Giant steel arm - the evolution of the long boom of the excavator

The global technological breakthrough and scene revolution of the long boom of the excavator

Author's note: This article is based on the technical evolution and landmark events of the construction machinery industry, and uses real cases to restore the counterattack of the extended arm from "import dependence" to "China's smart manufacturing".

1. The embryonic stage: European and American long boom of the excavator technology monopoly and localization dilemma (before 2010)

Keywords: import dependence·single function·safety risk

In the 1990s, European and American companies took the lead in exploring telescopic arm technology:

In 1981, Merlo, Italy, launched the world's first telescopic arm forklift to achieve high-altitude and long-distance operations;

Liebherr laid the technical foundation for heavy-duty extended arms with its crane telescopic arm patent (1983).

In China, however, deep foundation pits and high-rise demolition sites before 2010 faced embarrassment:

Nanjing Metro construction teams had to hoist ordinary excavators to the edge of deep pits, and drivers worked under the risk of tilting the machine body, with a daily efficiency of less than 60% of normal working conditions;

During the renovation of Shanghai's old city, workers had to blast buildings over 10 stories high with their bare hands, and "demolishing buildings depends on courage" became a pain point in the industry.

Technical gap: There is a gap in domestic extended arms, and imported equipment is expensive (more than 3 million yuan per unit), and cannot adapt to China's complex working conditions.

2. Breakthrough point: The localization wave of long boom of the excavator and scene customization (2010-2017)

Keywords: local research and development·cost-effective revolution·classification evolution

2014 was the "watershed" of long boom of the excavator in China:

Volvo launched the EC220DLR super-long arm (18 meters) in China, which adopted the "small bucket + hydraulic optimization" design for the first time, balanced the efficiency of deep excavation and loading, and the cost was 25% lower than that of imported models;

Chery Dikai DE300 conquered Nanjing Metro Line 4 with a 22-meter super-long arm, and worked 16 hours a day in the complex terrain of the cultural relics protection area, with an efficiency increase of 40%.

Local brands are targeting segmented scenarios for technical differentiation:

Deep pit arm (such as Huitong Heavy Industry's 28-meter long boom of the excavator): The slightly curved structure specializes in river dredging and realizes sand extraction from 17-meter deep pits in the Yellow River management;

Building demolition arm (such as Shanhe Intelligent three-stage telescopic arm): Adapted hydraulic clamps, replacing manual high-altitude demolition, and the accident rate has dropped by 90%.

Market verification: In 2016, Shanhe Reconstruction Machinery customized a 23.2-meter long arm for Syria, setting a record for the longest operating radius in the world at that time. For the first time, Chinese manufacturing opened up the Middle East market with "customization capabilities".

3. Globalization: China's solution output and long boom of the excavator technology surpassed (2017-2023)

Keywords: Going to Europe·Green Energy·Intelligent Integration

"China Red" on the Danube River in 2017:

Shanhe Intelligent SWE210FLR long boom of the excavator entered the Serbian river management project. European customers commented: "Dredging is completed on the narrow river bank without cutting down an ancient tree." In the same year, Vietnam ordered 4 equipment of the same model for port expansion. Chinese excavator extension arms officially entered the core supply chain of international infrastructure.

Technology iteration is accelerating simultaneously:

New energy integration: In 2013, XCMG launched the LNG natural gas extension arm, which reduced carbon emissions by 90%, but the endurance was obviously short; in 2023, Sunward Intelligent SWE750ELR upgraded the lithium battery to support -45℃ extreme cold start, and achieved zero emission operation in the open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia;

Safety and intelligence: SWE750ELR is equipped with a temperature-sensing automatic fire extinguishing system + 360° camera monitoring, and the mine fire response time is shortened to 3 seconds, and the operator's blind spot accident is zero.

4. Future battlefield: extreme working conditions and ecological reconstruction

Keywords: AI collaboration, lightweight, human-machine symbiosis

The current technological frontier has pointed to three major directions:

1. Extreme length challenge: The excavation depth of the British JCB telescopic arm skid loader has exceeded 30 meters, and China Shanhe Intelligent's 36-meter building demolition arm has entered the stress test stage;

2. Human-machine interaction revolution: Remote control building demolition machines (such as Finland's Normet) are popularized on European construction sites, and operators are 500 meters away from the danger zone to command operations;

3. Green construction closed loop: Volvo EC480DLR reduces energy consumption by reducing bucket capacity, and the next step will be to integrate photovoltaic charging panels to achieve "zero external power supply".

Industry inspiration: From "steel arm" to "smart tentacles", the evolution of the excavator's extended arm is essentially the leap of construction machinery from tools to solutions.

Conclusion: Wherever the long arm reaches, that is the territory

Looking back at the development of the long boom of the excavator in the past 20 years:

Europe and the United States defined the form of the "arm" with the Merlo telescopic forklift;

China reshaped the soul of the "arm" with brands such as Sunward Intelligent and Sany. From the dredging of the Danube to the reconstruction of Syria, from -45℃ coal mines to 50℃ Vietnamese construction sites, China's long boom of the excavator are rewriting the value chain of global construction machinery with scene customization capabilities.

In the future, when the telescopic arm with AI autonomous decision-making breaks ground at the Mars base, humans may think of the first generation of domestic long arms that trembled and stretched into the deep pit on the bank of the Yellow River. All subversions began with the uncompromising attitude towards "unreachable".

Data source: Volvo China Technology White Paper, Sunward Intelligent Case Library, Global Construction Machinery Annual Report (2015-2024)