Quarry learns how Kobelco’s biggest production-class digger is helping quarries improve their productivity.
Designing quarrying equipment to be tough is an important part of the job. After all, if machinery breaks down, production stops.
But the team at Kobelco knew its largest-ever production-class excavator needed to be more than just tough. It needed to survive the worst a quarry could throw at it.
Mark Johnson, Kobelco Australia’s general manager of product and distribution, told Quarry that the SK850LC-10 is designed for the harshest conditions.
“Kobelco manufactures excavators for markets around the world,” he said. “That means we needed to design the machine to handle some of the most extreme conditions out there.”
The SK850LC-10 soon proved it could handle the harshest climates around the world and was well suited for work sites across Australia. Kobelco saw great potential for the excavator in quarry applications.
“Quarries generally have an asset lifecycle in mind when they purchase equipment and want to know that the product they buy will remain productive and efficient for that entire life cycle,” Johnson said.
The SK850LC-10 features a 12.9L turbo-charged and intercooled 380kW engine, which delivers impressive power to tackle heavy-duty applications. Powerful bucket breakout force and arm tearout forces let operators deliver fast digging cycle times and outstanding productivity.
The massive machine can climb stockpiles with ease, thanks to its class-leading 653kN of drawbar pulling force. Three heavy-duty track guides are also installed on each crawler side frame to further increase undercarriage durability.
But what Johnson said surprised quarry customers the most about the excavators was its fuel efficiency.
“The SK850LC delivers an impressive average fuel consumption of under 50L per hour—substantially boosting operating profit in a production environment,” he said.
“Compared to similar machines of this size, that’s potentially a saving of 20L of fuel an hour. When you consider these excavators will be working long days, week on week, that’s potentially saving customers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just on fuel costs.”
An enhanced hydraulic system design minimises hydraulic pressure resistance to reduce energy loss. The SK850LC also features Kobelco’s latest cooling system – a hydraulically-driven twin fan engine cooling system.
This hydraulic version also prevents over-cooling by use of integrated sensors to reduce the speed of the twin-fan unit, helping to improve fuel economy and reduce noise. A variable-geometry turbocharger contributes to lower fuel consumption, and a new selective catalytic reduction system decreases NOx emissions by 80 per cent to provide low operation emissions.
The operator can also choose from three modes: H-mode, S-mode and ECO-mode—allowing for minimum fuel consumption while optimising digging efficiency.
From the comfort of the cabin, the operator can also pre-set multiple attachment settings. The SK850LC comes factory equipped with bi-directional primary auxiliary hydraulics, along with proportional hand-controlled tilt/rotate piping and quick hitch piping as standard.
Johnson said the SK850LC features best-in-class lifting and digging performance.
“With the 8.25m and 3.6m heavy-duty boom and arm, the SK850LC has an operating capacity exceeding 10.6 tonnes at a reach of 11.6m.
“The SK850LC is also available in a mass excavation specification, with a shorter boom and arm as well as an optional heavier 3000kg counterweight—for applications which call for maximum bucket capacity and digging productivity.
“The larger machine lets quarries move more material and uses less fuel, improving the bottom line drastically.”
Comfort is another key part of productivity. Operators who dread getting into the cabin are likely to perform worse, which is why Kobelco prioritises ergonomics.
Because there can be a lot of vibration on a quarry site, the SK850LC features an air suspension seat. Combined with a 25 per cent reduction in lever control force, operators face less fatigue during long hours of operation, while added climate control outlets and a spacious cab interior provide a comfortable work environment.
The high level of pressurisation in the large, sealed cab keeps out dust and ensures a quiet environment for the operator. A standard 12V port and AUX jack are provided, while the standard Bluetooth-integrated stereo system allows the operator to stream audio.
The operator-friendly colour multi-display LCD screen uses easily recognisable graphics for quick navigation of important information, including fuel consumption and maintenance intervals. An intuitive one-touch attachment mode switch lets the operator confirm the proper configuration at a glance.
A falling object protective structure top guard along with a front window guard and swing flashers come standard for enhanced jobsite safety. In addition to the rear-view camera, an optional right-side camera can be fitted, for easy safety checks around the machine.
Johnson said maintenance is made easy to ensure the machines can get back to work as quickly as possible.
“The new and improved hydraulic fluid filter in the SK850LC is regarded as the best in the industry, with a new cover that prevents contamination even when changing filters,” he said.
“Pressure sensors at the inlet and outlet of the hydraulic oil filter monitor pressure differences to assess filtration performance, triggering a warning on the cab display screen if the filter needs to be replaced.”
A standard onboard grease gun on a retractable reel makes greasing the SK850LC a fast and convenient task. Kobelco has also installed a standard onboard refuelling pump to make the process faster and safer.
To further improve machine uptime the SK850LC is equipped with Kobelco’s K-Assist system. This remote diagnostic and troubleshooting system allows local dealers to provide advanced support for the machine without a technician being present.
The system monitors key system operational data, which can provide real-time and historical monitoring of the engine and hydraulic systems. The system enables a Kobelco dealer to perform diagnostic testing and upload machine software, significantly reducing potential machine downtime.
“Our dealers are second to none,” Johnson said. “We have a large footprint throughout Australia, with a presence in every state and territory,” he said.
“They have factory-trained technicians and access to our national parts division, with more than $20 million worth of spare parts available.
“Last year, Kobelco was the top heavy excavator supplier in Australia – it was an enormous achievement and we are striving to continue this growth.” •
For more information, visit kobelco.com.au