Excavator Modifications

All the teledippers which First Square Equipment sell are either new units of Kocurek (UK) brand, or good used units of Hitachi, Sumitomo (Japan) etc brands

Outside of this, we have engineering and workshop facilities that specialise in bespoke excavator modification
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Slide Cab Conversions

The original cab is removed, and new slide rails / cab base frame is added to give 1.3m of forward slide when the cab is refitted 

A clear floor panel is fitted for improved visibility, and the track pedals are moved from the centre to the side, also to improve visibility

​A host of safety features are installed - track pedal lock, emergency hand pump to retract the cab in the event of engine power loss, cab door interlock, additional step and handrail etc 

Counterweights and Undercarriage Work

Several options for additional counterweights - underslung, rear overhang, top mounted and an extension of the excavator chassis rails for a vertical slab counterweight

Undercarriages can be widened to offer improved excavator stability, track frames can be modified to prevent track loss 

Cameras and Control Systems

We use a Brigade camera system - made in the UK, it is wireless, and has been specially developed for heavy equipment applications
​A narrow view camera on the end of the Teledipper inner section gives a good view of the clamshell bucket and the material pile, ensuring every retract has a full bucket
Another three cameras on the top and mid point of the teledipper, keep an eye out for site hazards etc
The operator can select whichever camera he needs, and the image is well viewed on an anti glare monitor

For control systems, we work in partnership with James Fisher Prolec, and can offer a huge range of slew limiters, dig planning, load monitoring, geofences etc

How We Work

Starting with a customer request for an excavator modification such as slide cab, rising cab, additional counterweight, boom modular joint fitting, to name but a few

First step is to sit down and discuss the options with the customer - 'how far do you want to be able to slide' or 'how large do you want you floor window' - each conversion is bespoke, so within reason whatever the customer needs and whatever his budget and timescales, we should be able to accommodate

Next step is to transfer the 'back of the envelope' ideas to real working drawings - our in house designers have years of experience, of not only general engineering, but also real world construction site conditions, and plan for these conditions in their designs
All design work is done on the latest versions of computer aided design (CAD)

All stress bearing items are tested on screen with Finite Element Analysis (FEA) before being released for manufacture - this allows us to simulate for example, high stress loads and many thousands / millions of work cycles, and will identify possible weak spots which can then be eliminated by changing material thickness or grade, additional bracing etc - real world testing before any material is cut out !!

​We can then offer several different levels of manufacture and fitting
Supply Only (Small Components)
Supply signed off drawings to customer for his local manufacture, ideal for components such as connection / hanger brackets etc

Supply Only (Major Components)
Manufacture in house in UK or USA, for shipping to customer and self install using our supplied instructions, for example a slide cab frame and rails
We can also send a service engineer to customer site to assist if required, travel to any location worldwide

Supply and Fit (Turnkey)
Manufacture in house in UK,  and fitting to customer excavator in our UK workshops
​Tested in our yard and ready to work       

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FEA analysis of a counterweight bracket 

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