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The tools for breaking bigger rocks faster

Veccia has operated his own quarry contracting business Sofdan Proprietary Limited (trading as Southern Traxcavator Services and MAS Contractors) since 1996.
He employs four staff and has the contract to support the rock breaking, stripping and general earthworks programs at seven quarries in the Perth metropolitan and regional areas. The quarries are owned by Boral, Holcim Australia, Hanson Australia  and BGC (Australia).
EXPANDING SOFDAN?S OPERATION
The Hyundai excavators have allowed Veccia to break larger rocks and grow the services he provides to the quarries.
?I had excavators in the 35-tonne class from another company and they were struggling,? he said.
?I knew the R380LC-9s were coming to the market so I grabbed one. They?re a really good machine for what we?re doing. They box above their weight and we can now do the smaller jobs as well as the bigger jobs.?
The excavators have enabled Sofdan to go up to a larger rock breaker. ?We can now take on some oversized rock up to 50 or 60 tonnes,? Veccia explained. 
?We?ve had rock in one quarry that we haven?t been able to touch in five years and that?s been a big bugbear to quarry operations. We put the new breaker on the R380LC-9 and we went through that pile of rock in 10 hours. We can use it on some rock that?s up to 80 tonnes.?
INCREASING WORK SPEEDS
Veccia has a high level of quarry experience and a reputation for thoroughness and speed. Having reliable machinery is critical to his business.
?We have to get through 1200 tonnes a day of rocks,? he said. ?In some places we can do up to 1500 tonnes a day and in other places we might do 800 tonnes a day, depending on the size they want.?
The two R380LC-9s allow Veccia?s operators to work at a quick pace, with the knowledge they are robust and reliable.
?Speed is a big thing. The Hyundai excavator has good breakout for loading trucks. When we are loading during stripping operations, we can put a couple of articulated trucks underneath,? Veccia explained.
?If the quarry?s main digging drill breaks down we?ve had to put the R380-9 on it to keep production up and it goes well. Some quarries have 65- to 70-tonne diggers and if they break down our R380-9 does the job.?
OPERATOR COMFORT
Veccia said the R380LC-9s had enhanced his business in a range of ways, with increased operator comfort and less fatigue being the main benefit his  employees report.
?Stability is one of my biggest concerns,? he said. ?The strength and size of the Hyundai is very good. Where they are very good is in the track frame because Hyundai has put the weight into that area. The whole machine is well balanced. When you?re hanging a 3.5-tonne breaker off it you want the stability.
?The biggest thing is operator comfort and good stability helps with comfort. You get thrown around a bit in some machines and when you get out after a nine or 10 hour shift you really feel it. We?re on 12 hour shifts in one quarry and that?s a long time sitting in a machine.?
Veccia is pleased that the Hyundai cab is spacious enough to cater to even the tallest operator and offers excellent all-around visibility.
?I have a guy who is six foot nine inches in height and even he finds it roomy enough,? Veccia said. ?He can?t fault the Hyundai for comfort.?
The R380LC-9 provides a comfortable working platform, with its spacious well-appointed ROPS cabin, and maximises operator visibility with broad windows and screens.
QUICKER AND EASIER MAINTENANCE
Veccia likes the way the R380LC-9 is laid out and said it was an easier machine to service than other excavators he had used.
Hyundai?s proprietary remote management system, Hi-mate, provides access to service and diagnostic information, promoting preventative maintenance to reduce downtime.
Veccia?s fitter reports the Hyundai machines are simple and easy to service and their layout makes access and servicing quicker.
?As far as I?m concerned, the Hyundai is a very underrated machine,? Veccia said. ?I?d put anything up against it.??
Source: Hyundai Construction Equipment Australia

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