Bucket Chain Excavators
The first mechanical excavation technique patented in 1827 was by means of a bucket chain excavator which was successfully used in the construction of the Suez Canal (1859-1869). Deployment of bucket chain excavators in opencast mining at the beginning of the last century started a trend which resulted in development of even larger and more powerful equipment.
In opencast mining, the most commonly used excavators are:
Large Bucket Chain Excavators
The rail-mounted large bucket chain excavators, which operate in frontal cutting, are the most efficient extraction devices for overburden, especially in connection with an overburden conveyor bridge. Since they are able to work in deep and high cut, the total excavation height can be up to 65 m from one location.
Excavator of the Medium Power Class
Similar to the bucket wheel reclaimers, the excavators of the medium power class are nowadays also usually built on crawlers which allows the bucket chain excavators to be considerably more flexible in block operation.
Compact-Type Bucket Chain Excavators
Modern compact-type bucket chain excavators are usually built similar to the compact-type bucket wheel excavators with rigid 2-crawler chassis, which are often utilized in clay and gravel pits.
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