More units are expected to go into operation in the US and Europe in the next few months.

The CH 650 is the latest addition to the Comacchio line-up of piling rigs. The launch of this machine follows the introduction in late 2015 of the CH 450, the first machine designed by the Italian manufacturer for the large-diameter market.

The CH 650 is a multipurpose drilling rig mounted on a dedicated excavator carrier with an operating weight of 70t. The rig is self-erecting and can be transported with minimal machine disassembly, thus allowing for easy and fast rig-up. The CH 650 is designed to cover a wide range of drilling technologies that include kelly drilling, continuous flight auger (CFA), displacement piles and soil mixing. The rig can be supplied in CPD and WPD versions, and can be equipped with different kelly bars reaching a max. pile depth of 69m. The rotary quill adopted by Comacchio allows for the use of kelly bars of different diameters (394-419mm), including HD bars and XHD bars, with minor changes on the rotary head. The rotary head, designed entirely by Comacchio, offers 262kNm max. nominal torque and is connected to the Comacchio Controlling System, a software developed by the company that allows for the control and monitoring of the drilling parameters and performance through a touch screen.

To meet the various needs, the machine can be supplied in different configurations. In WPD configuration, the CH 650 features a 16,000mm stroke mast and 330kN pull-up/down force. This machine can be used for the construction of cased piles up to 2,000mm in diameter and uncased bored piles (2,500m max. diameter), up to 69m deep. The WPD version of the machine can be supplied with a CFA conversion kit. In this arrangement, the machine can be used for CFA piles with a max. diameter of 1,000mm up to 22.5m deep, using a 17.5m-long auger string and 7m-long auger extension.

The CPD configuration of the machine features 6,500mm feed stroke and offers 280kN max pull-up and 200kN max pull-down force. It can be used for the installation of bored piles up to 2,500mm in diameter up to 62m deep.

The CH 650 is equipped with Caterpillar engine delivering 240kW/321hp power and complying with the latest EU Stage IV/US EPA Tier 4 Final emission standards.