Hitachi-Sumitomo MH5510B Load Chart PDF + Specifications

The Hitachi-Sumitomo MH5510B is a crawler-mounted foundation machine developed primarily for earth drilling and bored-pile construction, rather than as a conventional lifting crane. The machine combines the crawler base and hoisting equipment of a heavy crawler crane with a dedicated earth-drill front, kelly system and rotary drive. It was designed for large-diameter foundation work where high drilling torque, deep-hole capability and accurate vertical control are required. In crawler-crane configuration, the machine also retains a rated lifting capacity of 50 tonnes at a 4.0 m working radius.

In its earth-drill configuration, the MH5510B uses a 25 m boom and can drill holes up to 3,000 mm in diameter. With the appropriate reamer knife, maximum drilling diameter increases to approximately 3,300 mm. Hitachi-Sumitomo listed the model among its previous earth drills with a nominal maximum drilling depth of around 60 m, while detailed configurations show depths varying with the kelly arrangement and drilling method.

The rotary drilling system develops a maximum torque of 98 kN·m, equivalent to about 10 tf·m. Lower torque settings of approximately 68 kN·m and 39 kN·m were also available, giving the operator flexibility to match rotary performance to soil conditions and tooling. The machine uses a long-stroke thrust cylinder with a 1,600 mm stroke, providing approximately 214 kN of push force and 268 kN of pull-back force. This arrangement helps maintain drilling productivity while improving vertical accuracy through the guided semi-leader structure.

The kelly winch provides a maximum lifting force of approximately 245 kN, or about 25 tonnes-force. Depending on specification, five-stage friction-type kelly bars can be used for deep drilling work. The machine was also developed for under-reamed or enlarged-base pile construction, with dedicated expanding buckets and monitoring equipment that allow the operator to observe drilling depth, kelly verticality, torque and the amount of bucket expansion during construction.

For lifting work, the MH5510B can be configured as a 50-tonne crawler crane. The basic crane boom is 10 m long, with a maximum boom length of approximately 25 m. Maximum rated lifting capacity is 50 tonnes at a 4.0 m radius, and a 50-tonne hook block is available. With the 25 m earth-drill boom and the drilling attachment repositioned, the auxiliary hoist can also be used for crane duties with lifting capacity of up to approximately 13 tonnes, which is useful for assembly, handling drilling tools and moving foundation components around the jobsite.

Main hoist speeds are approximately 96, 56 and 28 m/min, depending on operating mode and load. Auxiliary hoist speeds are around 48 and 28 m/min, while boom-hoist rope speed is approximately 60 m/min. Maximum slewing speed is about 3.0 rpm. These relatively high working speeds allow the machine to handle both drilling and lifting cycles efficiently, particularly during repetitive foundation operations.

Power is provided by a Mitsubishi 6D24-TLE2A diesel engine producing 221 kW, or approximately 300 PS, at 2,000 rpm. The machine carries a fuel tank of about 400 litres. Travel speed is approximately 1.5 km/h in high range and 1.1 km/h in low range, while gradeability is about 40%. The crawler undercarriage uses approximately 760 mm wide shoes, helping distribute the considerable machine weight over the working platform.

In crawler-crane configuration with a 10 m boom and 50-tonne hook, total operating mass is approximately 62.2 tonnes, with average ground pressure around 74.4 kPa. In full earth-drill configuration with the 25 m boom and drilling equipment installed, total operating mass rises substantially to around 96.5 tonnes, with average ground pressure of approximately 115 kPa. Standard counterweight is approximately 20 tonnes.

The operator cab was designed for foundation work and includes an adjustable seat, electrically tilting control stand, air conditioning and monitoring equipment. A camera system allows the operator to observe the drums and left-rear area of the machine, while dedicated displays can monitor drilling conditions and under-reaming work. Safety equipment includes a moment limiter, hoist-limit devices, drum locks and warning systems appropriate to both crane and drilling operation.

Overall, the Hitachi-Sumitomo MH5510B is best described as a 50-tonne class crawler foundation machine with large-diameter earth-drilling capability. Its combination of 3,000–3,300 mm drilling diameter, around 60 m-class drilling depth, 98 kN·m rotary torque, 245 kN kelly pull and 50-tonne crawler-crane capability made it suitable for large bored piles, building foundations, bridge works and other heavy civil-engineering applications requiring both drilling and lifting functions.