1. Introduction
The max challenge of an excavtor with standard arm while carrying out vertical digging works: An excavator must grab a large amount of soil and gravel from an 18-meter-deep pit (equivalent to a six-story building) and safely lift it to the surface. This case study reveals a powerful solution: an XCMG excavator equipped with a custom-designed 25-meter telescopic arm and a clamshell bucket transforms this seemingly impossible task into an efficient operation.
2. Customized Excavator Telescopic Arm Solution
Limitations of Standard Excavator Arms
The core challenge of this project was the pit depth, which required the excavator to have sufficient working reach and stable control.
However, standard extended arms could not meet these requirements. Their limited working range made safe and efficient operation impossible.
RIVER’s Customized Solution
To meet the needs of an 18-meter-deep pit, RIVER created a special 25-meter telescopic arm for the excavator.
During operation, the operator extends the arm to reach the pit bottom and positions the bucket to grab soil and gravel. After lifting the load, the operator retracts the arm smoothly and transports the material directly to the ground surface for unloading. This extend-and-retract working process allows stable vertical lifting while keeping the excavator in a fixed position.
Once the operator picks a good spot at the pit edge, the excavator can lift many times without moving often. This continuous and smooth workflow shortens cycle time and maintains high operating efficiency throughout the job.
To match the material conditions, RIVER paired the telescopic arm with a clamshell bucket. The bucket supports secure vertical grabbing of soil and gravel and ensures controlled lifting during deep excavation operations.
3. Other Applications of Telescopic Arms
Based on deep-pit material handling operations, the telescopic arm can adapt to many other demanding construction scenarios that require extended reach and precise control.
- Deep Foundation Excavation: Telescopic arms reach deeper and steeper excavation areas for basements, subway stations, pipelines, and foundation works.
- High-Rise Building Demolition: The extended reach enables safe demolition of high-level structures in urban construction sites.
- River and Lake Dredging: Telescopic arms operate underwater to remove sediment from riverbeds and lake bottoms.
- Slope Maintenance and Protection: Operators perform precise remote work to stabilize and reshape slopes for dams, reservoirs, and embankments.
To further enhance efficiency across these applications, telescopic arms can be paired with various buckets. For example, the Standard Bucket is ideal for general excavation, the Clamshell Bucket excels in precise vertical lifting and deep-pit material handling, and the Screening Bucket allows material sorting directly on site.
RIVER can provide a range of custom buckets and excavator long-reach arm solutions for various work scenarios, enhancing both operational safety and efficiency.
4. Conclusion
By applying a custom telescopic arm in combination with a clamshell bucket, the XCMG excavator achieved stable vertical operation, precise control, and continuous work from a fixed position. The case demonstrates that a well-designed telescopic arm solution can effectively enhance safety, efficiency, and controllability in deep-pit material handling operations.
