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Hitachi digs deep into gravel pits for Swiss firm Scrasa

Swiss civil engineering company Scrasa has made a successful investment in a Hitachi ZX470LCH-5 as the main production machine for its sand and gravel pit. The large Zaxis-5 excavator was delivered to Scrasa’s Satigny site on the outskirts of Geneva by the country’s Hitachi dealer, Probst Maveg. The ZX470LCH-5 is part of a fleet of machinery that includes two ZX225USLC-5s, a ZX135US-5 and a ZX85USBLC-5, but it is the only machine based at Satigny. Scrasa said the ZX470LCH-5 plays a key role in the excava
July 15, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
New Hitachi excavator at Swiss quarry site
Swiss civil engineering company Scrasa has made a successful investment in a Hitachi ZX470LCH-5 as the main production machine for its sand and gravel pit. The large Zaxis-5 excavator was delivered to Scrasa’s Satigny site on the outskirts of Geneva by the country’s Hitachi dealer, Probst Maveg.

The ZX470LCH-5 is part of a fleet of machinery that includes two ZX225USLC-5s, a ZX135US-5 and a ZX85USBLC-5, but it is the only machine based at Satigny. Scrasa said the ZX470LCH-5 plays a key role in the excavation of up to 1,500tonnes of mixed materials per day onto two trucks for a 2km haul to the yard.

This helps Scrasa to produce 200,000 tonnes of washed materials for general building construction and a further 200,000tonnes of recycled materials for road construction and concrete production per year. The four sizes of aggregates are 0.4, 4/8, 8/16 and 16/32mm.

After testing the ZX470LCH-5 against three other brands, Scrasa opted to add to its 233 Hitachi line-up. Operator Pascal Notelle said that the machine is well suited to working in the sand and gravel pit. “There are many different layers, including compact and hard soil, but the ZX470LCH-5 is able to dig into all of the material easily,” he said.

“I also have to mix the different grades by dragging the bucket down the face of the pit and the machine has more than enough power to complete this task. The ZX470LCH-5 is strong, fast and smooth, especially for loading the trucks and for a machine of its size. The cab is comfortable and spacious and I really like the adjustable air-suspension seat. I also find that the monitor is easy to use and understand for technical information and the camera is also left switched on for safety purposes. As well as being a stunning machine to look at, it’s also very economical for fuel consumption.”

Jean Marc Zuccalli, responsible for managing the operations on the site, said the ZX470LCH-5 helps ensure that the layered materials are mixed to produce high-quality aggregate. “The operator has time between loading trucks to sort the materials in this way,” he said.

“It is also very important that this machine has an integrated diesel particulate filter, so that we comply with the environmental standards. We are very conscious of our responsibilities for sustainability, which is why we clean the materials and recycle using the best possible methods, so that future generations will still benefit from our natural resources,” said Zuccalli.

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