IM was present at the first day of Intermat in Paris to see the official launch of Hyundai’s new mining class excavator, the 120 t R1200-9. The company said it had sold the first machine to a mine in Russia, with others having been delivered to mining operations in Myanmar, New Zealand, Indonesia and South Africa. the company states: “Underlining its intention of competing on a broad front in all sectors of the construction and mining equipment business, Hyundai’s introduction of a new top end excavator in the 100 t plus sector endorses the company’s commitment to large scale investment in developing new products and new market opportunities. Building on Hyundai’s experience with the successful 50 t and 80 t high capacity models, the all-new 120 t  R1200-9 has been conceived with an eye on the expanding worldwide mining and quarrying sector, where the demand for efficient, large-scale mass excavation in minerals extraction and overburden removal has fuelled an increase in sales of large mining trucks and the equipment to load them.”

The R1200-9 is powered by the high-performance 23 litre, 6-cylinder Cummins QSK23-C engine, rated at 567 kW. Particular attention has been paid to the insulation to achieve low internal and external noise levels. This first version of the new 120 t machine is equipped with a heavy-duty, 7.55 m back-acter boom, 3.4 m dipper-arm, and 6.7 m³ bucket – a combination which gives a maximum digging depth of nearly 8 m, an outreach of 13.76 m, and a load-over height of 7.8 m. Maximum breakout force at the bucket is 64.9 t. The company adds: “With three selectable power modes (power, speed and economy), this is clearly a machine designed for extra-heavy digging duties and loading of large capacity dump trucks.” The 120 t weight puts the machine up against the likes of the Hitachi EX1200-6, the Komatsu PC1250, the Caterpillar 6015 and the Liebherr R9100 or R984C.