Hitachi ZX350LCN-6 offers speed and precision on Italian railway project

A Hitachi ZX350LCN-6 medium excavator is working on a high-profile railway project – worth an estimated €113 million – linking cities in Italy and Switzerland. The Arcisate-Stabio line will connect Varese in the north of Italy with Ticino and Como, via Mendrisio, and ensure passengers can reach Milan’s Malpensa Airport from cities in central and southern Switzerland. It is due to be completed by the end of 2017.

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The Zaxis-6 model was one of the first of the new generation of Hitachi medium excavators to be delivered in Italy and is owned by Mezzanzanica SpA, based in Parabiago near Milan. The company specialises in road construction, pipelaying projects, quarrying, environmental plants, waste handling and recycling. It has a fleet of nine Hitachi mini and medium excavators, and wheel loaders, ranging from Zaxis-1, -3 and -5 models, as well as the most recent additions, two ZX350LCN-6s.

On site in Induno Olona, on the outskirts of Varese, the ZX350LCN-6 is installing irrigation pipelines stretching a total of 9km underneath the railway line. Equipped with a quick coupler and standard 2.3m³ bucket, it is used for earthmoving and placing one-tonne concrete structures into the trench. Material from the site is used for restoring quarries owned by RFI (the Italian rail network) to their original state.

“Our work requires a high level of precision,” says Cristian Mezzanzanica, Managing Director of Mezzanzanica SpA. “Over the years, we have found Hitachi hydraulics to be superb. This has also increased our productivity as working with high levels of precision means no time is lost.”

In addition to its precision, the Hitachi medium excavator is capable of operating efficiently, which is particularly important for public contracts such as this and a key factor for Mezzanzanica. “We tested the Hitachi ZX350LCN-6 against other leading brands and found it to be extremely fast,” adds Cristian.