Large Hitachi wheel loaders make their debut in Italy
Created 12/07/2010, 04:20:46 pm
Equipped with powerful yet economical engines, they have been designed to offer enhanced efficiency, increased productivity and reduced running costs. Each model has Torque Proportional Differential, which makes them ideal for working on uneven terrain.
The first ZW550 was supplied by the dealer’s Massa Carrara branch to FB Cave, a subsidiary of Furrer, which operates a mountain-top marble quarry in Betogli, near Carrara. Annual production at this site reaches up to 20,000 tonnes, which represents a third of the company’s total production.
The ZW550 is used in all parts of the extraction process. It removes small rocks placed beneath large blocks of marble that are extracted by a Hitachi EX800H excavator. It can also be used with a fork attachment to transport the blocks around the site and load trucks for transporting the high-quality marble to Furrer’s factory in nearby Avenza.
Operator Miki Venturini says: “The ZW550 is ideal for this site, which requires wheel loaders with excellent stability and that are capable of carrying heavy loads. Traction is also very important.
“The ZW550’s tyres are specific to the work that is done here and the machine has other important features suitable for working in a marble quarry. It can manoeuvre around the site quickly and easily, and can carry heavy loads of up to 40 tonnes.”
The quarry has three Hitachi machines including the EX800H and a ZX520LCH-3. “The customer invested in the new Hitachi wheel loader because they were satisfied with its advanced technology,” says SCAI Massa Carrara Branch Manager Alfredo Italiani.
The first ZW370 in Italy was delivered to an aggregates quarry in Casal Selce outside Rome, which is owned by Gruppo Mezzanotte. The 20-hectare quarry produces 9,000 tonnes of aggregates per day. Up to 95 per cent is used for concrete, the remainder is used for asphalt production.
The ZW370 is the latest addition to the group’s Hitachi fleet, which includes two ZW310 wheel loaders, and one ZX870-3, three ZX470-3 and two ZX60USB-3 excavators.
“The company tested and bought the ZW370, because the owner, Maurizio Mezzanotte, could see that it’s a versatile machine – especially when considering factors such as speed, productivity and fuel consumption,” says SCAI Rome Sales Manager Gianni Capuano.
With a five cubic-metre bucket capacity, the ZW370 loads articulated dump trucks with sand from a conveyor. It is then transported to on-site stockpiles. The wheel loader also loads smaller trucks, which transport the sand to customers within a 30km radius.
Both Gruppo Mezzanotte and Furrer are satisfied with the performance of the new Hitachi large wheel loaders, and SCAI is optimistic about their potential. “There are 2,800 quarries in the Mediterranean region, so this represents a promising market for the ZW330, ZW370 and ZW550,” says SCAI Sales Manager Antonio Bauleo.
Bron: hcme.com
