On 5 November, Volvo Construction invited the European industry press and global key customers from all over the world to an event day called ‘Volvo in Demolition’. The event was held at Volvo’s demonstration facility in Eskilstuna, Sweden. The interesting thing about the event was that the company invited other suppliers of demolition and recycling equipment that are used with Volvo’s demolition machines or are often found on demolition sites.

 

Over 200 participants

There were at least around 200 people in attendance, with a large delegation of demolition contractors from the United States and other faraway parts of the world being especially of note. However, these did not come just to attend the Volvo event. Something called WDS, World Demolition Summit, was arranged a couple of days later at the München Brewery in Stockholm. WDS has been organised for more than ten years now with the support of several industry associations such as the European Demolition Association and the United States Demolition Association, amongst others. The Swedish Demolition Association also supported the event in Stockholm, which is organised by the British publishing house KHL. That Volvo took the opportunity to invite existing and potential customers from around the globe who were in Sweden for the WDS event thus feels logical. 

Volvo had some very interesting news to unveil with a demolition focus. It introduced two machines with straight demolition booms, an updated EC300 and a totally new EC400. Also shown were the new EC400 with a high reach demolition boom and an upgraded EC500 with high reach aggregate. The EC400 reaches up to roughly 23m and EC500 to roughly 28m.

 

Other suppliers

Before going into the details about the new machines, it should be mentioned that Volvo had arranged an outdoor demonstration show where 12 suppliers of tools and equipment – often used with Volvo’s machines - participated. These companies were Demarec, Dynaset, Genesis, Holms, Hammerglass, Husqvarna Construction, Mantovanibenne (MBI), MB Crusher, OilQuick, Open S, Rotar, Rototilt and Steelwrist. Despite the slightly chilly day, the visitors showed a great deal of interest in visiting the various outdoor stands where the suppliers’ products were demonstrated together with machines from Volvo. In another part of the outdoor area it was possible to see  Volvo’s new products in action. There wasn’t really much done in the conference room, so the participants really had the opportunity to get a good feel of the new products as most of the event took place outdoors among working machines.

 

Upgrading its straight boom demolition excavators

At the event Volvo was able to show the latest developments to its straight boom excavators with an updated EC300 and an all new EC400. These have been introduced as part of its new generation revamp which aims to deliver superior performance, greater safety and dynamic demolition strength. The new and improved 40t EC400 straight boom crawler excavator is replacing the EC380E straight boom, while the 30t EC300 straight boom is the enhanced model following the previous generation EC300E straight boom. They have both been designed to deliver the highest levels of productivity in demolition applications, all the while retaining the quality and comfort of their standard counterparts. 

In addition, thanks to an updated design that aims to bring the customer into the future, as well as a host of additional safety and performance improvements, the duo aim to be the perfect partners, delivering outstanding reach and stability on demolition jobs. “These mighty machines embody the very best in demolition strength. Starting with a solid foundation of a new modern design that provides operators with best in class comfort and visibility, we have also packed in a number of outstanding features to ensure the toughest of demolition jobs can be carried out with greater ease, safety and performance,” said Volvo CE product manager for Demolition Equipment, Martijn Donkersloot.

 

Reaching new heights

The updated machines are said to offer a height advantage with an increase in reach of approximately 30% over standard digging based models.  With a heavier counterweight, which can be easily detached using a hydraulic removal feature when moving from site to site, they also ensure stability during tall tasks. Thanks to the new generation machine base, they also enjoy a 14% improvement in fuel efficiency, and a 10% increase in engine power for the EC400 straight boom over the machine it replaces. The new state of the art cab environment is more spacious and packed with new features, designed to ensure optimum comfort and visibility. Meanwhile, improved controls, an electric joystick and travel pedal allow precise controllability for the operator. 

 

High achievers 

The significantly updated cab is designed to not only be just a comfortable and productive place to be, but also a safe one. This offers protection against falling debris with its robust roll over protection system and frame mounted Falling Object Guards, which can also be swung out to help clean the front window. There is also a 12mm thick single piece high impact resistant glass, so that the windows not only provide a clear view, but also offer the best possible protection. When combining these advantages with the machines’ stability, high visibility and durable design, the excavators are designed for efficient heavy duty demolition projects. They also come with a lifetime frame, boom and arm warranty, with Volvo aiming to be an enduring partner. Despite their impressive strength across demolition tasks, they are versatile enough to be used across a number of other tasks, such as digging, site tidy up and truck loading, even being able to load high sided trucks thanks to the extended reach of their longer booms.

