When was the first hydraulic excavator made?
In 1897, the Kilgore Machine Company of America produced the Direct Acting excavator, the first all hydraulic excavator. This used four direct acting steam cylinders, doing away entirely with cables and chains.
How long have excavators been around?
The excavators we know and love to dig with today have grown out of 140 years of development. The late 1800s saw the realisation that hydraulic force can aid digging applications. From there, what might be considered a descendant of modern excavators was developed. Before the 1880s, excavators were cabled.
How does a hydraulic excavator work?
The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. They are a natural progression from the steam shovels and often mistakenly called power shovels. All movement and functions of a hydraulic excavator are accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid, with hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors.
Who made the first mini excavator?
Spurred on by this demand, the Yanmar Construction Company produced the first mini excavator, the YNB 300. Its small frame and wheeled chassis allowed it to operate in more confined spaces and it was soon in widespread use.
When was the modern excavator invented?
The very first excavator to use hydraulic technology was built in 1882 by Sir W. G. Armstrong & Company in England, where it was used in construction of the Hull docks.
Who invented the modern excavator?
Some fifty years later, Sir W. G. Armstrong built the first excavator using hydraulics, where it was used in the construction of docks. It was steam powered, but also employed cables with only hydraulic actuation on one function.
How old is the excavator?
Although they are seen as a relatively modern invention, the history of the excavator reaches back almost two hundred years. Each stage of their development has been driven by a boom in industry and construction requiring increasingly complex mechanised solutions.
Who invented the 360 excavator?
TAKEUCHI CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD'S FIRST 360 DEGREE COMPACT EXCAVATOR. Takeuchi Japan (September 1, 2021): It was 1968 when Mr. Akio Takeuchi, founder of Takeuchi manufacturing was approached by a business partner and builder to design and build a machine that would replace pickaxes and shovels.
How fast can an excavator drive?
Wheeled excavators can travel up to 22 miles per hour and can cross paved surfaces between jobsites easily. This mobility comes in handy and can greatly improve productivity when you have multiple tasks to achieve around a large worksite.
Who made the first mini excavator?
Richard SmalleyRichard Smalley is credited with being the inventor of the world's first mini excavator in 1959, although now superseded by tracked derivations of the compact excavator at the concept was highly successful in allowing a compact and cost effective machine, with these 'walking' or 'tow-behind' excavators having been sold ...
How much is an old excavator worth?
With 2,500 hours and five years of use, a medium-sized excavator would cost around $50,000 and $100,000. If you opt for a two-year-old mid-sized excavator, you will pay from $75,000 to $125,000 depending on its condition.
How strong is an excavator?
A mini (or compact) excavator can handle up to six metric tons (or 13,227 pounds). A mid-sized excavator handles 6-10 metric tons (or 22,046 pounds) and the standard (or full-size) excavator is equipped to lift up to 10 - 90 metric tons (or 22,046 - 198,416 pounds).
What is the biggest excavator in the world?
Caterpillar 6090 FS Excavator1 - Caterpillar 6090 FS Excavator At an operating weight of an astounding 1,000 tonnes, the 6090 FS is the world's largest excavator.
Why are excavator cabs on the left?
On an excavator the cab mounting platform at the front left-hand corner of the machine has to be able to support the entire weight of the machine, as well as provide structural integrity to the ROPS to protect the operator.
What does JCB stand for?
Joseph Cyril BamfordJCB (company)TypePrivate companyFounderJoseph Cyril BamfordHeadquartersRocester, Staffordshire, England, UKKey peopleAnthony Bamford (Chairman) Graeme Macdonald (Chief Executive)ProductsBackhoes Excavators Dumpster Forklift trucks Loaders Telescopic handlers Tractors Diesel engines Diesel generators Axles and Gearboxes7 more rows
Is a Trackhoe and excavator the same thing?
