Construction Equipment articles from July 2004

Construction Equipment archives from July 2004

Don't be "out-moded".(Sutton Report)
July 1, 2004... Gene Held, recognized by his peers at the Operating Engineers Local 150 (headquartered in Plainfield, Ill.) as the "hoe hand" for his expertise with excavators, gave us quite a lesson recently. Recognizing that many, although not all,...

Ingersoll-rand.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... Weighing 32, 193 pounds, the ABG Titan 326 paver is powered by a 218-hp Deutz diesel engine. It can be fitted with a variety of screeds, from 8 to 33 feet in width, equipped with either single or dual tamper bars. Screed design allows...

Wirtgen.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... The WR 2000 mid-size stabilizer/reclaimer is capable of cutting grades or asphalt roadways up to 20 inches deep at a 79-inch cutting width. The 400-hp machine weighs 48,000 pounds. Material size is controlled by hydraulically adjustable breaker...

Thomas equipment.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... Model 205 skid-steer loader features a multiple linkage vertical-lift design that achieves a maximum reach of more than 31.5 inches at full height. Thomas says the new low-profile rounded boom arms and reduced-height rear-end design provide...

Ford.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... Ford Commercial Truck introduced a Class 4 and 5 low-cab-forward vehicle, the "LCF," and except for its simple name and flat-bar grill, it's identical to International's CF Series announced in January. They both sit on a stout International...

Heat Design Equipment.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... Heat Design Equipment distributes Hydraulic Transport Systems from the Netherlands. The equipment ranges from 6- to 30-ton roll-off units that allow switching multiple body styles in just 5 minutes, according to the company. Other features...

New Holland.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... B Series backhoe-loaders offer more powerful engines and new pilot controls. For their price, New Holland says these machines have the most horsepower and breakout force in their class. All four models feature new Tier 2-compliant, 4.5-liter...

LeeBoy.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... The LBC-24W concrete curber, says LeeBoy, is a compact curb-and-gutter machine that can pour a radius as tight as 24 inches and is suited for paving alley ribbons, sidewalks to 4 feet wide and below-grade pours in street-rehab projects. The...

Kubota.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... The most popular compact hydraulic excavator in Kubota's range, Model KX121-3, is now available with a hydraulic angle blade. In trenching operations, says the company, the new blade allows backfilling while traveling in one direction, rather...

Volvo.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... With the introduction of the L50E wheel loader, Volvo has completed its E-Series line, which includes the L60E, L70E and L90E. The newest machine has 101 net horsepower, a load-sensing hydraulic system, and Volvo-designed axles that feature...

Ingersoll-rand.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... B-Series backhoes, the BL-275 side-shift and the BL-370 center-mount, feature the standard Bob-Tach coupler system with standard auxiliary hydraulics with two-way flow. Powered by Kubota engines, the BL-275 is rated at 32 horsepower, and the...

Mustang.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... Mustang's newest and largest skid-steer loaders, the 2099 and 2109 (which replace the 2095 and 2105) have operating weights of 3,400 and 3,675 pounds, respectively, and both use Perkins engines rated at 86 and 115 horsepower. They also feature...

Kenworth.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... Fresh styling, stronger headlamps and interior enhancements have been applied to the T300 medium- and medium/heavy-duty truck. Complex reflector headlamps provide 50 percent more illumination, while a wire-mesh grill and polished aluminum...

LeeBoy.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... According to LeeBoy, its 785 motor grader weighs in at 25,300 pounds and has an articulated frame and a 17 foot-4 inch wheelbase, with plenty of visibility and pulling power. It uses a 130-hp Cummins diesel engine, a six-speed power-shift...

McLaughlin.(Market Watch)
July 1, 2004... The McL-36/42 auger boring machine delivers 633,333 pounds of forward thrust and 113,500 ft.-lbs. peak auger torque for cased bores to 42 inches. It is powered by a 96-hp four-cylinder diesel engine. The low-profile 29 3/8-inch bore centerline...

