Earth Moving Equipment: Heavy Earth Moving Machinery


The importance of India’s Construction Equipment (CE) industry which manufactures earth moving equipment can be determined by a quick glance at these figures indicating the size, demand and growth opportunities for this sector.

 

  • - India is poised to become the world’s 3rd largest construction market by 2022 (IBEF)
  • - Volumes in mining and construction equipment industry expected to grow by 20% in 2021 (ICRA)
  • - Government initiatives like Housing For All and Smart City Mission, will fuel growth (IBEF)

      • Earth moving equipment are large, rugged, specialised machines designed for performing a range of heavy-duty construction related earthwork. They are typically used for tasks such as excavating and removing rocks and gravel, laying the foundation for structural construction, soil grading, demolishing existing buildings and so on.

      Heavy earth moving machinery is deployed at different construction activity sites depending upon the type of earthwork required at that particular site. These large machines have to definatly manoeuvre and successfully perform a variety of heavy-duty earthwork functions in harsh terrain conditions. Hence operating heavy earth moving equipment requires highly skilled professionals.

      Backhoe loaders, excavators, bulldozers, skid-steer loaders and trenchers are among the most significant and widely used heavy machinery when it comes to earth moving equipment. To get a better understanding of this range of earth moving construction equipment and their specific applications, we look at each type in slightly more detail.

      Excavator

      An excavator can usually be recognised by the tracks on which the rotating cabin sits. It is also fitted with a long extended bucket arm. The cabin of the excavator rotates 360° to allow the operator a complete view of the site surroundings.

      Applications include:

      Heavy lifting | Demolition | River dredging | Excavating trenches, foundations | Mining

      Backhoe Loader

      Backhoe loaders or simply backhoes have a body that resembles a tractor mounted on a set of large back wheels and smaller front wheels. Backhoe loaders have a bucket attachment at the end of a long bent arm at the rear end for digging, while at the front end is the shovel or loader attachment. Backhoes are very well suited for urban area construction work because of their easy manoeuvrability and versatility.

      Applications include:

      Backfill excavations | Digging and filling up trenches | Laying pipes | Moving dirt and material

      Bulldozer

      Bulldozers feature right up on top as the heaviest and toughest of heavy earth moving equipment. These massive machines have a flat wide blade at the front and a claw-like attachment called the ripper at the back. The front metal blade is operated by a pair of hydraulic pistons to push material. The ripper is used to break down hard material.

      Applications include:

      Push large quantity of soil or debris | Rough or fine grading | Crush large rocks

      Skid-steer Loader

      A skid-steer loader is a smaller, more agile earth moving machine. Each set of wheels on either side can be driven independent of the other and operate at different speeds. This allows skid-steer loaders to do a full on-the-spot rotation where the frame remains rigid and the machine turns by the wheels skidding on the surface. Also the wheels offer good surface traction. Because of these abilities skid-steer loaders are deployed in tricky terrain like mud, snow and at sites where space is limited.

      Applications include:

      Excavation | Drilling | Soil compacting | Lifting loads

      Trencher

      As the name suggests, trenchers are earth moving equipment used for digging trenches to install cables, pipes or drainage lines. Trenchers vary in size and build quality depending upon the nature of work to be carried out and hardness of the ground. These machines are track mounted and use a conveyor system of operation to move the dug up material.

      Today heavy earth movers are technologically sophisticated machines using advanced hydraulics, with improved operational dynamics and leading-edge on-board diagnostics. All these factors combined enable earth moving equipment to carry out huge and complex jobs with speed, precision and efficiency.

      To make an informed decision while buying such specialised heavy-duty machines, studying the brands in the market is a must. Mahindra EarthMaster BS4 variants are rugged and advanced-tech earth moving machines equipped with Mahindra’s latest iMAXX Telematics technology. From fuel consumption and fuel level analysis to machine health monitoring, location tracking, service reminders to vehicle diagnostic reports and increased control and monitoring of the machine’s vital parameters, Mahindra iMAXX Telematics puts complete control of the machine and your business literally at your fingertips. Simply download the Mahindra iMAXX mobile app and comfortably manage your business from anywhere.