AN Israeli contractor has invested in three large Hitachi excavators to supply rocks for extending breakwaters, which will form part of the construction project for two new container terminals at the ports of Haifa and Ashdod.
AD Edan Hadash Earthmoving Contractors Ltd. has purchased two ZX470LCH-5s and a ZX520LCH-5 to join its existing fleet of construction machinery at a 170-hectare site close to Elifelet village and overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
The heavy-duty excavators are used to select and extract the stones from a depth of no more than three metres. Once this process has been completed, each area is replenished to its former state. The different sizes of materials – D rock (one to three tonnes) and C rock (three to six tonnes) – are then determined by checking the weight, size and quality, before being transported to stockpiles for the respective ports. The site opened in 2013 and the initial order for 200,000 tonnes of rock was completed within eight months. The AD Edan Hadash team is now geared up to supply a capacity of 300,000 tonnes per annum, with a total quantity of between seven and eight million tonnes to be delivered overall.
“The Zaxis-5 excavators come with a high level of service from CMD and Hitachi – one of the best that I have experienced – and we have an excellent working relationship in place with them both,” beamed Edan Cohen, the Site Manager, who also has responsibility for quality control. “They are reliable machines from a reliable company, and so they only need routine maintenance and regular servicing. We take advantage of all aspects of the Hitachi Support Chain package – such as Global e-Service, genuine parts and extended warranty – which are incredibly strong and integrate well with each other.”
Company owner Dan Cohen agrees with his son: “The biggest benefit to our business is that the large Hitachi excavators have been completely reliable over the past two years. We’re very comfortable with the fact that CMD and Hitachi monitor the machines using Global e-Service. The whole service package gives me the peace of mind to concentrate on other important activities within the business. The high quality of the ZX470LCH-5 and ZX520LCH-5 compares favourably to other machines working alongside them. They have more power and stability, as well as 15-20% better fuel consumption and 20-25% greater productivity.”
