KTEG demolition excavator enables quick setup time for Priestly Demolition
The first KTEG demolition excavator in Canada is helping Priestly Demolition to complete projects in record time.
KTEG, which stands for Kenki Technology Group, is a jointly funded development company based in Germany and owned by Hitachi Construction Machinery and Kiesel Technology.
In June, Priestly Demolition received a KMC 500P demolition excavator, the first of its kind in Canada.
Built on a Hitachi excavator base, the KTEG machine features a 52,600 kg operating weight, 28-metre reach and the ability to carry a 3,000 kg attachment.
For rapid assembly, the boom is equipped with an OilQuick coupler that allows Priestly to assemble the machine in a matter of minutes.
“It’s really going to put us ahead of the game when it comes to mobilizing machines,” said Ryan Priestly, CEO of Priestly Demolition.
“You don’t need to send a technician; you don’t need someone to hook up or disconnect pins or hydraulic lines. So, it is a much safer, more cost-effective process.”
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The first job for the KTEG KMC 500P was the demolition of a concrete silo. The Priestly crew arrived on site by 7 a.m., assembled the machine, took down the silo and had the demolition excavator back on the truck by 11 a.m.
“That would never happen before,” Priestly said. “This is truly just the push of a button, like you’re going to pick up the bucket on your quick coupler on your excavator. It’s awesome.”
On a good day with ideal conditions, assembling a high reach excavator usually requires about 30 minutes to an hour.
“And that’s when everything is going perfectly. So, sometimes it can take up to two to three hours,” Priestly said. “Those guys could have been there until five o’clock that night.”
The boom quick connect system will also aid in machine set up in dense, urban areas. Priestly explained setting up a high reach machine in a city often requires lane closures or the use of a parking lot.
“When you’re working on tight sites like in downtown Toronto, you don’t have a lot of room,” he said. “This machine will be lightspeed ahead of the rest as far as getting the boom on it and getting it to work.”
KTEG: A multi-purpose machine
Another advantage of the boom quick connect system is the ability to switch between a high reach and standard boom.
“This BQC system removes the need for multiple machines on a single site, allowing operators to approach every project with a single multi-functional option,” said Lee McMartin, Vice President of Construction and Forestry for Wajax, the Canadian dealer for KTEG. “With a standard excavator front, high reach demolition front and everything in between, the KTEG 500P is going to be a game changer for many in the demolition and civil construction fields.”
Priestly’s fleet already includes about 50 OilQuick coupler systems, but the KTEG machine is the first with a couple on the boom.
“We have definitely developed a high-level of confidence around OilQuick’s reliability and in their performance as far as safety goes,” Priestly said. “They haven’t been letting us down.”
The Coreum
KTEG products only recently became available in Canada. Priestly discovered the machine following an invitation to visit the Coreum near Frankfurt, Germany.
The Coreum is a 120,000 square metre forum for the construction and recycling industries to connect and test machines. Currently, about 100 machines and 300 attachments from 49 manufacturers are displayed at the Coreum.
“It’s an awesome place with all sorts of different machines lined up for you to try,” Priestly said. “It’s like a big proving ground.”
