Exhibits Siki, Hydraulic Excavator with Radiation Measuring Device, at the RADIEX2015 in Fukushima (Hitachi Construction Machinery Japan Co., Ltd)
RADIEX2015 in Fukushima, a two-day environmental radioactivity measures and radioactive waste disposal international exhibition, was held at the Koriyama Culture Park in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture on October 15th and 16th, 2015. Hitachi Power Solutions Co., Ltd. and Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd., jointly showcased Siki, a hydraulic excavator with radiation measuring device.
Siki was selected for the Ministry of the Environment fs 2015 demonstration projects for environmental technologies for decontamination and reduction of waste weight. Siki combines a hydraulic excavator with a radioactive measuring device. In the area around the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, heavy machinery is being used for jobs that were previously conducted manually. This substantially reduces the risk of workers being exposed to radiation or becoming involved in accidents. In addition, Siki has received high commendations from customers as it contributes to a reduction in manual labor.
This series was dubbed Siki, which means four seasons in Japanese. Hitachi Power Solutions and Hitachi Aloka Medical displayed four versions in this series at the RADIEX2015 in Fukushima. The Sakura (cherry tree; spring), which has no measuring device, and Himawari (sunflower; summer), which comes with a measuring device, are based on the ZX135US-5B, ZX135US-5 reduced-tail-swing excavator. The Cosmos (autumn), which has no measuring device, and Sekka (snowflakes; winter), which comes with a measures device, are based on the ZX225USR-5B, a medium hydraulic excavator. The series gained the attention of the 2,041 visitors that came to the exhibition.
Measures for dealing with environmental radioactivity in the Fukushima area are transitioning from focusing on decontamination to the reconstruction and revitalization of the Fukushima area, including the pilot transportation of already decontaminated radioactive materials. Construction of a 1,600ha temporary storage facility is scheduled to start in the near future.
Full-fledged transport of the decontaminated waste is scheduled to begin in 2016. The Siki series is expected to play a major role in this cleanup work.
