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Power management for crawler loaders
 John Deere has added Series II enhancements to its 655C and 755C crawler
loaders. The key improvement is a power management system which enhances the
engine/transmission match. It keeps hydraulic response high and track
motions steady while delivering strong pushing power, according to Deere.
Other improvements include more responsive steering, increased low-speed
range, and new operation comfort and convenience features.
Click 51 on ROADFAX card
New loader has power on demand
 Case’s new D-series version of the 721 wheel loader features a Tier-2,
170-net-horsepower engine and the company’s Auto Power feature which
automatically matches the horsepower to the demand of the application; Auto
Power can increase the engine net horsepower to 184 horsepower on demand.
Standard bucket sizes for the 32,960-pound machine range from 3.0 to 3.5
cubic yards.
Click 50 on ROADFAX card
New 1-ton tandem climbs better
 Bomag Light Equipment has re-engineered the hydrostatic drive system for
its 1-ton BW900-2, changing to a series-type hydraulic travel system for
improved performance on steep grades. The new model has a theoretical
gradeability of 40%. It has a 20-horsepower gasoline engine and Bomag says
its 24-inch-diameter drums are the largest in its class. For thick lifts,
the machine can be ballasted to 1.5 tons.
Click 38 on ROADFAX
card
New telehandlers do more
Caterpillar has introduced three new B-series telehandlers that share a
99-horsepower engine and offer lifting capacities ranging from 6,600 to
9,000 pounds. The TH350B, TH360B, and TH460B feature a low emission engine
and a direct-drive cooling fan that enhances performance in challenging
conditions. Their powersyncro transmission has four forward speeds and three
reverse, and a top speed of 20 miles per hour. The transmission shares
hydraulic oil with the work tool hydraulics, decreasing the number of
filters needed on the machine. The machines can be fitted with manual or
hydraulic quick-couplers, and can use a wide range of attachments including
new tools such as a material handling arm, side-shift carriage, and pick-up
broom.
Click 47 on ROADFAX card
Tilting quick-change coupler
A new quick coupler from Leading Edge Attachments allows operators to
change buckets or attachments manually without the use of tools. The
lower-tip-radius, hydraulic side-swing-angle design hydraulically engages in
side-lock plate-alignment blocks on Quick Change buckets and tools which are
said to be readily available in the field. Current models are available to
11,000- to 16,000-pound machines and are interchangeable with Wain-Roy style
attachments.
Click 48 on ROADFAX card
 Hammer for compact carriers
Tramac has added the 125SX, a 1,000-foot-pound class hammer, to its full
range of hydraulic hammers. The new unit mounts to skid-steer loaders,
backhoe loaders, and excavators up to 22,000 pounds. Tramac says it is
designed for medium to hard breaking operations in rock, concrete, asphalt,
and industrial materials. Standard features include Tramac’s enclosed,
box-style housing and silencing package.
Click 52 on ROADFAX card
Improvements for 580-horsepower dozer
Cat has incorporated much of the advanced technology developed for the
D11R on the 580-horsepower D10R. Upgrades include electro-hydraulic dozer
blade and ripper controls, automated dozer blade functions, and powerful
information management capabilities. The engine has also been updated to
meet worldwide emissions standards and produces a torque rise of 21%.
Click 40 on ROADFAX card
Upgraded 160-hp loader
Cat has introduced a Series II version of its 160-horsepower 938G wheel
loader. The new designation reflects the switch to a Tier-2 compliant
engine, which brings more fuel efficiency, an improved cooling system, and
lower emissions. The new electronically controlled, turbocharged Cat 3126B
engine can operate at altitudes as high as 10,000 feet without deration. The
3- to 4-cubic yard loader also gets low-effort steering and pilot-assisted
implement controls.
Click 32 on ROADFAX card
New processor performs better
Stanley LaBounty has replaced its UP 50 Universal Processor model with
the new series UP 45SV. The new model is said to increase power by 10% and
allow the jaws to align more evenly on material. Its new pivot design cuts
jaw change-out times by up to 50%. A new spool-type speed valve delivers
faster cycle times. Recommended for road and bridge reconstruction as well
as general demolition, the UP 45SV has four jaw options — concrete
pulverizer jaw, shear jaw, concrete cracking jaw, and plate shear jaw.
Click 43 on ROADFAX card
New cold-planer line
Italy’s Fayat Group has begun marketing Marini cold planers in North
America. The line ranges from the 275-horsepower MP 1000, with a milling
width of 39 inches, to the 598-horsepower MP 2100, with an 82-inch maximum
planing width. Marini’s design includes mechanical drive for the milling
drum, including a dry clutch and V-belts with an automatic tensioning
device. The drum rotation opposes the drive direction.
Click 39 on ROADFAX card
Ripper alternative to hammers
Leading Edge Attachments says its new Multi-Ripper is a relatively
inexpensive alternative to the hydraulic hammer. Mounted on a backhoe or
excavator, the tool is said to quickly rip through frost, shale, sandstone,
limestone, asphalt, caliche, or coral. The multiple ripper points make it
more productive than a conventional one-point ripper, according to the
company, and the shortness of the tool nearly doubles the host machine’s
breakout force with a standard bucket.
