Bucyrus International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BUCY) has announced the introduction of the new HydraCrowd, the first new electric shovel crowd technology in 70 years! By eliminating the need for rope crowd change intervals, the HydraCrowd adds 3 days of additional production per year amounting to an annual revenue gain that approaches $5M in certain minerals.

A hydraulic cylinder inside the tubular dipper handle eliminates the crowd retract ropes, or rack and pinion gearing. Major maintenance for the HydraCrowd is scheduled every 24 months, a great time savings from the maintenance required on conventional crowd systems, with added safety. The HydraCrowd system is controlled with proven Bucyrus IGBT technology, and has complete diagnostic and troubleshooting capabilities. The HydraCrowd ensures each shovel will be able to deliver maximum productivity in the harshest environments.

The Bucyrus HydraCrowd is available on most 495 Shovels, for both new machines and as a retrofit on existing machines.