Since acquiring its first Volvo excavator five years ago Skillings Crushing Company Ltd has increased the Volvo portfolio with a range of excavators and most recently with a new bespoke forty eight tonne EC480E rigged for heavy duty demolition applications.
The new EC480E carries on a line of machines in this size category with an EC460B delivered ten years ago and a C version delivered five years since that has clocked up 10000 hours of reliable service. The latest E model comes complete with Volvo’s factory fitted full demolition package. The specification includes SIPS protection along the superstructure, slew ring guard, a full FOGS guard over the operator’s cab and guarding for both the boom and bucket cylinders. To facilitate the use of hydraulically operated attachments the machine also benefits from the addition of an optional rotating circuit besides the hammer / shear circuit which comes as standard. The EC480E has also been supplied with a hydraulic quick hitch to pick up on the variety of tools in the Skillings Crushing arsenal of attachments.
A unique feature which can be found on all of the company’s excavators is the fitting of special protection plates for the tracks. The new EC480E which is mounted on 600mm plates also sports this feature which is designed to prevent reinforcement bar from damaging the underside of the machine’s superstructure. Quite simply if a track throws up a length of ‘re-bar’ the heavy duty Hardox plates literally chops it up before it has a chance to travel along the topside of the tracks.
Powered by a Volvo 13 litre Tier IV compliant engine developing 371 hp and a maximum torque of 1890 NM at just 2350r/min the EC480E delivers high digging and breakout forces alongside reduced emissions and maximum fuel efficiency. The machine’s hydraulics is perfectly matched to the engine and is controlled by an advanced system which provides on-demand flow and reduces power losses within the circuit. Volvo’s unique ECO mode contributes up to 9% of the machine’s total efficiency – without any loss of performance in most operating conditions. As well as improving fuel efficiency, this increases controllability for more precise performance. Otherwise, Volvo’s integrated work mode system offers the operator a choice of five work modes according to the task in hand – I (Idle), F (Fine), G (General), H (Heavy) or P (Power max) – for optimum efficiency and machine performance. When the controls have been inactive for a pre-set amount of time, the excavator can be programmed to automatically reduce engine speed or even shut down to further reduce fuel consumption and noise. Operators can keep track of both current and average fuel consumption via a simple gauge in the cab.
Fitted with a heavy duty 7.0m boom and 3.35m dipper arm the EC480E has a digging depth of 7.8 metres and a reach of 12.1 metres with a generous load over height of 7.5 metres. Thus configured the machine provides a breakout force of 284 kN and a tearout force of 220kN.
Skillings Crushing Company Limited with its headquarters at Padiham in Lancashire was established by proprietor David Skillings sixteen years ago. The company’s mission is to provide a high quality, cost effective heavy duty demolition operation throughout the United Kingdom. In particular, Skillings offers a specialist demolition and crushing service to developers and companies such as those involved in large scale demolition
projects and remediation. This process quite often involves breaking former foundations to prepare a base for the new developer. In some cases, there is a major transformation of the land, sometimes even contaminated land, from Brownfield to Greenfield. Usually, crushing takes place on-site creating a re-useable aggregate which can then be processed into sizes that are suitable for a variety of uses i.e. road construction, capping and drainage. Within the last 12 months the company estimates to have handled and crushed in excess of 500000m³ of concrete.
