45 metres below zero

20. March 2024

AUMUND Group Field Service, SCHADE Lagertechnik

Inspection of a large excavator

This bucket chain deep-dredger has been working continuously for a Danish cement plant for 45 years now. The chain-guided boom works at a steep angle of inclination of up to 50 degrees, achieving a reclaim height of 45m. The digger weighs about 1,200 tonnes and carries out its deep-cut operations under water. The capacity of each individual bucket is 1.73 m³. This is the method of chalk extraction used at this plant for cement production, at a capacity of 1,700 tph.

Bucket chain excavators are not only robust but also have a particularly long service lifespan, despite working in continuous operation. The first diggers of this type were used in the construction of the Suez Canal more than 140 years ago. This large bucket chain excavator works frontally and is today mounted on rails. It is one of the most high-performing excavators in minerals extraction anywhere in the world.

The length of service life left in the excavator in Denmark has been evaluated by an AUMUND Group team from SCHADE and Field Service, conducting an inspection of the overall condition. Subsequently, specific conversion measures which can be categorised into three periods in the life cycle of the bucket chain excavator, were planned together with the operator. This will ensure that this 1,200 tonnes heavyweight will remain a highly visible symbol of chalk extraction for a long time to come.