Stop at 4 Metres: Develon Puts Its Safety Tech to Work in a Basalt Quarry

At steinexpo 2026, the DX360LC-9’s AI-based E-Stop and an electric wheeled excavator drew the most attention, while three machines worked live in the quarry

In a quarry, the most dangerous moment is often the one nobody sees: a person stepping into the swing radius of an excavator. At steinexpo 2026, Develon put that risk at the centre of its stand.

The show took place from 2 to 5 September at Germany’s largest basalt quarry in Nieder-Ofleiden, and it was Develon’s second appearance at the demonstration fair for the raw and construction materials industry.

E-Stop: warn at 6, stop at 4

The highlight was the DX360LC-9 crawler excavator from the new 9 Series, weighing 37,200 kg and powered by Develon’s in-house DX08 engine. Its safety package includes Smart AVM, which gives the operator a full view around the machine, and E-Stop, an AI-powered system that detects people and objects 10 metres away, issues visual and audible warnings at 6 metres and stops all movement at 4 metres.

The cab was designed for visibility, with a 12.8-inch split-screen monitor and ambient lighting that adapts to the operating mode to reduce glare during night work. “We’ve designed this spacious cab for maximum visibility,” said Jens Dullinger, Field Product Manager GSA at Develon.

Electric demand

The DX160WE-7K electric wheeled excavator, 16,800 kg and able to work for up to ten hours, was another crowd-puller. “The demand for the DX160WE-7K was so overwhelming that we are now taking the machine on a demonstration tour, particularly in southern Germany,” Dullinger said.

Live in the quarry

In the demo area, a DX400HD-9 crawler excavator, a DL550-7 wheel loader and a DA30-7 articulated dumper worked together under real conditions. The DL550-7 showed Transparent Bucket 2.0, which lets the operator see through the bucket to protect people in front of the machine, while the DA30-7 presented the cab introduced in early 2026, with a 12-inch touchscreen and improved ergonomics.

For quarry operators, the message is that safety systems are no longer an option list item but part of how a machine is judged, together with productivity.