by Richard Cosgrove | Thu 07 Aug 2025
First Develon DX140RDM-7 demolition excavator in Benelux
Afbraakwerken De Schepper Kris, the demolition company based in Vorselaar in Belgium, is the first contractor in Benelux to take delivery of a new DX140RDM-7 demolition excavator from Develon, formerly Doosan Construction Equipment.
Syms Techniek, a dealer of Develon earthmoving machines, among other products, supplied De Schepper Kris with this 'small' high-reach demolition machine. With a maximum pin height of 16 m, the Develon DX140RDM-7 is one of the smallest fully-fledged demolition machines with a high reach. De Schepper Kris specialises in demolishing smaller buildings, often in confined spaces, as on the first site for the new DX140RDM-7 located in Turnhout.
The new machine has been put through its paces in Turnhout, where De Schepper Kris has to demolish several old multi-storey buildings. This is where the Develon DX140RDM-7 really comes into its own. Once De Schepper Kris has finished the demolition work, the site will be home to the 'De Globetrotter' Community Centre.
A separate 15-tonne zero tail swing excavator was used to clear the site so the DX140RDM-7 could reach the demolition site on the back of a flatbed truck. The 15-tonne excavator is continuing to assist the DX140RDM-7, enabling it to demolish safely at height with its long boom, while it concentrates on sorting the demolished materials and loading them into containers.
The DX140RDM-7 is the smallest in a series of four demolition machines offered by Develon. In addition to the 23-tonne DX140RDM-7, there is also the 30-tonne DX245DM-7, the 48-tonne DX380DM-7 and the 70-tonne DX530DM-7 models.
In the DX140RDM-7, the undercarriage can be expanded hydraulically for greater stability. This keeps the transport width at just 2540 mm, while when extended it provides a very stable base of 3740 mm. The tracks and dozer blade further increase the stability of the machine, especially at greater reaches.
Two different demolition booms are available: a fixed boom, as chosen by De Schepper Kris, and a detachable boom. In addition to a short digging boom, a long-reach boom is also available for the detachable boom. Both demolition booms have a reach height of 16 m at the bucket pin and a maximum reach of 10.7 m (360-degree swing range). The transport length with the boom folded is approximately 11 m. The highest point for transport is the cab protection, which is only 3020 mm. This makes the machine very easy to transport.
Providing extra safety when working with the DX140RDM-7, it is equipped with an overload protection system that uses four angle sensors and a pressure sensor to register the actions of the machine. The operator can read this data on a separate display in the cab. When the safety limit is reached, the operator receives a warning and the machine is halted.
The machine arrived at Syms Techniek in Heist-op-den-Berg directly from Develon and in the Syms workshop, the machine was further customised to the customer's requirements. A Eurosteel CW40 hydraulic quick coupler was fitted to the boom to accommodate the Zijtveld demolition sorting grab and the Trevibenne concrete demolition shear. The machine was also equipped with an automatic lubrication system and an extra camera on the dipper stick, so that the operator can see what is happening at height. The 600 mm wide steel tracks are fitted with rubber pads, so that the machine can also work on asphalt and paving.
Afbraakwerken De Schepper Kris, based in Vorselaar, has only been operating as an independent demolition company for five years. However, owner, Kris de Schepper, has many decades of experience in demolition. Since starting his business, De Schepper has quietly built up the company and, until now, could only take on demolition work that was suitable for the 15-tonne zero tail swing excavator. Together with his operator, Guy Heylen (manager of Syms Techniek) and Steven Royakkers (sales representative at Semat-Interparts, Develon's importer in Belgium), De Schepper Kris took a trip to try out the Develon DX140RDM-7. Based on this trip, De Schepper Kris was convinced and signed for the purchase of the machine.