The EK-18 single-bucket wheel full-circle excavator is a high-performance earth-moving special vehicle. It is used in the development of pits, digging trenches in soil of any category, from the first to the fourth. EK-18 carries out loading and unloading of cargo, loose rocks, bulk cargo. This excavator is also used for the destruction / dismantling of old brick and reinforced concrete structures of medium strength.
The manufacturer defines the temperature range in which the EK-18 excavator maintains its performance as “from –40 to +40 degrees Celsius”. The scope of this technique is expanding with the use of a variety of replacement work equipment. By special order, this excavator can be equipped with a Bosch-Rexroth hydraulic apparatus (hydraulic valve, hydraulic motors, pumping unit and control units).
Currently, the manufacturer of EK-18 - Tver Excavator Plant (TVEKS) - is part of the RM-Terex company, one of the leading machine-building companies in Russia. It specializes in construction and road equipment and unites 4 factories: Tverskoy excavator, Bryansk Arsenal, Chelyabinsk plant of road-building machines and Zavolzhsky - caterpillar tractors.
Through 78 dealer centers in Russia and the CIS, RM-Terex sells, services and provides spare parts: backhoe loaders, wheeled and tracked excavators, motor graders, tracked snow and swamp-going vehicles, front-end and forklifts, industrial reloaders. All manufactured equipment has the official status "Made in Russia".
The Tver Excavator Plant (in the years of the USSR it was called "Kalininsky", like the city itself) traces its history back to 1943. Long before the final victory in the Great Patriotic War, the construction of a plant for the production of spare parts and units for excavators, saw shafts, multi-storey lifts, other peaceful equipment and consumer goods began in Kalinin.
Soon after the end of the war, the company began production of the country's first pneumatic-wheel excavators with rope suspension (model E-255). In the 197Os, the plant mastered the production of hydraulic wheeled and tracked excavators. In 1978 one of these models - EO-3322B - was awarded the State Quality Mark. In March 1981, the fifty thousandth excavator rolled off the assembly line of the enterprise, and the plant was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for replenishing the national economy with reliable and productive equipment.
TVEKS engines are traditionally used by Minsk ones. Most of the other units, assemblies and components of excavators are produced directly at the Tverskoy excavator, even in our time. According to statistics, more than 90% of the special vehicles produced at the plant are equipped with domestically produced hydraulics and Belarusian diesel engines, and only about eight percent are produced with Bosch-Rexroth hydraulics and imported Perkins engines.
Excavator design and device
The EK-18 wheeled excavator consists of the following main components and systems:
- pneumatic undercarriage,
- turntable,
- hydraulic system,
- pneumatic control system,
- electrical equipment,
- working equipment.
The pneumatic undercarriage of the special vehicle is made on 2 driving axles. It is able to provide a sufficiently high speed of movement on and on the roads between work sites, as well as, if necessary, easy and safe towing of the EK-18 with a tractor.
The front axle is driven. The tires are single; the bridge itself is balanced on the chassis. The rear axle is uncontrollable, gable; is rigidly attached to the chassis. The axles are driven through a gearbox and cardan shafts, from a low-torque hydraulic motor. Before earthworks, the excavator is supported, to increase stability, on folding supports and a blade support.
The turntable is attached to the turntable, which is mounted on the chassis. The following are fixed on the turntable: a power unit and a diesel fuel tank, a rotary mechanism, an operator's cabin, a heating and ventilation unit, hydraulic equipment (hydraulic tank, hydraulic valves, an oil cooling unit, etc.), elements of electrical and pneumatic equipment, as well as a counterweight.
The working equipment of the EK-18 excavator is installed in the lugs of the turntable and secured with pins. The design of this special vehicle provides for the possibility of using all kinds of replaceable working equipment and working bodies. In addition to the backhoe, this is a grab, hydraulic hammer, ripper, hydraulic shears, log gripper, etc.
Additionally, the EK-18 expands its technological capabilities, increasing the versatility of this special equipment, by a front-mounted blade-support. They can fill trenches, clean up the surface of the soil, rake up waste debris, and lay out the working site.
The drive of all movements by replaceable working equipment, as well as the control of the excavator executive bodies and its steering are hydraulic. Control of wheel brakes and parking brake, gear shifting is pneumatic. The EK-18 is equipped with electrical systems for lighting, ventilation, alarm and diesel starting, and is ready to work at any time of the day and in any climate, while maintaining normal conditions for working in the cab.
