63
EQUIPMENT
Hitachi
Following its launch
in Japan, Hitachi’s
22 tonne ZH210LC-5
hybrid excavator has
been launched in
Europe and is said to
offer 31% fuel savings.
Sandy Guthrie
reports.
Hitachi salesmanagerWilbert
Blom said that the hybridmachine
was being targeted at customers
whowould use it in the best way
to benefit from the technology.He
said, “You need swingmovement
ofmore than 40% to get the
benefits, for example loading
trucks, wastemanagement, etc.
Using ourGPS system, we can
target customers by analysing the
usage, and help our dealers by
providing the data.
“Other contractors want to be
seen to be green,” he added.
The ZH210LC-5 also has an
electric power assist systemwhich
is used for small swing operations.
It uses energy from electric
swingmotors to carry out such
movements, further reducing the
machine’s fuel consumption.
The ZH210LC-5 includes
amonitoring system, which
highlights fuel consumption and
energy usage on an average hourly
and daily basis.This gives the
operator an accurate indication
of themachine’s efficiency and
encourages greater awareness of
economic operating techniques.
A hybridmodel fromHitachi
has been available in Japan, and it
was thismachine that was shown
at the Intermat show inParis two
years ago, and last year’s Bauma
exhibition inGermany.
In the period leading up to
the launch of themodel for the
Europeanmarket, it underwent a
rigorous winter test in the Arctic
Circle under the supervision of
Finnish contractorMaansiirtoliike
Kemppe.
Themachinewas used for
earthmoving and truck loading
in temperatures as low as -30°C,
on a road construction project
inRovaniemi, alongside the
contractor’s existing fleet of
conventional Zaxis-3 and -5
excavators.
MaansiirtoliikeKemppe owner
TuomoKemppe, said, “The hybrid
machine is very quiet and easy
to operate, the swingmotion is
smooth and responsive, and the
fuel consumption is certainly
favourable in comparison to our
othermachines working on the
same site.”
Operator Kari Saraniemi added,
“The swingmotion on the hybrid
excavatormeans that it is even
more smooth and precise than a
conventionalmachine. In addition,
it is less noisy in the cab and the
fuel consumption is excellent.”
iC
H
itachi has launched its
first hybrid excavator in
Europe.The 22 tonne
ZH210LC-5 hybrid is said to
offer the same efficiency and
smooth swingmotions of the
company’s standardZaxis-5
models, while reducing fuel
consumption by up to -31%
compared to the previous
generation of Zaxis-3machines..
Themain power plant is a
122 kW, 4-cylinder Isuzu Stage
IIIB-compliant engine, the same
unit that is used in otherHitachi
excavators of a comparable size. In
addition to this, the ZH210LC-5
hybrid incorporates technologies
from hydraulic, electric and
battery-powered excavators.
The result is theTriasHX system,
which is based on the standard
Trias hydraulic system found
on the Zaxis-5 excavators.The
key difference on the hybrid is
a slewingmotor which acts as a
generator to capture energywhen
braking the rotation of the upper
structure.This energy is transferred
to capacitors via a Power Control
Unit where it is stored for future
use in helping the engine to
accelerate ormoving the upper
structure.
may 2014
international
construction
European hybrid launch
