On the edge of a Natura 2000 area near Katwijk aan Zee , Van Diemen Demolition is demolishing a former residential care complex. For the first time in the nearly 90-year history of this family business, the demolition work is being carried out entirely emission-free using two electric crawler excavators, including the DX355LC Electric from Staad's rental fleet . Project manager Sander Klinkhamer and operators Sem and Peter share their experiences with the Staad excavator they hired.
The post continues below the image. Also check out the drone video of this machine at work at the bottom of this story.
Sander ensured that two electric crawler excavators were running on this demolition project. Before the electric machines arrived, asbestos was removed, and now the remaining complex is being demolished, a job where the DX355LC Electric is being thoroughly tested. How this DX355LC Electric performs is our first question. Sander answers: "Really well!"
When asked how long the tracked excavator is being demolished, Sander replies: “We didn't believe a heavy tracked excavator like this, with the heavy work it has to do, would last a full workday. Our workdays are from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and we thought this machine would need to be charged again by mid-afternoon. Now it turns out that neither Sem nor Peter can drain the Powerbox batteries during a workday. This machine just keeps going and has 40% battery capacity left at the end of the workday. Effectively, they're working nine hours a day here, because these guys also have their breaks or interviews,” Sander says with a laugh.
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Sem and Peter both nod their heads in agreement when Sander talks about the excavator's operating life. Sem adds: "I was really surprised by it, but especially by its power. With a similar diesel excavator, you notice a loss of power when you pull out the foundation. Because the hydraulic system is under a lot of pressure to keep the heavy foundation up, you feel that a diesel excavator is less powerful and sinks for a moment. That's definitely not the case with this electric excavator; it keeps the foundation up continuously and doesn't sink. That means you can pull out the foundation faster."
Sem continues: "I worked on this DX355LC Electric for two weeks and am now working on another electric excavator. The difference in battery life alone when crushing rubble is like two workdays with the Staad excavator and one day with another." Sem has had his operator's license since last summer; working in demolition was instilled in him from an early age by his father, who has worked in demolition his entire life.
Finally, Sem says: "Compared to two other brands I've used, I think this electric machine is truly the best. It's very comfortable to handle and high-quality. My father told me that's the same with Develon diesels; he uses them. We've never used one here at Van Diemen, but now that we've experienced it firsthand, it's a good test for any new diesel or electric excavators we might buy."
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When we asked Peter, a driver with 45 years of experience, about his experiences, he started by saying, "Good, but I do miss a glass skylight above the cab and bars on the windows," he laughs. He continues, "We're demolition contractors, of course, and we're used to optimized demolition machines. I know this is a rental machine, so it's not included. If this were our machine, both options would be essential. As far as I'm concerned, this could definitely be our new electric machine because it's a really great machine. A bigger size would also be nice, because we often go high on demolition jobs, and now you notice the boom is sometimes just a little too short."
Peter continues: "This machine really surprised me. It's so powerful that you practically pull yourself to work, which is truly amazing. Its swiveling action is also much stronger. For example, when you're turning on its axis, you can definitely hear a diesel engine working, but this one does it smoothly and you don't hear it making any noise. Because it's so fast, it took me a little while to get used to it, but that only took a day. I was really skeptical at first, but it's a thousand percent better than I expected."
Did you factor the arrival of electric machines into your planning for this project, thinking they wouldn't last as long? Sander replies: "Right, we deliberately kept our hours a bit longer. Since the arrival of this Staad rental machine, we've been straightening out the schedule again, because this machine runs longer. If we use two of your machines, we're guaranteed to be ahead of schedule. And from what I'm experiencing here, I can do the same thing with your electric machine—in the same time—as with a comparable diesel excavator."
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When asked how Van Diemen Sloopwerken found Staad, Sander replied: "I searched online for electric excavators, as heavy as possible. I couldn't find any electric excavators heavier than 35 tons. I saw you do have them, but for rental. Staad was the only one with a 35-ton excavator, with a 12- to 15-hour operating time, depending on the type of work."
Sander continues: "That uptime was the most important requirement for us. We thought an eight-hour uptime with a Staad excavator should be perfectly feasible. Since we weren't familiar with Staad yet, we first called other dealers of other brands, but they weren't willing to guarantee an eight-hour uptime."
Sander continues: "Then we called Staad, Chris Rijk, your rental coordinator. Things moved quickly, and we've now found that running electrically for more than a full workday in demolition is easily possible. With the remaining 40% battery capacity we have left each day, this excavator can easily run for another two hours, bringing the total operating time to over 11 hours."
Sander concludes: "This rental machine is fully equipped with plenty of work lights, a very spacious cabin, positive pressure, and communication with Staad is quick and easy." Sem adds: "Now that it gets dark so early outside, you can see that the work lights on this machine are excellent. There are many work lights, which is both pleasant and safe. I think I can speak for everyone that this electric 35-ton crawler excavator is highly recommended, even for demolition."
Rent at Staad
Staad Verhuur offers a wide range of options. We're flexible, happy to brainstorm with you, and ensure you always have the right equipment at your disposal. Want to learn more about our earthmoving rental machines, both diesel and electric? Then check out the Rental section on our website.
Check out all the images in the photo album below and enjoy the drone video below.
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