Bucyrus-Erie 120-B

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The Bucyrus-Erie 120-B is a big rope excavator with caterpillar tracks , which the US engineering company Bucyrus-Erie was created 1925-1951 and in the open pit or on larger Erdbaustellen was used. Depending on the version, it was driven electrically or with steam and was equipped with a shovel or a dragline shovel. In total, the 120-B weighed around 153 tons and had an output of 184 kW (250 PS) (with electric drive).

history

In order to remain competitive, US mining companies were forced to increase the mechanization of the extraction of raw materials in the early 1920s and thus reduce costs. Bucyrus-Erie recognized this early on and further developed the previously used Railroad Sovels . These shovel excavators on rails were robust and had performed reliably for many years, but their mobility was limited. Due to their design, these excavators only allowed a swivel radius of 180 °. The duty cycle crawler crane 120-B, on the other hand, was fully rotatable and was roughly the same size and weight as the Railroad Sovels used previously. The elaborate cast steel construction made of high-alloy steel also proved to be advantageous . This eliminated the need for costly riveting work, as was previously necessary for the Railroad Sovels.

Bucyrus-Erie sold the 120-B both domestically and abroad in the decades that followed. The rope excavator met with great interest, especially in the Soviet Union . There they were looking for a reliable and well-engineered excavator to avoid lengthy in-house development. After the Second World War, some of these machines were completely dismantled by Uralmash using the so-called reverse engineering process , examined and then construction plans made from the knowledge gained. In 1947 the mass production of the Uralmash EKG began, which continues to this day . In contrast, Bucyrus-Erie ended in 1951. After around 330 copies were produced, the company finally stopped manufacturing the 120-B and switched to more modern excavators.

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