Volvo Construction Equipment has developed a rotating pipelayer attachment kit that allows an excavator to also work as a pipelayer
“The pipelayer attachment kit is aimed at customers placing the pipe in cities and municipalities where space is at a premium. Our 14-tonne excavators are the right size for this type of work, so pairing the kit to these machines made sense,” said Todd Cannegieter, product manager, attachments and special applications, Volvo CE. “If you’re not lowering in pipe regularly, it can be hard to justify the investment in a dedicated pipelayer or side boom. We wanted to give customers another option.”
The rotating pipelayer kit is suitable for conventional Volvo CE 14-tonne crawler excavators, EC140EL and ECR145E. The pipelaying boom simply attaches to the main boom of the excavator, converting from the excavator to the pipelayer (or vice versa) in about one hour.
The components are robust and can handle pipes up to 20 inches (508mm) with a rated load of 7,300 pounds (3,3 tonnes). The maximum working height is 24 feet (7.3m), and the maximum working depth is 50 feet (15.24m).
When it comes to transport, excavators with the pipelayer kit can be readied for transit in minutes: just load and go, no crane or extra people required, saving time, money and hassle. Getting all of this versatility in a single machine means operators can get the job done easier, quicker, safer and at a lower cost.
Operators are also supported by Volvo’s unique Load Moment Indicator, which ensures safe operation up to a 10° slope. The system monitors loads and sends audio and visual alerts. It also includes a standard two-block system.
There are also maintenance advantages with the kit. This pipelayer configuration has almost all components in common with the standard 14-tonne excavator, making it easy to find parts and keeping maintenance costs low.