Click 46 on ROADFAX card
Bigger service cranes for bigger components
Citing the increasing weight of heavy equipment components and the
demands of lifting pre-cast concrete products, Iowa Mold Tooling has added
two larger capacity truck-mounted articulating cranes to its line. The IMT
52/380 and 72/516 are recommended for trucks with 66,000-pound GVW chassis
or greater. They are designed for two to eight hydraulic extensions and have
a maximum horizontal reach of 67.6 feet and a vertical reach of 77 feet. The
maximum lift capacity for the 52/380 is 26,000 pounds; for the 72/516 it’s
35,500 pounds. Both models come standard with wireless radio controls, and
IMT says they have wider-stance outriggers than other models and are capable
of faster boom speeds.
Click 41 on ROADFAX card
Rock windrower reclaims gravel
 Schulte’s new SRW800 Rock Windrower is designed to help road agencies
and their contractors reclaim gravel from roadsides and to spread and smooth
gravel ridges. The unit windrows small- to medium-sized rocks (2 to 2.5
inches). It has a roto-tilling action to help break lumps and level uneven
ground. The Windrower has a variable hydraulic drum angle from 0 to 18
degrees. Power is supplied from a heavy-duty PTO drive line. Schulte says
its side-delivery frame allows the operator to better control the size of
the windrows and an enclosed final drive chain enhances service life.
Click 44 on ROADFAX card
All-wheel-drive vocational truck
Sterling Truck has announced the availability of an all-wheel-drive
option on its Acterra medium-duty and vocational truck models. Manufactured
by Fabco Automotive, the all-wheel-drive option is available now for all 4x2
models; conversions for 6x4 trucks will be available later in the year.
Click 45 on ROADFAX card
Severe-duty wood processing
Fecon says its Severe-Duty Bull Hog 250H attachment can process trees in
excess of 15 inches in diameter and reduce brush and wood debris quickly,
safely, and cost efficiently. The 7,200-pound attachment is rated for 180-
to 500-horsepower engines and has a working width of 88 inches. It is
designed for rubber-tire and track machines used in land clearing, fuel and
slash reduction, processing municipal brush waste, and forest restoration.
Click 49 on ROADFAX card
Rugged service crane body
Auto Crane says its new Titan 50 service crane has exceptional strength
and corrosion resistance due to its exclusive one-piece side pack
constructed of 10-gauge galvanneal, and its internal hinge design. The unit
also comes standard with LED lights, T-handle door latches, and a slammable
tailgate that can be operated with one hand. Its compartment capacity has
been nearly tripled according to IMT, and it has a new bumper and outrigger
design.
Click 42 on ROADFAX card
DOT orders 105 snowplows
 Mack has announced that the Pennsylvania DOT has taken delivery of 11
purpose-built Granite snowplows and has ordered another 105 for next year.
The DOT was involved in the development of the vocational truck’s
snowplowing package.
Click 37 on ROADFAX card
Used truck service
The financing arm of Mack Trucks has launched a Web site to help Mack
dealers find used trucks that fit customer needs. The site provides photos
and detailed specifications, as well as third-party reports.
Click 31 on ROADFAX card
Low profile telehandler
Ingersoll-Rand has entered the 10,000-pound lift-capacity
telescopic-handler market with the introduction of the low-profile VR-1044.
It has a maximum lift height of just over 44 feet and a forward reach of 29
feet. The machine’s A-frame boom-mount design affords the operator
unmatched vision of the jobsite with the boom in any position, according to
IR, even fully lowered. The unit’s low-mounted engine improves its
stability and helps keep the machine’s overall height at just 95 inches.
Click 34 on ROADFAX card
Redesigned cylinder finisher
Gomaco has rolled out the new-generation C-450 cylinder finisher
featuring easier operation, and improved reliability, productivity, and
serviceability. New features include automatic advance, automatic
self-widening carriage, and powered widening to maintain crown position on
tapered decks. Panel-mounted bogie and carriage circuit pressure gauges help
the operator monitor machine functions. Urethane-coated wheels have
removable flanges for multiple applications. Designed for one-pass finishing
of bridge decks, flat slabs, and slope finishing, the C-450 can work at
widths up to 137 feet with an overhead truss.
Click 35 on ROADFAX card
Automating the curb-and-gutter machine
 Gomaco is now offering a new option package for its GT-3600 curb and
gutter machine that includes the company’s proprietary G21 digital control
system. The system features electronic-over-hydraulic circuits for easy,
accurate adjustments and instant, precise response. Combined with “smart”
cylinders on the machine’s legs, the G21 allows push-button steering
setup. Smart Steer, All-Track Steer, and All-Track Positioning are all
standard features. Software for the slope transition system provides
automatic grade-elevation correction, automatic steering correction, and
eliminates stringline adjustment. It can also interface with stringless
technology, 3-D control systems, and laser technology.
Click 36 on ROADFAX card
Real-time emission analysis for equipment
Semtech D can analyze diesel-engine emissions on the road or in the
field, while the engine is being used; Semtech G provides the same service
for gasoline engines. The devices can read tailpipe emissions and the output
of the vehicle’s on-board electronic control system in real time. Sensors,
Inc. won an EPA grant in 2002 to develop the suitcase-sized instruments to
provide lab-quality results instantly in the field. The company expects to
market them to contractors working in chronic air-quality non-attainment
zones as a way to document their compliance with emissions standards.
Click 33 on ROADFAX card
Reprinted from Better Roads Magazine
June 2003 |
