R Collard buys demolition spec Volvo

R Collard has taken delivery of the first demolition specified Volvo EC750E to be sold in Great Britain.

The company, based in Hampshire in the south of England, bought the 75 t excavator from SMT GB, which markets Volvo Construction Equipment products in the British market.

The machine will serve in addition to R Collard’s extensive mixed fleet of mobile plant and is being used on a 12-month demolition contract taking place in the west of London where it will dismantle up to four-storey buildings and multi-storey car parks on an 8.1 ha (20 acre) site.

“We were impressed with the specification and build quality of the EC750E when we went to Rotterdam to inspect the machine at Volvo’s European machine receiving centre,” said managing director Robert Collard.

“And watching it go to work on its first day on site, I’m equally impressed with the machine’s performance and very satisfied with our purchasing decision.”

The machine has been specified with 7.7 m (25 ft) boom, a 3.55 dipper arm and a Hills hydraulic hitch which can facilitate the fitting of a 4.0 cu m (141 cu ft) heavy duty bucket and a range of demolition tools including a 7.5 t  Verachtert shear that can tackle both concrete and steel.

To operate a range of hydraulically powered attachments, the EC750E has been equipped with both hammer/shear lines and an X3 rotation circuit. The machine can be programmed with pre-set flows and pressures for the different attachments being used.

For example, the 7.5 t shear operates at 800 l/min and a working pressure of 350 bar.