|
Faster curb machine
 Gomaco has made a series of improvements on its GT-3600 curb-and-gutter
machine. It has a new “Hook-and-Go” mold mount system that eliminates
attachments: the operator simply hooks the machine to a special attachment
plate on the mold, hydraulically lifts the mold, and goes back to work. The
machine’s sensor arms and mounts have been redesigned, leg diameter has been
increased by 15%, and top travel speed has nearly doubled, from 66 to 125
feet-per-minute. The company’s exclusive “smart cylinders” are now standard;
they provide steering control feedback to push-button steering setup and
eliminate the sprocket, chain, and potentiometer on top of each leg.
Click 40 on
ROADFAX card
New skid-steer loader series
 Case has introduced its new 400 Series skid-steer
loaders. The new series includes five radial-lift and three vertical-lift
models that range from 42 to 82 net horsepower. Operating capacity ratings
range from 1,500 to 3,000 pounds. Case says the new models have been
engineered for high-hour usage, and feature “an extra-heavy-duty design” to
enhance reliability, efficiency, and ease of service. They employ new
large-displacement, high-torque Tier 2 engines and new cooling systems, as
well as 95-amp alternators, radial-piston drive motors, and a new option for
cold-weather starting.
Click 42 on
ROADFAX card
Dozer blade for larger loaders
 Bobcat has expanded its line of dozer blade
attachments with a 96-inch model that fits large-frame Bobcat skid-steer,
track, and all-wheel-steer loaders and helps them grade and excavate more
material.
The 1,500-pound, six-way adjustable blade features an all-cast
design for strength and a reversible three-piece cutting edge for extended
life. Bobcat also offers 80- and 90-inch blades.
Click 41 on
ROADFAX card
Affordable
cross slope system
Futtura Tools & Technology
has developed a low-cost cross-slope indicator system for graders and
dozers to help operators get more accurate cross-slope results.
The new LevelMaster II monitors blade cross slope when grading roads,
shoulders, embankments, and other applications. It provides the
operator with a cross slope display up to 25%. It can also be
converted to an automatic control system. Starting at $3,495 for
an indicate system, the LevelMaster II includes an in-cab control box
equipped with hydraulic outputs and blade slope sensor.
Click 49 on
ROADFAX card
Quiet hammers debut
Britain-based Arrowhead Rockdrill is offering its
new “S” series hammers in North America. The company says its
“Vibrasilenced” hammers provide users with reduced vibration and noise
levels, enhancing their use in commercial and residential settings and
reducing wear on the carrier machine.
Click 43 on
ROADFAX card
New variable-width paver
 Terex Roadbuilding has introduced a B Series version
of the Terex/CMI SF2204 HVW concrete slipform paver. The SF2204B HVW remains
the only concrete paver that can hydraulically adjust width (from 8 to 20
feet) in minutes, according to Terex. New features include a 2-foot
extension kit, a 48-inch concrete pan profile length (up from 24 inches),
increased fuel capacity (127 gallons), and a 73% increase in travel speed to
90 feet per minute. Other new mechanical features include new drive motors
and mountings, modified track frames, and new vibrator attachment points to
speed vibrator addition or removal during width changes.
Click 44 on
ROADFAX card
Fork lift grapple buckets
 FFC Attachments has expanded its line of telehandler
attachments with the introduction of the Scrap and Trash Grapple Bucket.
Available in 1- and 1.75-cubic-yard sizes, the scrap buckets use
individually operated dual grapples to secure uneven loads and cut out end
plates to make it easier to handle various lengths.
The trash bucket designs
come in the same sizes and feature full end plates and a one-piece grapple.
Click 57 on
ROADFAX card
Power and mobility
 Morbark has introduced the 6600 Track Wood Hog for
users needing a high-powered, mobile machine for processing wood waste. The
track-mounted unit has engine options ranging from 860 to 1,000 horsepower
and can move and grind simultaneously. Morbark recommends it for clearing,
grinding, and right-of-way applications involving green waste, logs, brush,
stumps, or other wood waste.
