Engcon - a key link for the first Cat® 330 with shear blade

Engcon, manufacturer of rotary tilters, is instrumental in building the first Cat® 330 Next Gen with blade. Behind the control levers of this unique excavator is Kristoffer Westman of the Swedish company Sundbergs Åkeri. The unique combination of a sliding blade and a rotary tilt attachment now gives him even more opportunities to perform his work.

In late 2018, Caterpillar launched the new generation of excavators in the 30-ton class - the 330 and 330 GC. When Sundbergs Åkeri had to choose attachments for the recently purchased Cat® 330 Next Gen in early 2019, the choice fell on a rotary tilt and leveling bucket from Engcon. Combined with a specially designed blade from the company Nyströms Verkstadsservice in Edsbro, Sundbergs Åkeri now has an excavator that is unique in the world. The combination will bring the company major efficiency improvements in road construction projects.

'Instead of simply pouring material that I then flatten with the bucket, I can now smooth out the material with the sliding blade. As a result, I now roll the material in front of the blade so that larger stones end up at the bottom and finer materials just on the surface. This also makes it easier to flatten the road before applying gravel," says Kristoffer Westman.

A successful combination

Rotary tilt attachments are not common on excavators used to build forest roads. Yet, for Kristoffer, it appears to have only advantages, especially when combined with the slide blade:

'Although I have only had the machine for a short time I know for sure: this is how an excavator should be. The pivot attachment complements the blade very well. I use it to turn the leveling bucket to a position where it acts as a wing along the blade. That way I can send the soil in or out from the road," says Kristoffer Westman.

Kristoffer goes on to say that his new Cat® 330 is also equipped with Engcon's automatic EC-Oil quick-change system

'Thanks to EC-Oil, it only takes me 10 seconds to put the swivel tilt away and connect the tine bucket in case I need extra breaking power. I don't even have to leave my cab to connect hoses. Ideal!" concludes Kristoffer.

The blade is controlled from the MIG2 proportional joysticks, so Kristoffer does not have to change handles to dig or level. The control of the tracks is also connected to Engcon's DC2 control system.

The unique excavator is currently being used in the construction of a new forest road west of Örnsköldsvik in northern Sweden.