An excavator is a type of machine used for digging. It has a chassis, digging bucket, boom, and dipper, and it typically moves with wheels and tracks. Excavators that use tracks are most commonly referred to as “trackhoes.” An excavator has a digging arm designed to dig up and lift heavy materials.
What did Otis invented?
the steam shovelWilliam Smith Otis invented the steam shovel in 1835 when he was just 22 years old. As no records exist for any powered construction machine operating before this date, the Otis shovel is recognized as the grandfather of all construction machines.
What is the biggest excavator in the world?
Caterpillar 6090 FS Excavator1 - Caterpillar 6090 FS Excavator At an operating weight of an astounding 1,000 tonnes, the 6090 FS is the world's largest excavator.
What is the best brand of excavator?
The Top 5 Excavator Brands for Reliability and SafetyKobelco. Kobelco has been around since 1930 when the company was first founded in Japan. ... Caterpillar. It's hard to think of excavators without thinking of Caterpillar. ... Sumitomo. Sumitomo, like Kobelco has its roots in Japan. ... Hyundai. ... Yanmar.
When did the mini excavator come out?
Fact #4: The first mini-excavator was manufactured in 1968. Yanmar began manufacturing the first mini-excavator in 1968, followed in 1971 by Takeuchi. Mini-excavators were not introduced to America until the early 1980s by Bobcat. IHI also began producing these machines in the 1980s.
What is excavator in construction?
Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, dipper (or stick), bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the "house". The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. They are a natural progression from the steam shovels and often mistakenly called power shovels. All movement and functions of a hydraulic excavator are accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid, with hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors. Due to the linear actuation of hydraulic cylinders, their mode of operation is fundamentally different from cable-operated excavators which use winches and steel ropes to accomplish the movements.
When was the first zero tail excavator invented?
In 1993 Yanmar launched the world's first Zero Tail Swing excavator, which allows the counterweight to stay inside the width of the tracks as it slews, thus being safer and more user friendly when used in a confined space. This type of machine is now widely used throughout the world.
How much does a Caterpillar excavator weigh?
The smaller ones are called mini or compact excavators. For example, Caterpillar's smallest mini-excavator weighs 2,060 pounds (930 kg) and has 13 hp; their largest model is the largest excavator available (developed and produced by the Orenstein & Koppel, Germany, until the takeover 2011 by Caterpillar, named »RH400«), the CAT 6090, which weighs in excess of 2,160,510 pounds (979,990 kg), has 4500 hp, and a bucket as large as 52.0 m³.
What is a 360 degree excavator?
Excavators are also called diggers, JCBs (a proprietary name, in an example of a generic trademark ), mechanical shovels, or 360-degree excavators (sometimes abbreviated simply to "360"). Tracked excavators are sometimes called "trackhoes" by analogy to the backhoe. In the UK and Ireland, wheeled excavators are sometimes known as "rubber ducks".
How many pumps are needed for an excavator?
Generally, the 3 pumps used in excavators consist of 2 variable displacement piston pumps and a gear pump. The arrangement of the pumps in the excavator unit changes with different manufacturers using different formats.
What are the parts of an excavator?
The three main sections of an excavator are the undercarriage, the house and the arm (also boom is used). The undercarriage includes tracks, track frame, and final drives, which have a hydraulic motor and gearing providing the drive to the individual tracks.
Why do excavators have counterweights?
Before the 1990s, all excavators had a long or conventional counterweight that hung off the rear of the machine to provide more digging force and lifting capacity. This became a nuisance when working in confined areas. In 1993 Yanmar launched the world's first Zero Tail Swing excavator, which allows the counterweight to stay inside the width of the tracks as it slews, thus being safer and more user friendly when used in a confined space. This type of machine is now widely used throughout the world.
What is the YNB 300?
Consequently, laborers are forced to use pickaxes and shovels. The YNB 300 was Yanmar Construction Company’s answer to this issue. The wheeled self-propelled mini excavator is not only able to fit onto the tight construction sites, but is the world’s first mini excavator.
When were excavators cabled?
