OREANDA-NEWS. Chernogorsk open pit extended its dragline excavator fleet with an ESH 20/90 machine, the third unit of this type to have started operating there. The assembly of the machine took a year and a half. Unlike previous ESH units, this excavator was the first to be equipped with a selsyn-type electric drive, which smoothes the machine running. Moreover, now the operator needs no foot pedals to operate the dragline excavator, he uses only hand controls. After the assembly, the excavator moved from the assembly site to the open pit covering around five kilometers within a month.

"The new ESH 20/90 was a must for the open pit," noted Alexei Keelin, the executive director of SUEK-Khakassia. "The enterprise increases its capacity, the production grows, and, accordingly, the volume of overburden to be removed gets larger." The excavator is equipped with a selsyn-based control system, which enhances productivity compared with a machine with an earlier system. Another important result of improvements is a still higher level of safety.

In ESH 20/90 No. 31 all controlling is carried out using joysticks. The monitors display the relevant information ranging from the body tilt to oil temperature or rope tension. As a consequence, the operator can instantly respond to a problem, if any, and prevent a serious malfunction. Unlike earlier excavators, this machine has a separate rope reeving control installed in its body, enabling the operator to make adjustments without moving up into the cabin.