Run, we're on a security camera!(Machine Management)
July 1, 2004... The Bexar Metropolitan Water District is having a water tower built north of San Antonio, and during initial site work, vandals smashed some earthmovers' windshields. District security officials mounted a pair of security cameras (called...

AEMP honors one of CE's very own.(Industry Awards)
July 1, 2004... The Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) presented the Richard Hawkins Award to Larry Stewart, executive editor of Construction Equipment. According to AEMP, the award is given annually to the associate member who best...

Register now for ITS.(Industry Events)
July 1, 2004... The 2004 International Trucking Show (ITS) will be held Sept. 23-25 in Anaheim, Calif. More than 400 exhibitors from the U.S. and international commercial trucking industry are expected to participate. Major exhibitors include...

Michelin introduces tire-safety training program.(Manufacturer News)
July 1, 2004... Michelin is launching a training program to raise awareness of tire safety at mines and quarries. The program is designed to explain safety practices to managers, maintenance personnel, equipment operators and support staff, and will be...

Utility Expo West coming this fall.(Industry Events)
July 1, 2004... On Sept. 22-23, 2004, Utility Expo West (UEW) will be held at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, Calif. The show is billed as the largest indoor/outdoor utility and construction demo show on the West Coast, featuring hundreds of...

Total construction spending.(Status & Forecast)
July 1, 2004... Construction spending rose 4.7 percent in February through April. The $44 billion-dollar gain was concentrated in single-family, highway, office, lodging, education and health care. Single-family and highway have little prospect of significant...

Highway construction spending.(Status & Forecast)
July 1, 2004... Spending soared 16 percent in March and April, the two highest monthly spending totals ever. Bridge work rose 10 percent and pavement work 22 percent. Both gains were boosted only about 3 percent by higher costs, so there was a substantial...

Industrial production index.(Status & Forecast)
July 1, 2004... Factory output has been rising at a 6-percent annual pace since it turned up last June. Recent manufacturing orders and hiring plans suggest that growth will quicken this summer and average closer to 7 percent through next year. Manufacturing...

Construction equipment price index.(Status & Forecast)
July 1, 2004... Equipment prices have jumped 2.6 percent in the four months through April after rising only 1.1 percent over the previous two years. Prices should rise approximately 2.0 percent by early summer before the adjustment in steel and other commodity...

Gross domestic product.(Status & Forecast)
July 1, 2004... U.S. economic growth will slow to a 4-percent-plus pace through the end of next year after averaging 5 percent over the past five quarters, including a 5-percent growth rate expected to be announced this month for the second quarter. Growth is...

Component life sketches machine economic life: after the first big repair bills, ownership and operating costs tend to be controlled more by hours of use and resale value.(Maintenance)
July 1, 2004... Repair costs tend to rise with age, so equipment operations strive to extend component life to control a machine's hourly costs. As Construction Equipment's 2004 Lifecycle research suggests, that's a necessary strategy if you're getting...

International's 7500 has new power to go and slow: do HT 570 and Diamond Logic exhaust/engine brake add excitement? They did for some folks at this NASCAR facility.(Hands-On Trucking)
July 1, 2004... NASCAR fans might've appreciated it: A whole fleet of shiny new trucks running around the premises of the Texas Motor Speedway north of Dallas while race cars roared around the track. But this wasn't a race weekend, so fans were absent from the...

Environment drives dozer design: jobsite conditions and engine emissions regulations have brought productivity changes to crawler-dozer market.(Buying File: Dozers)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... The environment affects crawler-dozer choices in two distinctive ways in today's market. First, jobsite conditions determine size, undercarriage and blade choices. Second, and more pertinent to the current state of the machine category,...

New Holland construction: improved cooling and cab comfort.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... B-Series crawler dozers provide improved cooling. Machines can operate in ambient temperatures 10 degrees hotter than previous models, due to improved performance out of the radiator, transmission cooler and hydraulic cooler. A new radiator...

