Bucket-Wheel-Excavator wheel

Bucket Wheel Excavator (BWE) is a large heavy equipment machine used in surface mining. The primary function of BWEs is to act as a continuous digging machine in large-scale open-pit mining operations, removing thousands of tons of overburden a day. What sets BWEs apart from other large-scale mining equipment, such as bucket chain excavators, is their use of a large wheel consisting of a continuous pattern of buckets used to scoop material as the wheel turns. They rank among the largest vehicles (land or sea) ever produced, and the largest of the bucket-wheel excavators (the 14,200 ton Bagger 293 still holds the Guinness World Record for the heaviest land-based vehicle ever constructed). BWEs are used for continuous overburden removal in surface mining applications. They use their cutting wheels to strip away a section of earth (the working block) dictated by the size of the excavator. Through hoisting, the working block can include area both above and below the level of the machine (the bench level). By slewing, the excavator can reach through a horizontal range.