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A crawler excavator and hydraulic breaker from Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) are proving to be a perfect duo for Simken Land Works Ltd in Auckland, New Zealand. The ECR145C crawler excavator and HB14 hydraulic breaker from Volvo CE are breaking and processing concrete to size at the company's recycling depot in Brookby. 

“We chose Volvo over other brands due to its reputation, availability of parts, dealer support and the high performance of its machines,” said Simon Lee, director of Simken Land Works Ltd. “The 15-ton ECR145C excavator is a good size for our work in confined spaces, particularly where we are undertaking drilling and piling.”

On site since November 2016, the ECR145C excavator works on both earthmoving and recycling sites of Simken Land Works, be it loading trucks, drilling holes for retaining, lifting blocks for retaining walls or breaking and stockpiling concrete.

Lee said that the ECR145C's short tail swing with its high lift makes work easier in tighter areas. 

“It's amazing that despite its size, the ECR145C actually has a large capacity and power to transport things quickly,” he said. “Having the flexibility of different attachment settings from the factory settings makes changing attachments much easier, particularly when going from a grab to a breaker or drill unit.”

Simken Land Works Ltd uses the ECR145C with a Volvo HB14 breaker for a range of breaking work. On site, the HB14 helps to quickly reduce large concrete structures, to a size that can then be crushed into recycled aggregate. With a length of 2,285 mm, the HB14 is part of Volvo's hydraulic breakers (HB) series. 

The HB series breakers for medium and large size machines have operating weights between 909 kg to 6,031 kg. The 11 breakers in Volvo's HB14 to HB70 series work together in perfect harmony with Volvo's excavators. The HB breaker series are self-greasing and encased in a fully sealed housing, which protects the power cell, prolongs their lifespan and reduces noise. Their hydraulic systems are protected from pressure spikes by capacity accumulators, which increase impact power.

“Our operators love working with Volvo CE machines,” Lee said. “The boom float function is exceptional, especially when utilising the breaker as it limits stress on the machine. The arm can move freely, while knowing there is a consistent weight on the tip of the breaker.”

Established in 2016, Simken Land Works Ltd, is headed by Simon Lee and David Kenny. Based in Brookby, a rural suburb in Auckland, New Zealand, the company is focused on concrete recycling and general earthworks. The company produces quality recycled concrete aggregates which are utilised in the general earthwork projects.

All Volvo machines were purchased from Volvo CE's local dealer partner Transdiesel. 

“Dealer support has been excellent ever since we started working with Transdiesel,” Lee said. “We have no complaints on the machines and the dealers. That's how perfect the combination is – great machines and excellent aftermarket support – we are very satisfied.”