Excavators are heavy construction equipment that are used for many tasks and functions including digging and material handling, mining, river dredging, construction, forestry, demolition, and any other jobs that require the digging and moving of soil and other types of materials.
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Excavators are the workhouse of industry and one of the most common pieces of heavy equipment on construction sites around the globe. These machines are incredibly versatile and can be operated in many different types of environments ranging from the typical construction site, to rough terrain environments that require the scaling of extremely steep slopes and hillsides. versatile machines excavator operators right excavator large excavator
Excavators are designed with either wheels or tracks that allow the machine to move across a job site. There are also compact excavators as well as mini and crawler excavators, each geared to specific jobs within the construction industry. They are also constructed with a boom and stick assembly that can be affixed with many different types of attachments that can perform many tasks.
Excavator attachments include buckets, shears for demolition, augers for drilling holes, breaker hammers, rippers, and dredge pumps.
Different types of couplers are also used for quickly switching attachments when the excavator is used for different tasks. Hydraulic excavators tend to benefit most from these attachments, as these high operating weight models tend to have more net power overall and can benefit more from many more configurations when compared to compact excavators.
Most excavators use a hydraulic system to power the movement of the boom/stick/bucket assembly to perform the specific jobs required such as digging, trenching, debris removal, demolition, dredging, and many other tasks. The hydraulic system is powered by the diesel motor, but when a larger quantity of power is required, a separate Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) can be used. An HPU can be a stand-alone unit or be affixed to the backside of the excavator.
Excavators are available in four sizes: mini excavators (less than 7 tons), medium excavators (7 to 10 tons), standard size (10 to 45 tons), and larger excavators (greater than 45 tons). There are of course other types of excavators such as backhoe loaders and suction and dragline excavators.
Excavators are critical in many industries and vary in type and build depending on what specific uses they are expected to perform.
Standard excavators are one of the most popular excavators used because they are designed for the bulk of excavation jobs. They are available in sizes ranging from mini-excavators to large heavy-duty hydraulic excavators. These excavators often include a boom/stick combination, and a bucket attached to the end of the stick (or other available excavator attachments). These excavators run on two tracks that allow the weight of the excavator to be distributed more evenly and not be concentrated in one specific area. This makes this type of excavator more suited for working on soft ground and uneven terrain. They also have a cab assembly that can rotate 360 degrees. These particular machines are not always larger in size, and mini excavator models are quite popular, as well as dragline excavator units.
Digging trenches and lifting heavy debris is accomplished by the boom/stick/bucket hydraulic assembly retracting and extending. Tool attachments like buckets are available in various sizes to accommodate many different types of tasks from digging holes, deep trenching, demolition, dredging and many other heavy duty construction jobs. These excavators are ideally suited for mining construction, forestry, farming, and any other industries that require material handling capabilities.
Amphibious excavators are another one of the specialized excavator types and are used for sediments and debris that can be located at the bottom of bodies of water such as lakes, harbors, rivers, ponds, and other types of waterways. Over a period of time sedimentation begins to fill harbors, and rivers that can interfere with the passage of cargo vessels that are being used to transport materials and goods. Amphibious excavators are used to performing a function called dredging that, essentially, is the removal and transport of this sediment to a location away from the existing waterway. They are also used for control of vegetation and installing underwater cables and piping. These excavators are uniquely designed with an amphibious undercarriage, sealed pontoons, and a buoyancy tank which allows the excavator to float on the surface of the waterway. Also included in the design of this excavator are main hydraulic pumps with traveling motors to help propel the amphibious excavator through the water.
Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, arm, bucket, and cab on a rotating superstructure atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. These machines are used mainly for digging purposes as well as various lifting and carrying tasks in various applications. Together with special tools such as hydraulic breakers, cutters, shears, grapples, couplers, etc. at the end of the various boom and arm configurations, excavators can complete a wider range of jobs. They vary in size depending on what you&#;re using them for and what you're aiming for, such as productivity, fuel efficiency, and multi-functional purposes. Each size has its own purpose, and some are highly specialized.
In this article, we are going to dig a little deeper into the different excavator types and what their respective purposes are.
Types of excavator
1. Crawler excavators
Also known as general-purpose excavators, they have a bucket, boom, and arm to the front of the machine. This kind comes in a variety of sizes. It&#;s an all-around excavator which means it can be used to dig sites, demolish structures and surfaces, carry out trenching, and lift heavy objects.
