipping), based in Hanover, Germany. They are responsible for the maintenance of 333 kilometers of federal waterways; the Weser, Aller and Leine. This means that embankments must be reinforced, material installed and removed, wood loaded and unloaded, shoring elements transported, and much more. This is done, among others, from the pontoon “Schwarmstedt” which is based at the building yard in Hoya and has the ATLAS 340 LC is working from it. The special feature of this 35-ton excavator is the telescopic drive unit, which can be widened hydraulically by 700 mm on each side: when retracted, the machine has an overall width of 3,150 mm; extended it is 4,550 mm wide. This increases both stability and safety. The excavator is equipped with a vario-cab, which allows operators to move forward as well as elevate their operating position by 2,000 mm each way and significantly improves the view of their work area. Due to the integrated hydraulically adjustable boom with its 4,500-mm jib and the versatile hydraulic attachment kit, the Atlas 340 LCT is able to perform all hammering/pile driving and grab applications from the waterside.

Well-aligned technology

For fast and effiencient changing of the different grabs and buckets, it is fitted with an ATLAS quick change device T 722, which is forked and equipped with a low-pressure locking mechanism. The grabs are moved by the ATLAS rotator device E 732.2 with two rotary motors (without grab cylinders). The hose kit with couplings and the quick-change joint plate are also made by ATLAS . This is a special feature and big advantage. All technology used comes from one source. The crawler excavator is produced in the ATLAS factory in Ganderkesee and the attachment tools in Vechta. The respective engineering teams cooperate effectively and coodinate their work. The result is a well aligned machine. This also makes it possible to optimize the weights of the attachments tools, giving the user several benefits: matching and perfectly aligned technology, lower overall equipment weight and, therefore, higher load capacity. And he gets everything from a single source. “These were the reasons for us to purchase this package of carrier machine and attachment tools. We have been using them for two years and our experience is very good”, says Wilm-Cord Winkelmann, who is responsible for machinery and equipment at WSA Verden. WSA gets its support from the dealer ATLAS von der Wehl, who are very experienced and knowledgeable in such tasks and applications. This is most beneficial for the user. In addition, they are located in Lauenbrück and a mechanic can be on site and support very quickly in case of special appliation issues.

Various requirements

The requirements for the attachment tools are various and include the installation of large quantities of construction material (rockfill, fascining, etc.) at waterway construction sites and new construction, maintenance and repair of water constructions (pile and sheet walls, groynes, revetments, dredging, etc.). The orange peel grab ATLAS E 772, for example, is used for stabilizing embankments by placing rocks as well as for removing and delivering wood from forest areas along the rivers under their supervision. These are heavy-duty requirements. If, for example, rocks have to be placed, this is sometimes done by a well-aimed toss, or in Atlas terms a flick of the grab. This generates high dynamic forces which the material as well as the structure must be able to withstand. That this works well, you can see here on the pontoon “Schwarmstedt” – and also that excavator and attachment tool sourced from the same manufacturer are an exceptionally good combination.