The EK-18 undercarriage includes: a undercarriage with a rotary support; folding supports + support-blade; gearbox, front and rear axles, which are connected by cardan shafts; wheel turning and control mechanism; the central manifold, which is connected by pipelines to the gearbox hydraulic motor, hydraulic cylinders of the folding supports and hydraulic cylinders of the support-blade, as well as to the components of the pneumatic control system: a built-in air receiver, wheel brakes, parking brake, gearshift mechanism.
The slewing bearing on this model of excavators is a bearing-type slewing support: roller, single-row, with internal teeth. The platform is rotated by means of a low-torque axial piston hydraulic motor with a 2-stage planetary gearbox. It increases the torque and decreases the rotational speed of the turntable.
The EK-18 gearbox (gearbox) is used to transfer torque from the hydraulic motor to the drive axles; for shifting gears, turning on / off the front axle and preventing the excavator from spontaneous start of the movement (applying the parking brake). As part of the gear change box - a hydraulic motor, a 2-stage gear transmission, a gear change mechanism, a parking brake. Shoe-type pneumatic brakes are mounted in the excavator axles.
The EK-18 parking brake is of a permanently closed type, with pneumo-electric control. Gear shifting can be done only after the excavator has come to a complete stop. The pneumatic system of the special vehicle is involved in the operation of the brakes, in the gear shifting of the gearbox, in the switching on / off of the front axle.
Bridges
The rear axle of an excavator of this model includes the main gear, crankcase, wheel hubs with parts placed in them (planetary gear, axle shafts, bearings).
When the EK-18 is driving straight ahead on a flat road, the drive wheels on the right and left are equal. When cornering, as well as when driving on uneven ground, the drive wheels of the excavator, which move along the inner radius and experience a lot of resistance, rotate slower than the wheels, which move along the outer radius and experience less resistance.
The wheel steering control mechanism consists of a system of levers, longitudinal and transverse rods, which ensure the turning of a special vehicle both when driving independently and when towing it by a tractor.
The vast majority of excavators of this model are equipped with diesel engines from the Minsk Motor Plant. In the EK-18-20 modification, this is MMZ D-245S, with a capacity of 105 horsepower (at 2200 rpm) and a maximum torque of 384 N.m (at 1400 rpm). In the EK-18-20 modification - ММЗ Д-245.2S2, developing power of 122 horsepower at 2200 rpm and 501 N.m of torque (at 1600 rpm).
MMZ D-245S.
In both variants, it is a four-stroke, four-cylinder diesel engine with in-line vertical arrangement of cylinders and direct injection of diesel fuel, with turbocharging. The working volume is 4.75 liters; cylinder diameter - 110 mm, piston stroke - 125 mm; compression ratio - 17.1.
Imported diesel Perkins 1104C-44TA (modification EK-18-20) - similar design. Also in-line four-cylinder, equipped with a turbocharging system. Its maximum power is 123 horsepower at 2200 rpm. The working volume of the Perkins engine is 4.4 liters. The cylinder diameter is 105 millimeters, the piston stroke is 127 millimeters. The maximum torque reaches 500 Nm.
The EK-18 excavator can be equipped with a Hydronic-10 (12 V) liquid heater - for preheating the engine. To warm up the cabin in cold weather, the excavator has a Zenit-8000 liquid heater.
As already noted, the design of the EK-18 excavator provides for the possibility of using this special equipment with various types of replaceable working bodies. Among them - buckets of a backhoe of different sizes, grab equipment (digging and loading), a MG-300 hydraulic hammer, IG-821 and IG-811 hydraulic shears, a concrete grinder, a log grab with a lifting capacity of 3 tons, a ripper 225-00-40.17.400 ...
The main type of replaceable working equipment - a backhoe - is designed to perform a wide range of earthmoving and loading / unloading operations. Its components: boom, stick, removable working body, bucket drive mechanism, hydraulic cylinders, a system of pipelines and high pressure hoses that connect the hydraulic cylinders with the excavator hydraulic system. Replaceable working bodies of the backhoe - digging buckets of different volumes (from 0.65 to 1 cubic meter) and practical purpose.
The hydraulic system of the excavator is intended to drive its power mechanisms: for movement, platform turns, operation of working equipment, outriggers and a blade (1st circuit), hydraulic control (2nd circuit) and steering (3rd circuit).
The pumping unit is a 3-flow hydraulic drive unit that converts the rotational energy of the drive shaft into the energy of the working fluid flow. It is equipped with a gearbox; two variable pumps and one fixed one.