2. Wheeled excavators
Wheeled excavators are general-purpose excavators. The main difference is that instead of running on tracks, they run on wheels. An advantage of a wheeled excavator is that it can be driven from one job site to another even on a road, while crawler excavators running on tracks are usually carried on a trailer for long-distance travel. This way is much more convenient, and it saves more time and cost for the company.
3. Short swing radius excavators
This is one more variation on a general-purpose excavator, with the same level of performance and usage but a short swing radius superstructure, which offers many benefits in urban and confined areas. Both crawler and wheeled types are available.
4. Long-reach excavators
Long reach excavators are the last general-purpose excavators in our series. These machines have an extended boom and arm which give a longer working range for tasks quite away from the machine that is hard to reach such as underwater digging, deep trenching, and the location of utility pipes at such a depth as to resist freezing temperatures.
5. Backhoe loaders
Another machine that you would commonly see on construction sites is the backhoe loader. It is also often used for landscaping and mining. A large bucket or blade is attached to the front of the machine and a boom, arm, and bucket at the back. The bucket or blade of the backhoe loader is used to level or push surfaces with miles of materials such as soil. The boom and arm at the back have the same purpose as a general-purpose excavator, but instead of being able to rotate 360 degrees, it only rotates about 205 degrees.
Type of excavator attachment tool
Before we identify the different excavator sizes, we must know the different attachment tools first.
Attachment tools are used with excavators to maximize work performance and utilization depending on the type of task that needs to be performed.
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Bucket
This is the most common tool for excavators. Different types of buckets have different purposes: a slim bucket is typically used for digging, while wide or smooth ones are ideal for scooping or carrying objects.
Thumb
This attachment increases the capacity of an excavator bucket. Thumbs help secure and strengthen the grip while excavating larger objects.
Augers
This attachment is usually used in landscaping and construction. Augers are supported by hydraulic spiral blades and allow the excavator to dig holes quickly and more conveniently.
Hydraulic breaker
Hydraulic breaker attachments (also known as hammers) are used to break or demolish structures, pavements, or other solid surfaces. This can be used to make the demolition quicker.
Shears
Shears are the ideal tool for demolishing buildings and steel structures, as well as for scrap and recycling applications, such as cutting metal beams, sheets, and wires.
Hydraulic quick coupler
Hydraulic quick couplers are used for efficiency. This attachment enables the excavator to switch from one tool to another, without the help of a crew to change it manually.
Ripper
Similar to the hydraulic breaker, this speeds up the demolition of structures. Rippers are what you can use to tear through strong materials. This attachment can be used in all conditions. It can even be used to tear through frozen surfaces.
Tilt-rotator
Traditionally tilt-rotators have only been used in Nordic countries but now they are becoming popular globally. It is a connection between the end of the arm and the attachment tool that enables it to rotate 360 degrees and tilt +-45 degrees. A grapple function is also included. This enables the excavator to complete a broad range of tasks in various conditions.
Now that we&#;ve discussed the different types and attachment tools of excavators, let&#;s identify the different sizes of excavators and what they&#;re used for.
Excavator size classifications
1. Compact excavators- Mini/ Midi size
Also known as mini excavators, compact excavators are typically used for projects in tight or small areas. These machines can move around in small spaces and perfect for landscaping projects such as digging holes for trees. They have little to no tail swing, which makes this machine easy to manoeuver around buildings or structures. Compact excavators are good for precise digging.
2. General-purpose excavators - Medium
This is the most common size of an excavator. Most medium excavators are suitable for any task, and they usually support any type of attachment tool. They are powerful machines, more than enough to lift or haul large materials for any project.
Weighing between five and twenty-five metric tons, they are still easy to manoeuver but could damage the soft ground or already finished projects. Depending on the size, some general-purpose excavators may also have problems when used in confined areas because of their tail swing. These usually weigh between ten and twenty-five metric tons. Medium excavators are typically used on most construction sites.
3. General-purpose excavators - Large
Large excavators are heavy-duty machines fit for projects that require a lot of power and a larger hauling capacity. They are often used on commercial construction sites and large demolition projects such as shopping malls and large-scale buildings.
Weighing more than twenty-five metric tons, large excavators can be difficult to deal with when it comes to transporting and storing, but if you usually have large projects that need heavy lifting or have big demolition projects, then this is the most appropriate size for you to use.
These are the things you need to consider before purchasing an excavator. Each size and type of excavator has its individual purpose, as well as the attachment tools. Whether in landscaping, hauling, or construction projects, this complete guide will help you identify what kind of excavator you need for your upcoming projects.