6 CONSTRUCTION MACHINES 6 Excavators

EXCAVATORS
• Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick,

bucket and cab on a rotating platform (known as the "house").
• The house sits at the top of an undercarriage with tracks or wheels.
• All movement and functions of a hydraulic excavator are accomplished

through the use of hydraulic fluid, with hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic
motors.
CONSTRUCTION MACHINES
EXCAVATORS PARTS
EXCAVATORS (TERMINOLOGY)
• Excavators are also called diggers, JCBs, mechanical shovels, or 360-
degree excavators (sometimes abbreviated simply to 360).
• Tracked excavators are sometimes called "trackhoes" by analogy to the

backhoe.
• In UK, wheeled excavators are sometimes called "rubber ducks.
EXCAVATORS (USAGE)
➢Excavators are used in many ways:
• Digging of trenches, holes, foundations
• Material handling
• Brush cutting with hydraulic attachments
• Forestry work
• Demolition
EXCAVATORS (USAGE)
• General grading/landscaping
• Heavy lift, e.g. lifting and placing of pipes
• Mining, especially, but not only open-pit mining
• River dredging
• Driving piles, in conjunction with a pile driver
EXCAVATORS (CONFIGURATIONS)
• Excavators come in a wide variety of sizes.
• The smaller ones are called mini or compact excavators.
• Engines in excavators drive hydraulic pumps;
• there are usually 3 pumps:
• the two main pumps are for supplying oil at high pressure (up to 5000 psi)
for the rams,
• swing motor,
• rack motors,
• and accessories,
• and the third is a lower pressure (700 psi) pump for Pilot Control.
• The two main sections of an excavator are the
• undercarriage
• house.
• The undercarriage includes;
• the blade (if fitted),
• tracks,
• track frame,
• and final drives.
EXCAVATORS (UNDERCARRIAGE)
• The house includes;
• the operator cab,
• counterweight,
• engine,
• fuel
• and hydraulic oil tanks.
• The house attaches to the undercarriage by way of a centre pin, allowing
the machine to slew 360° unhindered.
• The main boom attaches to the house, and can be one of several different
configurations.
EXCAVATORS (THE HOUSE)
• There are two main types of "Control" configuration generally use in excavators
to control the boom and bucket,
• both of which spread the four main digging controls between two x-y joysticks.
• This allows a skilled operator to control all four functions simultaneously.
• The most popular configuration in the US is the SAE controls configuration
• while in other parts of the world, the ISO control configuration is more
common.
TYPES OF EXCAVATORS
• There are many types of excavators;
• smaller machines handle digging and drilling functions,
• while larger excavators have different tools for heavy-duty projects.
• The most common excavator types are
• crawlers,
• dragline excavators,
• suction excavators,
• skid steer,
• and long reach excavators.
CRAWLER EXCAVATOR
• Unlike other large excavators that run on wheels, crawlers run on large
two endless tracks
• Crawlers are often used in mining and heavy-duty construction jobs.
• Also known as compact excavators, these excavators use hydraulic power

mechanisms to lift heavy debris and soil.
CRAWLER EXCAVATORS
• Their chain wheel system allows them to slide down and scale hills with
less risk, making them suitable for grading hilly areas and landscaping
uneven terrain.
• While slower than other excavators, crawlers provide overall greater

balance, flexibility, and stability.
CRAWLER EXCAVATORS
DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR
• The dragline excavator is a larger excavator that operates with a different
process.
• The equipment utilizes a hoist rope system that attaches to a bucket via a
hoist coupler.
• The other side of the bucket is affixed to a dragline that runs from the
bucket to the cab.
DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR
• The hoist rope raises and lowers the bucket, while the dragline pulls the
bucket toward the driver.
• Due to their weight, draglines are often assembled on site.
• The unique system of this type of excavator is commonly used in large

