Electric rope shovels for surface mining · dipper payload and capacity, boom and dipper handle length, working weight, hoist, crowd, swing and propel drives, electrical supply in kVA, and rope data
An electric rope shovel is a mining excavator in which electric motors drive the main motions: hoist, crowd, swing and propel. Caterpillar presents them as machines for removing overburden and ore in surface mines. Ask three things first: what dipper payload and truck size you need to match, what bench height and digging conditions apply, and what electrical supply the mine can provide.
Electric rope shovels for surface mining, with their dippers and electrical systems. Hydraulic mining excavators and draglines have their own pages; shovel spare parts sold alone are outside this page except where compared.
01
Caterpillar presents its electric rope shovels as machines for removing overburden and ore. Its archived specification pages for three models are summarised below. [1] [2] [3]
Editorial calculation: the 7495 HD's dipper payload is 1.8 times that of the 7295 (81.8 ÷ 45.4), while its working weight is about 1.66 times as large (1,306 ÷ 789).
| Item | Cat 7295 | Cat 7395 | Cat 7495 HD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dipper payload | 45.4 t (50 tons) [1] | 63.5 t (70 tons) [2] | 81.8 t (90 tons) [3] |
| Dipper capacity | 18.4–39.0 m³ [1] | 19.1–61.2 m³ [2] | 19.1–61.2 m³ [3] |
| Boom length | 18.0 m [1] | 19.51 m [2] | 20.4 m [3] |
| Effective dipper handle length | 9.45 m [1] | 10.9 m [2] | 10.9 m [3] |
| Working weight (with dipper) | 789,251 kg [1] | 1,288,656 kg [2] | 1,306,346 kg [3] |
| Ballast (customer-furnished) | 159,665 kg [1] | 260,362 kg [2] | 260,362 kg [3] |
Give the supplier the material, bank height and digging conditions, the haul truck size to be loaded and target passes per truck, the annual production, the required dipper payload and capacity, the mine power supply (voltage, available kVA), the climate, and the service and parts support required.
02
On the 7295, Caterpillar describes hoist machinery as a motor coupled to two gear reductions driving a 137 cm hoist drum; swing uses two parallel-shaft units on either side of the revolving frame, each with a vertically mounted motor; and propel is a dual-motor independent drive. On the 7495 HD, a planetary gearbox with dual output pinions transfers hoist torque from the electric motor to the hoist drum gear, and swing uses two planetary gearboxes. Both use an IGBT drive system. [1] [3]
The crowd rope is listed at 60.3 mm diameter on the 7295 and 63.5 mm on the 7495 HD. For the electrical distribution system, Caterpillar lists 1,320 kVA (2,000 kVA for a machine on a separate system) for the 7295, and 2,000 kVA (3,500 kVA on a separate system) for the 7495 HD. [1] [3]
03
Komatsu's P&H 4100XPC AC-90 general specification (2018) lists a nominal payload of 73–82 t (80–90 short tons), a nominal dipper capacity of 42–49 m³ SAE struck, a rated suspended load of 173 t and an optimum truck size of 218–360 t (240–400 short tons), and notes that payload and dipper capacity depend on the application and that Komatsu Mining offers an analysis of a specific application. [4]
The sheet describes the crowd with a V-belt drive to an enclosed two-reduction gear case and a twin-leg dipper handle with rack and pinion, swing through two planetary gear cases and a forged swing gear, propel through two planetary gear cases to the drive sprockets, and the hoist through a single enclosed gear case with a 68-inch drum, with spring-set, air-release disc brakes on each motor. It notes that dumping height is greater with bail-less or compact-bail dippers. [4]
Editorial calculation: at 82 t per pass, a 360 t truck takes 360 / 82 ≈ 4.4, so five passes or a part-filled last pass; a 218 t truck at 73 t takes about 3.0 passes. The 68-inch hoist drum is about 1.73 m, against 1.37 m on the Cat 7295, and the 3,750 kVA minimum transformer compares with Cat's 3,500 kVA for a 7495 HD on a separate system. Check the dumping height against the truck's loading height. [4] [1] [3]
| 4100XPC AC-90 item | Value |
|---|---|
| Height of cut | 16.8 m |
| Radius of cut | 23.3 m |
| Dumping height (door open, bail-type dipper) | 10.2 m |
| Floor level radius | 15.3 m |
| Tail swing radius | 9.8 m |
| Overall width × length × height over gantry | 14.4 × 15.0 × 14.7 m |
| Crawler shoes | 1,930 or 2,210 mm |
| Supply voltage | 7,200 or 13,800 V, 60 Hz; 6,000–11,000 V, 50 Hz |
| Supply transformer (minimum) | 3,750 kVA |
| Minimum short-circuit VA at the shovel | 30 MVA |
State truck model and body capacity, target passes, bench height, material density and swell, required dumping height and the mine's supply voltage, frequency, transformer size and fault level.
04
The Cat values come from archived 2014–2015 specification pages and the Komatsu values from a 2018 sheet, so confirm current figures with the maker.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Dipper payload | Examples: 45.4 t; 63.5 t; 81.8 t [1] [2] [3]; 73–82 t. [4] | Payload for your trucks. |
| Dipper capacity | Examples: 18.4–39.0 m³; 19.1–61.2 m³. [1] [3] | Dipper for your material density. |
| Reach | Boom 18.0–20.4 m; handle 9.45–10.9 m. [1] [3] | Working ranges. |
| Power supply | Examples: 1,320–3,500 kVA [1] [3]; 3,750 kVA minimum, 30 MVA fault level. [4] | Voltage and demand. |
| Drives | Hoist, crowd, swing, propel; IGBT drive. [1] [3] | Motor ratings. |
| Truck size | Optimum 218–360 t for one 73–82 t shovel. [4] | Pass match for your fleet. |
| Working ranges | Height of cut 16.8 m, dumping height 10.2 m. [4] | Ranges with your dipper. |
05
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Mine: [material; bank height; digging conditions] Trucks: [payload; passes per truck] Production: [annual tonnage] Shovel: [dipper payload; capacity] Power: [voltage; kVA available] Support: [service; parts; training]
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Caterpillar's archived specs range from the 7295 (45.4 t payload, 789 t working weight) to the 7495 HD (81.8 t payload, 1,306 t). [1] [3]
Hoist, crowd, swing and propel, each electrically driven. [1]
Caterpillar lists distribution requirements of 1,320–2,000 kVA for the 7295 and 2,000–3,500 kVA for the 7495 HD. [1] [3]
Komatsu lists an optimum truck size of 218–360 t for its 4100XPC AC-90 with 73–82 t nominal payload. [4]
The 4100XPC AC-90 lists 6–13.8 kV three-phase, a minimum 3,750 kVA transformer and 30 MVA short-circuit capacity at the shovel. [4]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. The Caterpillar pages are archived copies (2014–2015) of the maker's specifications, and Komatsu's P&H 4100XPC AC-90 general specification dates from 2018; check current offerings with each maker.
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