OREANDA-NEWS. January 03, 2012. Put into pilot operation at the Krasnobrodsky open-pit coal mine of the Kuzbassrazrezygol coal company is the crawler-mounted quarry excavator EKG-18 with 18 m3 bucket which was built at Uralmash plant.

In the course of acceptance of the machine preceding its putting into pilot operation the machine systems, units and assemblies were checked for serviceability and trial tests were performed during 72 hours of continuous work. In the course of pilot operation which is planned to continue during six months the machine is subject to extensive supervision. This is due to the fact that this excavator EKG-18 is the first machine of this series produced by Uralmash plant.

EKG-18 is a new machine of Uralmash plant developed on the base of excavator EKG-1500P which was earlier designed by Uralmash specialists. As distinct from its forerunner EKG-18 is equipped with an A.C. drive allowing for a considerable reduction of the operating and energy costs per unit in the course of the machine operation.  With the field experience of EKG-1500P taken into consideration, power of the hoist and crowd drives was increased as well as the load carrying capacity of some units and parts of the excavator. Besides, the new excavator is fitted with an information system, up-to-date control and monitoring systems which are widely used in Uralmash machines during the last years. These systems make it possible to monitor the operating parameters of the excavator units, determine the main process features, protect the excavator units and systems against improper actions of the operator which may cause overloading and failure of the units and systems.

EKG-18 shall be used at stripping of coal beds at the Krasnobrodsky open-pit mine, one of the most promising open-pit mines of Kuzbassrazrezugol coal company.

The joint-stock company "Uralmashplant" is one of the leaders on the Russian market of equipment for metallurgy, mining industry, oil and gas industry, building materials industry and power engineering industry. Envisaged in the development strategy of the company is setting up of a world-level machine building enterprise which would fully cover the requirements of customers for the equipment they need.

With support of the principal shareholder - Gasprombank - "Uralmashplant" has developed and is implementing an investment program providing for fundamental reconstruction of all production sectors, namely metallurgical, forging, welding and machine-assembly sectors.