scale civil engineering projects like canal dredging.
DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR
SUCTION EXCAVATORS
• Also known as vacuum excavators, these excavators feature a suction pipe
capable of letting air providing up to 400 horsepower.
• The excavator first releases a water jet to loosen the ground.
• The pipe, which contains sharp teeth at the edge, then creates a vacuum
that carries away soil and debris up to 200 miles per hour.
• A suction excavator is ideal for delicate underground applications, as it

can reduce the chance of damage by more than 50 percent.
SUCTION EXCAVATORS
SKID STEER EXCAVATORS
• Unlike standard excavators, skid steers have booms and buckets that face
away from a driver.
• This orientation allows the attachments to reach over the cab instead of
around it,
• making them useful in more narrow areas and maneuvering tricky
turns.
• They are often used for
• digging pools,
• site clearing,
• residential work,
• and debris removal, where space is more limited and objects are
spread out apart.
LONG REACH EXCAVATORS
• As its name suggests, a long reach excavator features a lengthier arm and
boom sections.
• The design allows for better operation in hard-to-reach locations.
• The excavator’s extendable arm can reach over 100 feet horizontally.
• These excavators are best used for demolition projects like structural
crumpling and breaking down walls and applications that are over a body
of water.
• Different attachments can be affixed to the arm to perform additional

jobs such as shearing, crushing, and cutting.
EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS
• An excavator’s design allows the construction equipment to be used for
many versatile purposes.
• Hydraulic cylinders, booms, arms, and attachments provide digging and
holding functionalities,
• while a house-like cab provides the driver with controls to direct the
excavator.
• A rotating platform and wheels provide the necessary mobility to lift and
remove debris from the work site.
• Excavators use a variety of hydraulic attachments that serve different
purposes.
• In addition to a bucket, other common attachments include an auger,
breaker, grapple, lamp, and quick coupler.
BUCKETS
• Buckets are the most common attachments seen on excavators.
• These steel attachments have teeth-like edges that can provide digging
and scooping capabilities.
• Buckets come in different varieties.
• The most common are
• ditching buckets — which is designed for grading stones
• and trenching buckets, which are used to dig trenches.
AUGER
• Attaching an auger allows you to bore into the ground.
• Powered by hydraulic circuits, these helical attachment have the
ability to reach over objects and drill deep holes.
• Augers come in different specifications and sizes for various
digging conditions and terrains.
• They range from 4 inches to 50 inches in length and can dig up to
32 feet.
BREAKER
• Breakers are similar to jackhammers but are much larger in size.
• With the ability to provide up to 1000 pounds of impact energy,
• these attachments are used to break into tougher surfaces like stone
and concrete.
CLAMP
• Clamps allow excavator operators to pick up large materials such as tree
stumps and concrete that are too oversized for a bucket.
• The attachments can be used with buckets or as pieces in a grapple.
• Clamps are easy to attach and detach from excavators.
COUPLER
• Couplers allow you to quickly switch between tools and attachments
without a crew.
• This is handy when you are moving between different tasks and processes
on a job site.
•END*

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EXCAVATORS

• Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick,

• The house sits at the top of an undercarriage with tracks or wheels.

• All movement and functions of a hydraulic excavator are accomplished

• Tracked excavators are sometimes called "trackhoes" by analogy to the

• In UK, wheeled excavators are sometimes called "rubber ducks.

• The smaller ones are called mini or compact excavators.

• Engines in excavators drive hydraulic pumps;

• there are usually 3 pumps:

• This allows a skilled operator to control all four functions simultaneously.

• The most popular configuration in the US is the SAE controls configuration

• Crawlers are often used in mining and heavy-duty construction jobs.

• Also known as compact excavators, these excavators use hydraulic power

• While slower than other excavators, crawlers provide overall greater

• Due to their weight, draglines are often assembled on site.

• The unique system of this type of excavator is commonly used in large

• The excavator first releases a water jet to loosen the ground.

• A suction excavator is ideal for delicate underground applications, as it

• The design allows for better operation in hard-to-reach locations.

• Different attachments can be affixed to the arm to perform additional

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