Echle’s multi-purpose package – a modified Volvo EC380DL
30 July 2012
German modifier Echle Hartstahl has supplied Swiss contractor Huber AG, based in Wöschnau, with a Volvo EC380DL that has been modified to carry a three piece boom that allows it to function in high reach, long reach and excavator modes. The two lower sections hydraulically lock in position - straight for demolition, at a 17.5° angle for long reach and 35° for earth-moving, and it carry a 4.5 tonne tool and Oil-Quick coupler to 18 m (59 ft) in demolition mode. A three piece demolition boom is also available that can reach 27 m (88.6 ft) carrying a 3 tonne attachment. The special linkage design between the two means that no hydraulic hoses have to be disconnected when changing the angle between the two.
The undercarriage has been lengthened to 4.5 m (14.8 ft) and a hydraulic extending undercarriage system extends the tracks out from a transport width of 3 m (9.9 ft) to 4.3 m (14.1 ft) to ensure stability.
The cab is fitted with a hydraulic riser that lifts it 2m (6.6 ft) to a height of almost 5 m (16.4 ft) and it can tilt by up to 35°. A modular counterweight is used by Echle, which consists of two additional 2 tonne weights - with the modifications, the result is a total machine weight of 57 tonnes. A special feature required by Huber is a 1 m (3.3 ft) high adapter that can be mounted between the undercarriage and the upper structure to allow the machine to operate from riverbeds in long reach and earthmoving modes.
