Earlier this year, the McElligotts team were responsible for providing our protective coating services to the main control valve module on an EX 5600-6 excavator hydraulic system. This project was contracted by a client who is responsible for creating some of the most advanced machinery and equipment in the Australian construction industry.
The McElligotts team nicknamed the hydraulic pipework “The Snake Pit” given its complex network of around 200 pipes, each ranging from 25mm to 100mm in diameter. All of these pipes comprised the main control valve of the EX 5600-6 – an enormous hydraulic excavator that is used in construction and mining. To give an indication of just how large this piece of machinery is, the bucket alone is 34 cubic metres in size. That means its volume is equivalent to roughly 200 bathtubs.
Our team began the project by abrasive blasting the pipework. Afterwards, the client organised and conducted an NDT crack test on the pipes to identify any points of weakness. To finish off, we applied a new primer and topcoat protective finish to ensure the durability of the pipes for the long term. In total, this project took our team a week to complete.
The McElligotts team loved working on “The Snake Pit” and look forward to more opportunities working on complex projects like this in the future.