Furthermore, maintenance is made easy with hydraulic oil and return filter changes extended to over 1,000h.

 

Outstanding innovation

New features also come as standard including a bigger auxiliary return line for faster attachment movements and, in what is said to be an industry first, the case drain line feeds returning oil back into the tank and not to a case drain circuit. Also included in the upgrade are technological advantages such as the ‘Auto Power Boost’, boom and arm bounce reduction and the ability to adjust boom down speed, boom swing and boom travel priority. A reversible cooling fan helps to protect vital machine components from damage through overheating in dusty demolition environments. In addition, the factory fitted dust suppression system removes the need for a separate truck for pumping water. In what is said to be a unique solution, its optimised positioning of water spraying nozzles help to capture dust at the earliest opportunity. The EC300 straight boom and EC400 straight boom demolition crawler excavators are the first of the range for Europe and North America to be included in the new generation update. The EC400 straight boom can be ordered now, and the EC300 straight boom can be ordered from March 2025.

 

Elevating demolition strength 

with improved high reach excavators

Volvo’s new generation high reach excavators have been introduced to bring customers into the future and raise the bar regarding strength, productivity and operator comfort across demolition applications. The new EC400 high reach and EC500 high reach excavators respectively replace the previous generation EC380EHR and EC480EHR models with a fresh design and are equipped with the latest innovations to pack a punch. “We are committed to producing the ultimate in heavy duty demolition machinery. These new models have been designed to efficiently respond to customer needs, which we found out after talking to many customers and operators all over the world, and because we make our own machines from start to finish, every detail has been carefully considered and improved to ensure the best possible performance,” commented Donkersloot.  

Benefitting from the new generation update, these machines are said to enjoy a 15% fuel efficiency improvement due to engine pump optimisation, better ground level access and longer service intervals, more precise controls and a quieter working environment. In addition, and thanks to the ‘Smart View’ with optional ‘Obstacle Detection’, the working environment is safer for operators and other onsite workers. 

 

Tailored to perfection

On top of the modern advantages provided by the new generation design, these enhanced models boast several innovative engineering updates for Volvo’s high reach excavators. These include a prolonged working range brought about by an extension boom concept, which offers greater variation in which the equipment is put to work, and by the machines’ structure and hydraulic system, which have been optimised to carry heavy attachments. The hydraulic lines have also been optimised for demolition through the increase in size of the X1 return line, which reduces the back pressure of the attachment, and a dedicated drain line for the attachment to improve oil leak rates from the rotating motor attachment.

A tailor made ‘Demolition Assist’ tool provides visual and audible alerts on working range and stability information for demolition configurations, while an high definition integrated front view camera display is designed to ensure maximised productivity and operator comfort. With Demolition Assist, Volvo states that it has future proofed the machine for possible new functionalities that its decommissioning customers might need in the future. In addition, the purpose built cab is designed for optimum visibility, perfect for high reach demolition work, while the scratch resistant, one piece, P5A classified front window, and the reinforced roof window, are both easily cleaned with an optimised wiper system for each. The machines are also ergonomically improved due to increased functionality in the control levers, for example the optional ‘Comfort Drive Control’, tilting function for the cab and assorted smart switches.

 

Continuing to set a high bar

As well as these improvements, Volvo states that customers can continue to expect the same advantages provided by the previous models. Volvo high reach excavators are built to ensure maximum safety in all demolition applications. A sturdy frame and cab offer high levels of protection against falling debris, while a high visibility cab and carefully placed cameras are designed to deliver excellent stability and safety. Their robust structure, great stability, even with heavy tool weight and hydraulics are designed to ensure a strong performance in even the toughest of demolition projects. The electro hydraulic system uses intelligent technology to offer accurate controllability, high productivity and excellent fuel economy, while a hands on tilt function and ergonomically placed controls are said to make it even easier to get a productive day’s work done.

Versatility is also said to be assured due to the machines’ compatibility with the wide range of Volvo and external supplier attachments. An attachment management system stores the settings for up to 20 different hydraulic attachments. Furthermore, it is also easy to change from an ultra-high reach boom to a standard digging configuration, so the excavator can remain busy even outside of high reach tasks.

The EC400 high reach and EC500 high reach crawler excavators, both of which have been purpose built in Volvo’s manufacturing facilities, are also supported by the company’s global service and spare parts network. They will be available for customers in Europe and North America to order from April 2025.

www.volvoce.com