In 2013 a PC2000-8 200 Tonne Excavator with face shovel was purchased by Babcock International and then contracted out to work for Lafarge at their Dunbar Quarry in Scotland. The PC2000-8, which when fully assembled weighs over 200 tonnes, was manufactured in Japan and shipped in kit form from the Far East into Tyne Docks. This Komatsu PC2000-8 with face shovel was the first to go to work in Europe. Whilst there are three other PC-2000 excavators currently operating in the UK, in other quarry sites in Scotland and Wales.
Over a period of two days the Excavator was transported on a convoy of ten semi low loader and flat trailers. The largest part of the machinery was the main body of the Excavator which weighed in at 31 tonnes and was 3.4 metres wide. The transport was organised by WWL ALS who are based in Hull and it also included Marubeni-Komatsu’s own HGV as well as help from Metcalfe Farms Haulage.
One of the trackframes arrives onsite:
Once unloaded using amongst others; two 100t capacity Terex/Demag cranes which had been hired for the job, a four man team led by Marubeni-Komatsu Field Service Engineer Kevin Henderson, got to work on the assembly. This would take a total of two weeks to complete. The first job was to connect both trackframes to the undercarriage and then the mainframe was lowered onto this:
Next to be fitted is the base for the cab unit the 16,200kg power/hydraulic pack, which both fit onto the mainframe. This is then followed by the huge 26,500 kg counterbalance and at the end of day three the cab unit itself is lifted into position.
Next the 11 tonne boom is fitted, followed by the hydraulic cylinders and the nine tonne dipper arm. Later the 11.5 cubic metre bucket is added. At this stage the machine from an external perspective looks mostly complete but there is still a great deal of work to be carried out in terms of hydraulics and electrical works. Some of these tasks have been made easier, as for example the extensive hydraulic pipework on the back of the boom has already been pre-installed at the factory. After 13 days the machine is handed over to Marubeni-Komatsu colleague Peter Barrett to undertake final testing and to train quarry staff on its operation. It was then soon put to work loading 100t capacity trucks in the quarry.
The completed machine looks great!
Stuart Greenshields General Manager Product Support at Marubeni-Komatsu commented; ‘This was a safe and professional assembly that was well executed from day one through to the planned completion date. A big well done and thank you to the Marubeni-Komatsu team and the various sub-contractors involved in the build’.
The Dunbar Quarry is located on the East Coast of Scotland and is part of Lafarge Cement UK. The cement works at the site is the only cement works in Scotland and uses limestone and shale (the main ingredients for making cement) from the adjoining quarry. The works have the capacity to produce up to 1m tonnes of cement a year.
