Introduction to Excavators

Excavators feature the widest range of construction and agricultural functionality when compared to any other piece of mobile industrial equipment. Excavators not only come in various operation weights but different excavator attachments allow the same machine to perform different functions. Functions such as digging, mining, screening, processing, compaction or simply moving materials are pivotal to many activities that keep a country ticking over smoothly.

Excavator Attachments for a variety of functions:

Excavator attachments are connected to the machine via couplers (sometimes known as a coupling system). The coupler has a dual function of connecting the attachment, for example a bucket, to the body of the machine as well as absorbing friction to minimise wear and tear. While the make of the excavator itself will usually have mostly universal standards the coupler will always need to be compatible with the excavator attachment.

Couplers can be powered by hydraulics or mechanics. Auto and multi-lock couplers are designed with safety in mind because these couplers allow attachment changes to occur without the operator leaving the cab. A tilt coupler works at varying angles allowing for more flexible excavating. That is to say: it allows efficient shaping of gradients and cambers without needing to reposition the excavator.

Next we need to examine the excavator attachment itself. Most typically 'buckets' would be attached to an excavator and they could come with various features to suit different jobs. For example a digging bucket is ideal for straight forward material removal whilst a grading/ditching bucket can be used for both digging and smoothing down materials. A tilt bucket can be used for backfilling, grading, ditch cleaning, slope shaving and land clearing needs; whilst a screening bucket can be used recycling, soil reclamation material sorting and processing. Lastly a lawn bucket comes in handy for smooth digging, grading and separation without the need for rotovators or hand rakes. Some manufacturers supply bucket with multiple functions available in one unit.

Apart from buckets there are many other types of excavator attachments. Rippers are a perfect tool for demolition, ripping and quarrying. Pallet forks transform your excavator into a material handling machine without the need to invest in a separate machine. A telescopic boom (sometimes known as a crane attachment) increases the reach of your excavator with a typical range of 4.5 meters.

Excavator Broad characterisation by operation weights:

A distinction also needs to be made between units regarding their capacity to handle materials of different weights. By far the largest tonnage available today would be units capable of handling up to 700 tons at a go. These are referred to as mining shovels. That being said the most common excavators usually only handle up to 6 tons or 7 tons. Mini excavators are fast becoming popular for their overall smaller size and can still handle between 1 and 5 tons. With excavation technology developing every day there is small surprise that new 'micro excavators' have emerged to fill a niche function for projects where less than 1 ton operation weights are required.

Smaller units may take longer to perform the job but they have an added advantage that they can be stored onsite if the space is available rather than at a depot. Different units will also have different transport functions and some may not be allowed to use certain roads - an important consideration for anyone managing an industrial, agricultural or construction project that may require excavators.