iGround Control visits two quarries in Poland and Belgium to find that they were using two very different Hitachi models as part of their production strategies…
DSS Group’s Hitachi ZX670LC‑5 started work at the 40‑hectare Pilawa Górna quarry in Lower Silesia in January 2013
DSS is the largest domestic producer of crushed aggregates for infrastructure projects in Poland and it opened this quarry in 2007
The quarry is a source for amphibolite (a metamorphic rock) and migmatite (a mixture of metamorphic and igneous rock), and is licensed for the next 30 years
The Pilawa Górna plant can produce up to five million tonnes of aggregates per annum that are mainly used for the production of asphalt, foundations and concrete
DSS manager Janusz Rydz: “Hitachi excavators are very reliable and durable. The ZX670LC‑5 has enhanced the level of productivity on this site. Our aim is to reduce the cost of every tonne of stone extracted”
Operator Boleslaw Gazda: “The controls in the ZX670LC‑5 are ergonomic and user friendly, and the seat is perfect. It is very stable, and also fast and precise thanks to the efficiency of the hydraulic system”
Ciment Belge Reuni’s (CBR) Hitachi EX1900‑6 started work at the 30‑hectare Romont quarry in the Liège province in January 2013
CBR is part of the Heidelberg Cement Group and it opened this quarry in 1974
The quarry is a source for marl deposits, which consist of a lime‑rich mudstone with variable amounts of clay and silt, and is licensed for the next 20 years
CBR supplies 2.2 million tonnes of chalk materials to the Lixhe plant, which makes 1.6 million tonnes of cement annually
CBR manager Samuel Wittemans: “We are very happy with the EX1900‑6. In my opinion, the Hitachi offers the best compromise for cost, support service and technical specification”
Operator Johan Duplessis: “It is smooth to operate, the controls are user friendly and within easy reach. The loading cycle is fast and this is a powerful piece of equipment for this quarry”
