Earthmoving equipment distributor High Power Equipment (HPE) Africa launched the 120 t Hyundai R1200LC-9 excavator onto the South African market last month.

The company says this is the largest excavator to be launched in South Africa to date.

“The size and robustness of the Hyundai R1200LC-9 excavator makes it suitable for large earthmoving projects, especially in the harsh African climate and landscape.

“It is also more competitively priced than similar-sized competitor excavators, ultimately reducing the overhead costs of managing a larger fleet, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and reliability,” says Hyundai Heavy Industries team leader JJ Choi.

Performance
HPE Africa notes that the excavator’s Cummins QSK23-C engine was built for power, reliability and efficiency and has lower emissions than other excavators. It is a six-cylinder, turbocharged, four-cycle and water-cooled Tier II-compliant engine.

The engine combines rugged productivity with a high power density and advanced engine-management technology to deliver the lowest operating cost for a ton of any mining engine in its class, the distributor states.

The engine’s high-pressure injection fuel system results in more complete combustion for greater engine response across the entire power curve, as well as low fuel consumption.

Its in-line six-cylinder design and durability make it a good choice to repower engines of similar displacement, says HPE Africa.

It has a one-piece ferrous cast ductile iron piston and robust cylinder headwork, built to improve long-term durability and dependability.

A one-piece cast-iron block, forged-steel crankshaft and a large diameter camshaft ensure long, reliable performances between overhauls and have the capability of multiple rebuild cycles, the distributor says.

The cabin structure has been built with stronger and slimmer tubing for better safety and improved visibility. The low-stress, high-strength steel is integrally welded to form a durable upper and lower frame.

The R1200LC-9 is equipped with covers to protect the travel motors and hoses against damage from rocks.

Precision
To achieve optimum precision, Hyundai redesigned the hydraulic system to provide the operator with improved controllability. The improved pump-flow control reduces flow when controls are not being used to reduce fuel consumption.

The spool valves in the control valve are engineered to provide more precise flow to each function with less effort.

Hydraulic valves, precision-designed variable volume piston pumps, fine-touch pilot controls and enhanced travel functions make it easier to operate the machine.

Other features include arm-in and boom-down flow generation, improved control valve technology and innovative auto boom and swing priority for high performance in any application.

Profitability
One of the distinct features of the R1200LC-9 is its Hi-mate management system that provides operators and dealer service personnel with access to vital service and diagnostic information about the machine through the Internet.

Users can pinpoint machine location using digital mapping and set machine work boundaries, reducing the need for multiple service calls. “Hi-mate saves time and money for the owner and dealer by promoting preventive maintenance and reducing machine downtime,” says HPE Africa.