New Hitachi ZX870LCR-5 excavator impacts productivity

Swiss company Lachat has invested in a Hitachi ZX870LCR-5 for demanding quarry work.

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A new Hitachi ZX870LCR-5 owned by Swiss company Lachat is making a significant impact on the production process at the Asuel La Malcôte quarry in the canton of Jura. The large Zaxis-5 excavator is excavating a mixture of marlstone and limestone materials in a much cleaner way than before, and helping to sanitise this relatively unstable site.

Designed for durability

The ZX870LCR-5 was delivered to Lachat by the Swiss Hitachi dealer, Probst Maveg, in July 2014. Hitachi engineers in Japan have developed the R series with reinforced components and added protection to further strengthen the undercarriage and front attachment specifically for the quarrying sector. This exclusive specification has been designed for the rigours of handling hard and abrasive materials, and offers enhanced durability and a long life expectancy.

The steep terrain and configuration at Asuel La Malcôte demand a highly durable machine, such as the ZX870LCR-5. It loads two articulated dump trucks with its 4.5m³ rock bucket at a rate of up to 300 tonnes per hour, depending on the level of demand.

Sanitising the quarry

The current excavation work is focused on clearing an eight-metre layer of better quality limestone-based materials away from the face of the rock to reveal ten metres of spoil (marlstone). Lachat’s immediate priorities are to sanitise the site and modernise the quarrying process.

“Our new production method utilises the ZX870LCR-5 to extract, separate and sort the materials,” says Yvan Ryser, Lachat’s General Manager. “The strength and productivity of the machine have been impressive to tackle our biggest challenge, which is how to select the usable materials from the mix of stone.”

Powerful and productive

Operator Christophe adds: “This is a good machine and it’s faster than the other similar-sized machines that I’ve worked with,” he says. “The biggest benefit for me is its strength and power, which enables me to work more productively, and yet it’s also stable and precise for the selection of materials.

“I use the rear-view camera continuously, which is very useful for a machine of this size. The fuel consumption is excellent and the auto shut-down is a good feature in this respect. I find all of the work modes useful, because I can use the machine to the best of its capabilities.”