Dressta: geared steering puts full power at tracks.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... Two-speed geared-type steering drive delivers full power to both tracks while turning. Two left-hand steering levers hydraulically actuate oil-cooled multiple-disc clutch and brake packs. When the low-range detent position is attained, it...

Caterpillar: integrated components optimize life.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... Drive-train components on the D5N and D6N are electronically integrated. The operator can pre-select a forward and reverse gear for easy directional changes, and an auto-kickdown function makes the transmission downshift when it detects...

Komatsu America: electronics provide speed control.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... The KomStat II line, which includes the D31, D37 and D39, adds the exclusive electronic control hydrostatic transmission. Combined with the ergonomically designed palm-fitting pilot controls, these dozers provide operators with 20 increments of...

John Deere: power management delivers efficiency.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... Full-featured hydrostatic drive on the 230-hp 950C delivers power turns, infinite speed control and power management. With an infinitely variable range from 0 to 6.8 mph, the dozer allows an operator to choose the ground speed. As loads change,...

Liebherr: maximum load, minimum fuel.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... PR734's hydrostatic drive provides high fuel efficiency, in addition to providing continuously variable speed control and high maneuverability. Spacious cab interior is quiet. Serviceability is enhanced with a tilting cab, centralized service...

Case: larger pumps power tracks.(Gallery of Crawler Dozers)
July 1, 2004... Hydrostatic pumps and motors were enlarged on the 650, 750 and 850 K Series dozers, enabling the dual-path drive to maintain a 2:1 power ratio speed when steering. Each side has components sized to accommodate high horsepower so larger blade...

Safety training extends component life: daily walk-around reports provide maintenance information crucial to cutting equipment costs.(Great Managers)
July 1, 2004... Question: Safety training is a good thing, but what real equipment benefits do you realize from the hours an otherwise-productive operator spends in training? Answer: "Operating safely has become one of the most important things this...

How to find the sweet spot: the economic ownership period keeps costs within acceptable boundaries.(Equipment Executive)
July 1, 2004... How much does it cost?" and "How long do I keep it?" are two questions that cannot be answered in isolation. If you keep a machine for a short period, then high depreciation dominates calculation of owning costs and produces a high hourly rate....

530E offers Komatsu power, operator amenities: this Dressta wheel loader comes equipped with an impressive list of standard features.(Earthmoving)
July 1, 2004... Dressta North America, headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Ill., may well consider its 530E the flagship of its wheel-loader line, which ranges from the 103-hp 510E, to the 415-hp 560C. According to Dressta, the 530E, with 195 flywheel horsepower...

Atlas Copco fields a full-featured 12,000-pound hammer: the Krupp purchase and Atlas Copco's ambitions are heating up competition for buyers of large breakers.(Equipment Ideas)
July 1, 2004... One major effect of the Krupp purchase on Atlas Copco's hydraulic-breaker line, besides extending it over 5,000 pounds, is that there's now a 12,000-pound-class hammer with Krupp technology available in North America. When Allied marketed Krupp...

New "combustion recipes" for Tier-3: Cummins says its Tier-3 engines will have new "in-cylinder" technology, will use no after-treatment, and have minimal effect on OEM installations.(Shop Report)
July 1, 2004... On a recent visit to the Cummins Technical Center in Columbus, Ind., we looked over the shoulder of an engineer as he ran a computer-animation sequence depicting the formation of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (N[O.sub.X]) as the...

Kinshofer.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... The HPX drive works with the company's interchangeable bucket and grab shells. Because it runs in a permanent oil bath, the drive unit requires no lubrication. For optimal compaction of materials, full closing force is delivered from the...

Broco.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... GOWELD is a battery-powered, portable arc welder designed to accomplish all types of welding jobs on sites where conventional welding power is not available. The unit operates on two, 12-volt batteries and uses self-shielding (fluxcore, FCAW)...

