Innovative Iron Award: Volvo’s EC60E Compact Excavator

Exploration is the engine that drives innovation, so let’s go exploring. Let’s search through a year’s worth of creative ideas in the off-highway equipment industry and see if we can benchmark the innovative exploration of the American machine market. Over the last 12 months, global manufacturers from Caterpillar to Kubota have released compact machines that have set new standards for power, versatility, efficiency and design. Our editors have traveled across the globe to meet these manufacturers, operate their new products and give detailed reports and opinions both in print and on our website (compactequip.com). We sifted through the hundreds of models and brands released in 2015 and picked 19 units that set the bar for innovation. With this article, we salute those companies (from Komatsu to Case) that have changed the commercial equipment market over the last year with their unique, interesting and innovative machines, engines and technologies.

Volvo’s EC60E Offers Versatility and Comfort in a Compact Footprint

The new EC60E compact crawler excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment is engineered to dig on almost any jobsite — from confined landscape projects to major highway jobs — using a balance of features that increase efficiency, comfort and productivity. Let’s start with power: Equipped with a Volvo Tier 4 Final engine and adjustable hydraulic flow, the machine offers a 10 percent increase in swing force and lifting capacity, as well as a 20 percent increase in power — all while boasting an 8 percent improvement in fuel efficiency compared to the prior series model. The impressive lifting capacity of the EC60E lets operators tackle a wider range of job functions while also offering precise, targeted digging in tight work spaces. The EC60E features a new-generation Volvo cab that is 10 percent more spacious than previous models for increased comfort and operator productivity. Operators can also do more with the EC60E since it can be equipped with a wide range of durable attachments for multiple applications, including utility work, building development, agriculture, landscaping and forestry. With a compact design, heavy-duty arm and offset boom, this versatile and powerful excavator is suitable for any application.

To see the rest of Compact Equipment’s Innovative Iron Awards, click this link.