Durability testing at mining giant Rio Tinto mining site in Australia and contribution to the realisation of circular economy

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6305 President and Executive Officer: Masafumi Senzaki, “Hitachi Construction Machinery”) is pleased to announce the development of an enhanced boom Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. has announced the development of an improved boom and arm for its ultra-large hydraulic excavators, which will increase service life by 1.5 times compared to previous models. The durability of the boom and arm has been enhanced by expanding the applicability of steel castings to the connecting parts and reinforcing welding strength and thickness. The boom also features an access hole for easier inspection. These improvements will result in reduced repair downtime and lower maintenance costs for customers. The new design will be standard equipment on the EX5600-7 backhoe excavator from March 2025 and will gradually be applied to other applicable excavator models.

Durability tests will be carried out at the Brockman 4 iron ore mine in Australia, operated by Rio Tinto, from August 2023 to monitor the load on the boom and arm using Load Index. Hitachi Construction Machinery aims to extend the service life of ultra-large hydraulic excavators by 1.5 times through collaboration with customers like Rio Tinto, strengthening the service system for mining equipment, and improving remanufacturing technology to contribute to the circular economy.

The company is also committed to reducing CO2 emissions by extending the service life of its machines. As more than 400 tons of CO2 are generated each time an ultra-large hydraulic excavator is scrapped, it is urgent to address this issue in achieving carbon neutrality. Hitachi Construction Machinery is ramping up efforts to realize a circular economy by reducing CO2 emissions through remanufacturing used parts such as hydraulic equipment and cylinders. The improved durability of the boom and arm eliminates the bottleneck in reducing CO2 emissions and extending the service life of the machines.

Going forward, Hitachi Construction Machinery plans to expand its value chain business, including parts and services, rentals, used equipment, and parts and body remanufacturing, to reduce waste and CO2 emissions from scrapping machines and contribute to the realization of the circular economy.

Some of the key features of these Hydraulic Excavators:

• Comparison of the lifespan of boom and arm on conventional ultra-large hydraulic excavators and lifespan of boom and arm with reinforced durability. Not the same as the standard warranty duration.
  (Patent pending)
• Circular economy: Not just a reuse economy aimed at recycling resources and environmental conservation, but a social system with economic development.
• Calculated as the average amount of steel material per Hitachi Construction Machinery ultra-large hydraulic excavator with an operating weight of 120t-800t × CO2 emissions of 1.8t per 1t steel.

For more details, visit: https://www.hitachicm.com/