My
My name is Kari Sirlö and I am an operator for the Talvivaara Mining Company (TMC). I have operated a wide range of excavators over the past ten years. I used to operate a 127-tonne machine at a gold mine and other sites, but I have only operated one other Hitachi – an EX800.
Talvivaara is an open-pit mine covering a 61km² area in Kainuu in the east of Finland. The company’s main activity is the development and exploitation of one of Europe’s largest nickel sulphide resources.
HITACHI
Hitachi is the main supplier of heavy mining machinery to TMC in partnership with Rotator, Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV’s (HCME) Finnish distributor. HCME delivered an initial order for an EX3600-6 excavator and three EH3500ACII dump trucks in 2008 – with an additional EH3500ACII to follow in early 2009.
TMC has already built a workshop and washing facility to help keep the Hitachi machines working in some of the toughest working conditions. In order to better support TMC, Rotator personnel have received extensive training and there has been a huge investment in special tooling and equipment.
Experience
The electric control makes operating the EX3600-6 so easy – there’s no excess power or strength needed. The cab is quiet, the seat is comfortable and the climate control can be adjusted to exactly the right temperature.
Safety is of course an important consideration. The ladders must be fully elevated before the machine can be operated. The refuelling device can be seen from the LCD monitor within the cab. The hand rails and barriers are effective and really important for safety when climbing on and off the machine, especially in winter when it is dark and wet.
The visibility is excellent which helps me to operate the machine precisely. Productivity is good and 150 tonnes can be loaded in less than three minutes with only four passes.
The most important feature is the comfort of the cab. However, the smooth and simultaneous movements are equally impressive and make control easy – it’s all great.
FINLAND > EX3600 > MINING
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