Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe)
SMBP has been operating a Hitachi EX1200-7 excavator at its Viabon quarry site in Eure-et-Loir since February. Delivered by Hitachi Construction Machinery France (HCMF), the machine is equipped with a 6,000-litre bucket that has been designed to lift and drop a nine-tonne steel breaker ball used to fragment oversized rock.
A high-performing large excavator
Working eight hours a day, the Hitachi EX1200-7 loads 40-tonne capacity dump trucks with materials extracted from the quarry face. SMBP produces around 1.5 million tonnes of aggregates annually, supplying concrete and public works contractors in the Paris region. Operations are split across two quarries: Viabon and Prasville, with around six hectares of limestone extracted and progressively backfilled per year.
To support operations at Viabon, SMBP needed to replace one of its production machines. After evaluating several options, the EX1200-7 was selected for its performance, efficiency, and value. The new EX-7 excavator was assembled on site in just three days before going into service.
Hitachi construction machinery shows reliability
“In my career, I’ve found that excavators from this Japanese brand are very robust,” says Franck Evanno, Deputy Managing Director of SMBP. “Its fuel consumption of around 85 litres per hour and more attractive pricing – compared to the alternatives – were also decisive factors.”
To handle the heaviest blocks, the excavator's bucket was customised to handle the existing breaker ball. “This allows us to process any large rocks that remain after blasting,” adds Franck Evanno. Blasting is typically carried out once a week at the quarry face.
Fuel-efficient operations
The ball is lifted using the bucket and dropped onto large stone blocks to break them down into manageable sizes. Vincent Deneuve, one of two operators using the EX1200-7 for around eight hours per day, is responsible for carefully handling the breaker ball to achieve clean fragmentation in a single drop – and optimise fuel usage.
He particularly appreciates the smooth deceleration provided by the excavator’s slew brake, although he also remains attentive to AdBlue consumption.
Designed with operator safety and comfort in mind, the machine features a wide access walkway, sliding ladder, windscreen guard, comfortable seat, and rear-view camera with a 290° field of vision.
Data-led decisions
The EX1200-7 is supported by a five-year maintenance contract, based on approximately 1,200 operating hours per year. Technicians monitor the machine remotely using Hitachi’s Global e-Service telematics system, which regularly sends reports to SMBP. These include key operational parameters, such as fuel and oil consumption, and oil viscosity. Service is carried out every 500 hours on site, which is the minimum maintenance interval for this class of excavator.
With the machine already proving its worth, SMBP is considering acquiring a second EX1200-7 when the time is right to replace another excavator at its Prasville site. Watch this space.
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