MECALAC multifunctional excavator "12MTX" with Cummins

Application of Hybrid Drives

The prototype study of the 12MTX hybrids which were awarded the Golden Innovation Award and the Environmental Award at INTERMAT 2009 is evidence of the trend towards the hybridisation of construction machinery. This project was realised in collaboration with French construction machinery manufacturer MECALAC. The existing 74 kW Cummins diesel engine was replaced with a much smaller unit of 51 kW from the same manufacturer. This is supported by a HEINZMANN HYPERION hybrid engine with 20/30 kW continuous/peak duty.

The system (called HCU = Hybrid Control Unit) is controlled by an in-house MVC03 which combines with DcDesk 2000 software, likewise developed in-house, to perform intelligent control of the hybrid drive. All systems communicate via a CAN bus. 2 CAN interfaces are implemented in the HCU so that it is possible to “translate” between several protocols. This ensures communication between the individual system components. As it is highly articulated with minimal tail swing, the 12MTX is of particular use in the narrow streets of small French towns. Hybridisation is expected significantly to reduce consumption and exhaust gas (-10 to -20 %) and operating noise (-20 to -30 %) as well as increase productivity (+20 to +40 %). Initial results are expected by mid-2010.