Toro.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... Designed to meet the requirements of rental centers, light-duty contractors and homeowners, the Dingo TX 413 is an economical alternative to larger tracked utility miniloaders, says the company. It uses a 13-hp Honda engine and features a...

Lincoln Electric.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... The company has added four new products to its Excalibur line of all-position, low-hydrogen electrodes for manual stick welding. The new electrodes are the 7018-A1 MR for 0.50 percent molybdenum low-alloy steels; 8018-C1 MR for welding pipe and...

Honda power equipment.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... WB Series water pumps replace the WN, WP and WD general-purpose pumps. The company's GX engines power the WB30 and WB20 pumps and provide 5.5 and 4.5 horsepower, respectively. The engines feature Oil Alert to help prevent damage due to low oil...

MultiTherm.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... IG-1 heat transfer fluid for closed loop heat transfer systems is ideal for use in paving equipment. It has a low vapor pressure, which means that the rate of fluid boil-off is low. Also, the fluid has a high flash point of 442F. Other benefits...

Multiquip.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... GAW-Series welder/generators are engineered with a permanent-magnet alternator, which substantially reduces overall weight. The GAW-135 weights 114 pounds and provides 135 amps of DC welding power and 1.5 kilowatts of AC power. The GAW-135 is...

ESAB.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... The MultiPower 460 is a new three-phase power source designed for heavy-duty DC welding applications. The model, says the company, offers high-performance MIG, Pulse-MIG, TIG and Stick electrode welding, plus air-carbon-arc gouging...

Wacker.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... LT Series light towers feature distinctive elliptical lighting fixtures that allow the lamps to be mounted horizontally--a design, says the company, that allows more illumination to travel directly to the work site, versus being reflected. This...

Cummins.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... A new "vocational" rating for the 11-liter ISM 425V engine brings horsepower to 425 and peak torque to 1,500 pounds-feet. This rating will meet the requirements of the severe-service vocational truck market, says the company. The engine has a...

Topcon.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... The GPT-8200 is the company's most advanced robotic total station. Its dual-mode EDM provides reflectorless measuring of up to 4000 feet in long-range mode, 400 feet in normal mode. Operating range with a single prism is 3.75 miles. Its robotic...

Metal forms.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... Constructed of a steel frame with an aluminum backbone and blades, the Mighty Lite truss screed provides strength without adding weight. It weighs 7.5 pounds per foot and adjusts to variable width pours with 5- and 10-foot sections....

Bobcat.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... The brush saw removes brush and small trees. Using a 28-inch-diameter blade with 8 carbide-tipped teeth, the saw cuts flush with the ground (or slightly undercuts) to minimize stumps. Weighing 580 pounds, it has a speed range of 15 to 22 rpm...

Caterpillar.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... Caterpillar has introduced a line of B-Series work tools, which is designed to match couplers and performance characteristics of the company's B-Series skid-steers and Multi Terrain loaders. New in the B-Series tool line are two dozer blades...

Miller electric.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... The XMT 350 CC/CV multiprocess inverter features Auto-Line technology (designed to ensure a consistent output voltage even though primary input voltage may fluctuate), a 5- to 425-amp output and a duty-cycle rating of 60 percent at 350 amps/34...

Volvo Penta.(Market Watch Lite)
July 1, 2004... AB Volvo Penta has four versions of a new 9.4-liter, six-cylinder, inline diesel engine rated at 258, 299, 340 and 381 horsepower. Designed to be extremely fuel-efficient, the engine uses the company's EMS 2 control system, which, among other...

Crane maker to the world: J.L. Grove revolutionized the hydraulic-crane industry beginning with his first 2-ton model.(Iron Works)
July 1, 2004... In 1947, John Landis Grove, together with his brother Dwight and partner Wayne Nicarry, established Grove Manufacturing in the village of Shady Grove, Pa. Located in a rented two-car garage, the firm's initial business was manufacturing farm...