VOLVO CE EC380E HR MAKES LIGHT WORK OF DEMOLITION

With an operating weight of around 51 tons, the Volvo EC380E HR is a vital piece of equipment for demolition and earthworks specialist, Austen GmbH. And now, thanks to a custom-made boom system, developed in partnership with Volvo CE’s dealer in Germany, Robert Aebi, this demolition excavator is an even more versatile and efficient work machine.

The demolition tongs tear mercilessly through the chimney of the old nursery. The structure doesn’t stand a chance against operator Dominik Austen and his Volvo EC380E HR with its three-part demolition boom. Austen GmbH has been hard at work in Markt Cadolzburg in the Fürth district of Bavaria in Germany, dismantling an area of around 113,000 sq. meters since September 2022, where some 10,000 tons of concrete have already been reprocessed.

Austen GmbH is a family-run business now in its third generation that specializes in demolition and earthworks including rubble processing. In 2018, with demand for demolition jobs on taller buildings on the increase, the Austen family began their search for a new demolition excavator.

WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY
With no EC380E HR in the area, Sales Manager Stefan Kirsch from Robert Aebi GmbH drove the four managing directors from Austen GmbH some 700km north to Rotterdam. A trip that was well worth it as the model there proved convincing in almost every respect. The only downside is the time taken to switch between the long long-front boom and the short earth-moving equipment. Austen wanted a quicker solution, but this did not deter them.

It was a challenge that was embraced by all involved. Within a year, a team from Robert Aebi and Austen developed the first Volvo EC380E HR with an oil-free quick-change boom system. At the customer’s request, the machine also received a protective coating. And a custom-made big rock spoon was also designed and developed by Dominik Austen in collaboration with the spoon builder to enable them to rip out foundations even more effectively.




BOOM CHANGE IN RECORD TIME
Thanks to the modifications that were made to its EC380E HR, Austen can switch between booms in just 30 minutes. A huge benefit for day-to-day operations. With the long front equipment, the excavator can reach a maximum working height of around 24 meters. For work at lower elevations or on foundations, Austen switches to its earthmoving boom. With the shorter equipment and heavier attachments, the machine achieves optimal power transmission. This results in faster, more efficient demolition work, transport and reprocessing.