Maximum flexibility in the making - the new Rusch RS4500

D&Ri was given a preview of the next offering to come from the workshops of specialist Rusch in early November just before this year's World Demolition Summit.

A true multifunctional machine, the RS4500, based extremely loosely on a Hitachi 870 original carrier, is in the final stages of construction and will begin testing and evaluation in February. Photographs do not give a true sense of the scale of the machine - take it from me, it is huge!

The design is such that it will be able to carry a four section articulated boom, a three stage telescopic boom or a heavy duty digging arm. The boom foot can be used to lift its own tracks for assembly/disassembly for transport .

The additional counterweighting also hydraulically lifts and locks into place. The pictured model shows the machine in its articulated configuration and D&Ri will report fully on the completed machine in the next issue. A video of Rusch's concept can be seen at www.khl.com/demolition.