Ground Control 14 - Luyckx

Special featureRobert Hahn, ZX670LCH-5, Schön + Hippelein, Germany, excavatingoverburden in the Calcitwerk Heidenheim quarry“The loading cycle is fast even when emptyingthe bucket”ZAXIS-5 PUTTO THE TESTThe new Zaxis-5 range was launched to critical acclaim at the Intermatexhibition in April. Since then, these medium and large excavators havebeen distributed all over Europe by Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)NV (HCME). So, who better to ask for their initial impressions of thesenew machines than the first operators in Europe to put the latest Hitachitechnology to the test“I’ve been operating excavators for 20 years and have spentthe last two of these working with Schön + Hippelein. This hasincluded recent experience of a ZX470LCH-3 and ZX670LCH-3,which I found to be well suited to quarrying.“The ZX670LCH-5 is powerful and offers excellent handlingcapabilities for loading rocks on to EH750 dump trucks. The cabis spacious, there is more than enough legroom and the seat iscomfortable. The control panel is similar to that of a car – it isso easy to understand the functionality and operate the monitor.“Productivity is so important in a quarry and that’s why I thinkthe speed of the swing mechanism is the best thing about theZX670LCH-5. It only takes four passes to fill one of the trucksand the loading cycle is fast, even when emptying the bucket.”“All of this makes life much easier forthe operator”“Our demolition company owns two ZX350LCN-3s, with a thirdone due to be delivered soon. I have operated excavators foraround 25 years and currently run KS Engineering with mybusiness partner Tobias Kuhn. In today’s competitive market,Hitachi products represent excellent value for money, especiallyin terms of reliability and minimal downtime.“The ZX350LC-5 is the replacement for our existing model andits superior power and handling characteristics are what wewould expect from Hitachi. The cab is really comfortable, theinterior is very modern and the technology is similar to what youwould find in a car.Manfred Schöllhorn, ZX350LC-5, KS Engineering, Germany,demolishing a former US military base in Augsburg“The most impressive feature is the ergonomic design of thecontrol panel and LCD monitor. It is so easy to operate the airconditioning, rear-view camera and other functions. All of thismakes life much easier for the operator.”18 Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NVGROUND CONTROL 19