Volvo debuts new high-reach models - Construction & Demolition Recycling

By Brian Taylor, Senior Editor

Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) says its newly introduced high-reach excavators have been designed ”to bring customers into the future and raise the bar on strength, productivity and operator comfort across demolition applications.”

The global equipment company, based in Sweden with its United States headquarters in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, says the new EC400 High Reach and EC500 High Reach excavators respectively replace previous models and offer “a fresh design and equipped with the latest innovations to pack a punch against the competition.”

“We are committed to producing the ultimate in heavy-duty demolition machinery,” says Martijn Donkersloot, product manager for demolition equipment at Volvo CE. “These new models have been designed to efficiently respond to customer needs, which we found out after talking to many customers and operators all over the world – and because we make our own machines from start to finish, every detail has been carefully considered and improved to ensure the best possible performance.”

The new models offer a 15 percent fuel efficiency improvement because of engine pump optimization, says Volvo, and offers “better ground-level access and longer service intervals, more precise controls and a quieter working environment.”

The equipment also says its Smart View with optional obstacle detection provides a working environment that is safer for operators and other onsite workers.

Other new features include what Volvo calls “a prolonged working range brought about by an extension boom concept, which offers greater variation in which the equipment is put to work, and by the machines’ structure and hydraulic system, which have been optimized to carry heavy attachments.”

States the equipment maker, “The tailor-made Demolition Assist tool provides visual and audible alerts on working range and stability information for demolition configurations, while a high-density (HD) integrated front view camera display ensures maximized productivity and operator comfort.”

Volvo says the new high-reach units feature a “purpose-built cab [that] offers optimum visibility, perfect for high-reach demolition work.”

The machine is also ergonomically improved due to increased functionality in the control levers, like for example the optional Comfort Drive Control, tilting function for the cab and all kinds of smart switches.

The company says, “A sturdy frame and cab offer the ultimate protection against falling debris, while a high-visibility cab and carefully placed cameras ensure excellent stability and safety.”

Volvo CE says the high-reach machines offer “compatibility with [a] wide range of Volvo and external supplier attachments.”