An adjustable hydraulic motor of the axial piston type can be used as a travel motor. The hydraulic motor with a pumping unit for connecting rod guidance of the cylinder block with a flow regulator makes it possible to obtain proportional dependences of the volume on the pressure.
The gear pump is driven by the diesel engine on which it is mounted. Direction of rotation of the input shaft of the pump: left - with the engine MMZ D-245.
The excavator is equipped with a ten-spool valve. It consists of a common slab with 10 sections. Of these: two central sections - pressure-discharge and eight sections - working.
The hydraulic cylinders with which the EK-18 excavator is equipped differ in their design, in the nominal and maximum allowable working pressure, in the diameters of the rod and piston, and in the magnitude of the piston stroke. But all hydraulic cylinders consist of the following parts: welded body, stem, front cover, seals. The working fluid is supplied through pipelines that are connected to the cylinder body by flange or threaded connections. The piston divides the inner space of the cylinder into two cavities that do not communicate with each other: piston and rod.
All modifications of the EK-18 excavator are equipped with a hydraulic power steering.
The electrical equipment of the EK-18 is responsible for starting the engine, lighting the working area if necessary, ventilating the cab, turning on the light alarm when a special vehicle is moving, and for pre-starting the diesel engine. In addition to the starter, electric power consumers using this technique are instrumentation, lighting and light-signaling equipment, fan motors, and a motor heater. All sources and consumers of current are connected according to a single-wire circuit, in which the metal structure ("mass") of the special vehicle serves as the negative wire.
Excavators EK-18 with indexes -20, -30, -40, -44, -60 and -90 (M) are produced. The differences between them are in buckets of different volumes, different indicators of carrying capacity; in various hydraulics and diesel engines.
The EK-18 excavator is equipped with an all-metal sound- and heat-resistant cabin. The upper windshield with a frame can be removed under the cab roof and fixed in this position. The door is equipped with a lock. A lock is provided on the left outer wall of the cab to hold the door open. There is a special anti-vibration mat on the floor. The cab has a sprung seat, the backrest tilt of which can be changed. The position of the chair itself is adjustable in depth and height. The excavator hood is made of removable blocks that have hinged doors and panels for easy access to the units and mechanisms on the turntable for maintenance and repair. 
The EK-14 excavator of domestic production is a reliable and multifunctional equipment with a wide range of applications. The presence of a wheelbase, a powerful engine, a universal boom and a wide range of interchangeable equipment makes it possible to use the machine on various construction sites, agriculture, mining and land reclamation. Excavators EK-14 technical characteristics are quite high, which allows them to compete with foreign counterparts. From the reviews of the owners of Tveks EK-12, 14 excavators and the management of enterprises, it can be understood that this technique is ideally suited to work in the most severe conditions at maximum load.
Excavators EK-14-20 (year of manufacture - 2005) have an increased margin of safety, are distinguished by their reliability and productivity. The modern model of the EK-14-90 excavator has been produced by the Tver Excavator Plant since 2007. This technique is more versatile than its predecessors through the use of innovative solutions and advanced technologies.
Scope of use
The line of EK-18 excavators, the technical characteristics of which are constantly being improved, are in high demand among construction companies and government organizations. This demand is based on the fact that EK-230-06 excavators and related models combine versatility, productivity and affordable cost. Today, you can buy machines not only on wheels, but also on caterpillar (LC) for work on difficult terrain.
The EK-18-30 wheeled excavator can be used to perform the following works:
- Arrangement of foundation pits for high-rise buildings. Boom reach and bucket volume allow you to open large pits and depths in a few hours. Excellent maneuverability makes it possible to quickly move both along the edge of the pit and inside it. One of the exchangeable buckets is used depending on the type of soil.
- Trenching in various widths and depths. The use of removable sections of the boom and buckets with a certain width helps to make even trenches with a width of 30 cm and a depth of 600 cm. Accurate boom control facilitates high-level repairs.
- Quarry development. The EK 12 excavators have the technical characteristics high enough to remove tough overburden, hard rock and frozen ground. The large bucket volume makes it possible to fill the truck body with sand, gravel or limestone in a matter of minutes.
- Construction and repair of hydraulic structures. Excavators EK-18-20 have proven themselves well in the construction of bridges, dams and dams. Having good maneuverability and maneuverability, EK-18-60 excavators are used at all stages of construction, from excavation to leveling.
