Volvo’s ECR355 short swing excavator: layout and highwall benefits for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on Australian Mining
30 Second Briefing
Volvo Construction Equipment has launched the latest generation ECR355 short swing excavator, designed to deliver higher precision digging and loading in constrained benches and tight quarry faces. The updated 35-tonne-class machine pairs a reduced tail swing radius with refined electro-hydraulic controls and factory-integrated machine control, improving cycle accuracy while limiting rework and bench overbreak. For mine and quarry operators, the compact slew envelope and improved control package enable closer working to highwalls, narrower haul road widths and denser plant layouts without sacrificing production rates.
Technical Brief
- Shorter front radius allows safe operation within narrower berms while maintaining full boom reach envelope.
- Factory integration of tiltrotator and quick coupler hydraulics reduces add‑on hose runs and snag points.
- Cab layout is revised with proportional rollers on joysticks for fine control of auxiliary hydraulic circuits.
Our Take
Volvo Construction Equipment has featured far less frequently than Caterpillar and Komatsu in our recent Mining product coverage, so this Australian-focused piece signals Volvo CE’s push to be seen as a primary OEM option on local project fleets rather than a niche or secondary supplier.
With Australia dominating many of the 2045 tag-matched Product/Projects items, Volvo CE’s short-swing solutions are likely being positioned for constrained or brownfield sites where owners want to add capacity without major reconfiguration of existing haul roads, pads, or ROM stockpile areas.
For Australian contractors such as Manifest Group, OEMs offering compact or short-swing heavy equipment can materially change bid strategies on urban-fringe or infrastructure-adjacent mining projects, where footprint and environmental disturbance limits often drive equipment selection as much as raw productivity.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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