Before the 1880s, excavators were cabled. While cabled excavators were still in operation, hydraulic excavators are more widely popular for a broader range of applications. It’s widely acknowledged that W.G. Armstrong & Co.’s was one of the first companies to produce a hydraulic excavator used in a practical application.
What companies made mini diggers?
Other companies worldwide felt the pressure. By the mid 1980s, multiple companies including JCB, Kubota, Beresford, and Manitou, had released their own mini diggers. Meanwhile, technology and machinery solutions continued to develop and improve.
Why is civil engineering under pressure?
As a result, the civil engineering sector was under pressure to create new houses in built up areas. The issue they face is that excavators would relieve the pressure faced by demands for shorter construction times, but the machinery won’t fit on most of the construction sites.
When were hydraulic excavators invented?
The First Hydraulic Excavators. The excavators we know and love to dig with today have grown out of 140 years of development. The late 1800s saw the realisation that hydraulic force can aid digging applications. From there, what might be considered a descendant of modern excavators was developed.
What technology has been used in the last five years?
The last five or so years have seen developments in autonomous digging technology, gps and geo location technology, and the use of electric and alternative fuel solutions.
When was the Vio40 made?
The 1998 release of the ViO40 by Yanmar, the world’s first zero tailswing excavator, marked the start of the development of smaller, more efficient excavators. Following this, the 2010s saw the start of the commonplace use of hybrid technology in Plant Machinery Operation. This technology allowed the industry to produce more efficient machines ...
When was the first hydraulic excavator invented?
It was in 1948, at the end of the Second World War, a period of economic and industrial recovery, that they designed and built the first prototype of an excavator with a pump and hydraulic jacks: a product for which later, in September 1951, the brothers obtained a patent for the invention of what we now know most commonly as the first hydraulic excavator in the world.
Who made the wheel excavators in Turin?
In 1930, the two brothers, Carlo and Mario Bruneri, started repairing and manufacturing tipping trucks, tractors and later building machines in the Turin suburbs, specifically wheel excavators and hydraulic crawlers.
What is the first 100% hydraulic excavator?
Despite the interruption of collaboration between the two brothers, the Bruneri hydraulic excavator is to be considered the first 100% hydraulic excavator in the world, an all-Italian pride.
When was the Yumbo excavator demolished?
In 1963 , the engineering brothers demolished the wall of the 1000 hydraulic excavators produced in their factories and, thanks to the experience passed on to the French manufacturer, contributed to the worldwide diffusion of the hydraulic excavator branded Yumbo.
Overview
Configurations
Modern hydraulic excavators come in a wide variety of sizes. The smaller ones are called mini or compact excavators. For example, Caterpillar's smallest mini-excavator weighs 2,060 pounds (930 kg) and has 13 hp; their largest model is the largest excavator available (developed and produced by the Orenstein & Koppel, Germany, until the takeover 2011 by Caterpillar, named »RH400«), the …
Terminology
Excavators are also called diggers, JCBs (a proprietary name, in an example of a generic trademark), mechanical shovels, or 360-degree excavators (sometimes abbreviated simply to "360"). Tracked excavators are sometimes called "trackhoes" by analogy to the backhoe. In the UK and Ireland, wheeled excavators are sometimes known as "rubber ducks".
Excavator attachments
Hydraulic excavator capabilities have expanded far beyond excavation tasks with buckets. With the advent of hydraulic-powered attachments such as a breaker, a grapple or an auger, the excavator is frequently used in many applications other than excavation. Many excavators feature a quick coupler for simplified attachment mounting, increasing the machine's utilization on the jobsite. Excavators are usually employed together with loaders and bulldozers. Most wheeled, co…
Notable manufacturers
• 14. oktobar
• Bobcat Company
• Bucyrus International
• Case CE
• Caterpillar Inc.
See also
Types of excavator
• Compact excavator
• Dragline excavator
• Long reach excavator
• Amphibious excavator
External links
• Media related to Excavators at Wikimedia Commons