- Public works. Within the city limits EK-14 - wheeled excavator - is an irreplaceable technique. With its help, the repair of sewerage, heating mains and water supply is carried out. Maneuverable equipment quickly and efficiently digs holes for sewer and communication wells.
The EK-18 single-bucket excavator is a multi-purpose earthmoving machine designed for the development of pits, trenches, quarries in soils of I-IV categories, loading and unloading bulk materials, loosened rocks and frozen soils (with a piece size of not more than 200 mm), as well as other works in the conditions of industrial, urban, rural, transport and land reclamation construction.
Replaceable types of working equipment:
1. Replaceable sticks L = 2200, 2800, 3400 mm and with buckets, respectively, V = 0.77 m 3, 0.65 m 3;
2. Hydraulic hammer MG-300, intended for destruction of concrete and reinforced concrete road surfaces, structures made of bricks, unreinforced concrete and other similar works, including loosening frozen soil and compacting loose soil;
3. Hydraulic shears NG-1624;
4. Ripper 225-00-40.17.400;
5. Log grapple 313-00-40.12.000 with a carrying capacity of 3 tons for loading and unloading operations and stacking of logs and other sawn timber. The log gripper can be equipped with a full-turn rotator;
6. Digging grab and grab for bulk materials.
There is an option of execution with two pairs of outriggers.
Various modifications of the EK-18 excavator:
Excavator EK-18-20 provides high productivity due to a bucket with a capacity of 1 cu. Reinforced metal construction of the working equipment ensures high reliability and durability. The EK-18-20 excavator has a large set of interchangeable working equipment. The EK-18-20 excavator is considered the most powerful multifunctional machine.
Excavator EK-18-30 has the same characteristics as the EK-18-20 excavator, but at the same time it is equipped with imported hydraulics.
Excavator EK-18-40- pneumatic-wheeled hydraulic excavator for loading and unloading operations with a grab gripper. A special machine for loading scrap metal and timber - an EK-18-40 excavator with scrap equipment and a hydraulic lifting cabin.
Excavator-reloader EK-18-44- special pneumatic with scrap equipment, five-jaw grab GP-554 with a volume of 0.65 cubic meters. meters, a full-revolving rotator and a hydraulic lifting cabin for loading scrap metal and timber, for loading / unloading gondola cars.
Excavator EK-18-60 equipped with a Bosch-Rexroth hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor, Perkins engine.
Single-bucket full-revolving pneumatic wheel excavator EK-18:
1 - power plant; 2 - turntable; 3 - operator's cabin; 4 - monoblock boom; 5, 7, 10 - arm, bucket and boom hydraulic cylinders; 6 - handle; 8 - bucket; 9 - support-blade; 11 - pneumatic wheel running device; 12 - outrigger support
Among the large selection of excavator models, mainly of foreign brands, Russian companies also offer their models, built both from domestic components and in cooperation with foreign manufacturers of important components and assemblies. One of the most used and purchased Russian excavators is TVEKS EK-18.
The EK-18 hydraulic excavator is manufactured by Tverskoy Excavator OJSC, occupying the middle position in the line of wheeled earth-moving equipment of this manufacturer. It is a universal machine for the widest application, unpretentious, easy to maintain due to the availability of spare parts and efficient.
The excavator can move independently around the site where the work is being carried out.
For transportation to a remote work site, it can be towed by a vehicle. The maximum speed is limited and should not exceed 40 km / h.
In the photo, the TVEX EK-18 excavator 
Application area
This model is designed to work with soils up to category 4 inclusive.
Scope of application are:
- Cargo handling.
- Trenching.
- Development of foundation pits.
- Career work.
- Destruction of buildings of medium strength.
- Stacking, loading / unloading of logs, lumber.
- Leveling the pads.
- Other works in construction, agriculture, land reclamation.
Work equipment
As a standard, the TVEKS EK-18 excavator is equipped with a backhoe bucket with a volume of 0.65 to 1 m3, depending on the used arm length.
The following can be used as replaceable attachments:
- Hydraulic hammer MG-300.
- Hydraulic shears NG-1624.
- Ripper 225-00-40.17.400.
- Log grapple 313-00-40.12.000. Maximum lifting capacity - 3000 kg.
- Digging grab GK-221.
- Loading grab (five-jaw).
Replaceable attachments for the EK-18 excavator 
Specifications
This successful excavator is offered in several versions, differing mainly in the installed motors and hydraulics. The excavator can be equipped with a domestic or foreign engine, more powerful, economical, with an extended service interval. To ensure reliable start-up at negative temperatures, a German pre-start liquid heater "Hydronic 10" is installed.
