The Bagger 288 excavator is one of the largest machines built. This technology is also known as the bucket wheel excavator. There are many types of excavators, but none are as immense or impressive as the Bagger 288. Construction machines and vehicles are essential to mining. Prior to certain building technologies mining would have to be done with human muscle power. The process could be both long and perilous. The Bagger 288 was the product of imaginative engineers who wanted to make the fastest and biggest digging machine that had ever existed. The Bagger 288 was constructed by the Krupp company beginning in 1978. It is difficult to fathom how people could construct technology so large. There are two types of mining that are conducted when digging for coal. Surface and underground mining are the two methods for this type of fossil fuel extraction. The Bagger 288 was perfectly designed to handle the challenges that are involved in surface mining. Like any other machine it has certain structures that serve different purposes . The company responsible for this technology was ThyssenKrup , however it falls under the ownership and operation RWE AG. RWE AG is a utility company. The Bagger 288 is a testament to the marvels of engineering and applied science.
The Bagger 288 has many construction and mining capabilities. The digging capacity is very impressive with the ability to move 240,000 cubic meters of rock and dirt a day. The weight of this machine can be the equivalent 8,600 cars. Bucket wheel excavators seeing as they have such a high removal and extraction capacity are more efficient. The economic benefit is more labor done and much faster than what a worker could do manually. Enormous amount of minerals can be excavated in short periods of time. The bucket wheel can move lignite and overburden ( rock and soil that is present above the ore beneath) to such a high degree that is an equivalent 40,000 workers or 240,000 cubic meters. To get a full understanding of the amount moved imagine about 10,000 full dump trucks. The bucket wheel will take the material. It will then be transported on a conveyor belt, which is three meters in width. The spreaders the expel overburden.
The Bagger 288 has many construction and mining capabilities. The digging capacity is very impressive with the ability to move 240,000 cubic meters of rock and dirt a day. The weight of this machine can be the equivalent 8,600 cars. Bucket wheel excavators seeing as they have such a high removal and extraction capacity are more efficient. The economic benefit is more labor done and much faster than what a worker could do manually. Enormous amount of minerals can be excavated in short periods of time. The bucket wheel can move lignite and overburden ( rock and soil that is present above the ore beneath) to such a high degree that is an equivalent 40,000 workers or 240,000 cubic meters. To get a full understanding of the amount moved imagine about 10,000 full dump trucks. The bucket wheel will take the material. It will then be transported on a conveyor belt, which is three meters in width. The spreaders the expel overburden.
The Bagger 288 has the ability to probably dismantle mountains, if enough are used. Such a vehicle was not designed to obtain high speeds. The Bagger 288 can gain a speed about one third a mile per hour. The wheels are part of a caterpillar track assembles. These machines are designed solely for operating in open pit mines. This may be as large a machine that humanity can possibly build. A vehicle any bigger would not be able to move efficiently.
The dimensions of the Bagger 288 are gigantic. The wheel of the the digging end is 21 meters in diameter. This wheel is important, for with out the spin the machine would not dig. Excavator scoops line the wheel for assistance in digging. The bucket wheel excavator can be up to 225 meters long and 96 meters high. The whole excavator can be a total weight of 12,840 tons. Considering the size of a Bagger 288 it requires a high amount of horsepower. The operation requires 20,000 horsepower, which is a total of 16 megawatts. The crane like superstructure is estimated to be 95 meters tall. The three sections of the Bagger 288 can be a total of 210 meters long. The Bagger 288 is reliant on electric motors to operate with the addition of extension cords. A vehicle this large, it has different sections which have particular names. The operator cab is the place in which a person will run the excavator. The amazing aspect about this is that one operator can run the entire machine. Normally, a total of three people would be running this technology. Crews could be as many as five people. Considering its large size one would think it would involve more people for operation. Safety devices are present through the machine to ensure nothing goes wrong. The Bagger 288 also contains slewing gear. This is located between the undercarriage and the superstructure. The slewing gear has the task of assisting the movement of the superstructure to various positions. Service cranes are at various points to replace and fix damaged machine parts. A hoist that contributes to the movement of the boom allows it to move up and down. The Bagger 288 basically consists of three components. The bucket wheel ( with the motor and conveyor belt), the operator cab, and the superstructure that supports all the other parts.The Bagger 288 is a combination of barrels, cranes, and electrical wires, which can excavate faster than a crew of miners.
References
Marshall, Brain. The Engineering Book. New York : Sterling, 2015.
Malone, Robert. “The World's Biggest Land Vehicle.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 16 July 2012, www.forbes.com/2007/03/12/bagger-vehicle-tractor-biz-logistics-cx_rm_0312vehicle.html#3eb14f89aa1b.
Bagger 288 – a Giant among Bucket Wheel Excavators.” Industrial Solutions, 6 May 2014, www.thyssenkrupp-industrial-solutions.com/en/products-and-services/mining-systems/bucket-wheel-excavators/bagger-288.