The hydraulic system produced by Pneumatic Construction Machine can be replaced with Bosch-Rexroth.
The excavator is equipped with a comfortable proprietary cab with a large glass area, equipped with a heating system or (optionally) air conditioning, an adjustable compact steering column, an adjustable operator's seat, joystick controls. The cab has vibration protection.
The excavator is equipped with two outriggers and a blade support. Operating temperature range - from -40? up to +40 ?.
Main technical characteristics of popular models:
| Model | EK-18-20 | EK-18-30 | EK-18-60 | EK-18-90 |
| Engine | MMZ 245S | Perkins 1104C-44TA | D-245 2S2 | |
| engine's type | Diesel, liquid cooling | |||
| Engine power, h.p. | 105 | 123 | 122 | |
| Hydraulics | PSM | Bosch-Rexroth | ||
| Stick, m | 2,2/,2,8/3,4 | |||
| Bucket capacity, m3 | 1,0/0,7/0,65 | |||
| Digging depth | 5,77/6,37/6,97 | |||
| Unloading height, m | 6,24/6,5/6,75 | |||
| Cycle duration, s | 18,5 | |||
| Travel speed, km / h | 20 | |||
| Overall dimensions, mm | 9360/2500/3158 | |||
| Weight, kg | 18400 | |||
The EK-18-20 modification is based on domestic components and assemblies, and is the simplest in the model range.
The EK-18-90 modification is the result of further improvement of the excavator, in which axles with limited slip differentials are used, which improve passability. The Italian-made AMA compact steering column takes up less cab space for greater operator comfort. The rigidity of the cab has also been increased. The upgraded engine has increased power and improves the excavator's performance.
Buyers can order any of the 3 listed handle sizes for this EK-18. The basic package includes a 2.2 m stick, a longer one allows you to increase the depth and radius of digging, but the volume of the bucket will decrease.
The EK-18 wheeled excavator is a Russian machine for work on domestic construction sites, in quarries, wherever you need a productive, reliable, maintainable unit that is not afraid of low temperatures, heat, and harsh working conditions.
On the video, the capabilities of the TVEKS EK-18 excavator:
Domestic equipment at construction sites has always been in demand for the reason that it is much easier to look for components for it, especially when equipment fails at the height of the construction season. Excavator EK-18 refers specifically to the domestic segment of the construction equipment market. However, in addition to readily available spare parts, it is also distinguished by a wide range of compatible attachments for literally all occasions.
Excavator EK-18-20
The EK-18-20 excavator is the basic configuration of the machine. In this configuration, the device has a domestic-made D-245 engine. It has liquid cooling and direct fuel injection. It differs from the younger models of the series in a capacious bucket with a volume of 1 m3, as well as a reinforced metal structure.
For this model, such types of equipment as hydraulic hammers, rippers, grapples, log grapples and hydraulic shears are successfully used. And modern modifications of the car are equipped with a comfortable cab.
Features of the EK-18-30 excavator
The EK-18-30 excavator is an improved modification of the EK-18-20 model. Along with all the advantages of the basic design, the device received a number of improvements through the introduction of imported hydraulics. Except for the engine, its design is as similar as possible to the EK-18-60 excavator model.
Excavator device EK-18-40
The device of the EK-18-40 excavator model deserves special attention. This construction and repair vehicle is mounted on pneumatic wheels. A grab gripper is included as a working body. Such a design, of course, will be useful in the processing of recyclable materials, for example, scrap metal, or when loading timber, however, a special configuration of this machine is more adapted for these needs, which also includes a hydraulic lifting cabin, as well as scrap equipment. The cab is used for filling open wagons, as well as for unloading them.
Features of the EK-18-60 excavator
Among other modifications, the model of the EK-18-60 excavator stands out. Its design is distinguished by the presence of a set of hydraulic equipment. It includes a hydraulic pump as well as a Bosch-Rexroth hydraulic travel motor. In order to balance the power of the unit and the hydraulic equipment, the manufacturer also replaced the stock engine with a Perkins model.
Technical characteristics of the EK-18 excavator
- Operational weight, kg 18000
- Travel speed, km / h 20
- Bucket capacity, m3 1.00 (0.65; 0.77)
- D-245 / Perkins 1104C-44TA engine
- Power, h.p. 105/123
- Hydraulic system pressure, MPa 28
- Length, mm 9400
- Width, mm 2500
- Height, mm 3300
Video about the EK-18 excavator