Click 50 on
ROADFAX card
No transport permit needed
Midland Machinery has extended its line of
self-propelled road wideners with the introduction of the SP-6, the smallest
in a four-model line. Midland says the SP-6 is a lower-cost machine for
spreading materials up to 6-feet wide next to the roadway. The machine is
8-feet, 6-inches wide and 15-feet long, allowing for transport without
permits. It has a 2.5-cubic-yard fold-up hopper and a 15-inch,
variable-speed conveyor.
Click 56 on
ROADFAX card
Axle-back option offered
 Mack has introduced an axle-back version of its
Class 8 Granite truck to help haulers in some states and provinces carry
higher payloads. Mack says that in Canada and some states, laws governing
roadway use allow trucks with front axles set back to carry more payload.
In
addition, the set-back axle shortens the wheel base, making it easier to
move around tight job sites.
Click 39 on
ROADFAX card
12- to 63-foot paving widths
 The new Bid-Well 2450 bridge paver from
Terex Roadbuilding is 30-feet long and can pave as narrow as 12 feet or, with a
variety of available inserts, as wide as 63 feet without adding overhead
trusses.
The paver’s 24-inch truss depth houses the operator’s console,
keeping the operator clear of carriage movement for maximum efficiency and
safety. The company claims its patented Rota-Vibe system delivers an optimum
concrete surface and desired densities.
Click 46 on
ROADFAX card
Entry-level track loader
 Bobcat
heralds its new T140 as an entry-level track
loader that will enable some contractors to move from wheeled skid-steer
loaders to track machines.
The small-frame, 46-horsepower unit has a
1,400-pound operating capacity rating and exerts ground pressures of just
5.0 psi. It is 56-inches wide and 124-inches long, giving it access to small
work spaces.
Click 37 on
ROADFAX card
520-horsepower dozer introduced
Dressta North America has rolled out the new TD-40C
Tier II crawler dozer which features a 520-horsepower Tier II engine and a
multi-unit modular cooling system with a two-speed hydraulic fan for better
cooling and lower noise levels. The new model is also easier to operate than
its predecessor; a single left-hand joystick controls all major machine
motions — direction, gear ranges, and steering modes. Dressta says the
TD-40C Tier II is the only dozer with more than 410 horsepower offering a
geared steering system.
Click 38 on
ROADFAX card
Automated mobile screen
 Metso Minerals has introduced the ST 352 mobile
screen, designed for quarrying, construction, and recycling applications.
The unit features the company’s advanced SmartScreen technology with IC300
intelligent controller that supervises and adjusts the screen automatically
for optimum results. It measures 9-feet, 10-inches wide; 10-feet, 10-inches
high; and 55-feet, 9-inches long. It weighs 55,000 pounds.
Click 60 on
ROADFAX card
“Super portable” plant
 Terex
has introduced a new line of low-load,
portable asphalt plants featuring counter-flow drum mixer technology.
Terex
says the new line can make all state-spec asphalt mix designs, including
those requiring a high percentage of recycled asphalt. The first model
(shown) is the E150P, which features a 150 tons-per-hour Magnum counter-flow
drum and transports in four loads to a new site.
Click 45 on
ROADFAX card
32-ton boom
truck introduced
 Elliott Equipment has unveiled a new 32-ton boom
truck. The 32105 features a 105-foot-long, four-section boom. It also has
three patent-pending features: A “Ride-Around” operator control panel that
optimizes load viewing during the full 360 degrees of rotation; a “Thumb
Throttle” engine speed control that eliminates the foot throttle, allowing
the operator to keep both feet on the ground; and the “Remote Winch Stow”
which allows a single operator to stow the unit’s block and hook after use.
Click 51 on
ROADFAX card
Mobile equipment debuts
 Metso Minerals is unveiling its new Lokotrack
LT200HP cone crusher this month. Metso designed the Lokotrack LT200HP for
mobile secondary and fine crushing. Built around the Nordberg HP200 cone
crusher, the unit has a 210-millimeter feed opening and can process up to
275 tons per hour. A 425-horsepower diesel combined with hydraulic drive
provides variable crusher speed, allowing operators to adjust to different
liners and feed stock. Metso’s IC600 interactive, intelligent control system
is a standard feature; the system monitors and controls the crushing process
to ensure continuous and stable material flow to the cone.
Click 59 on
ROADFAX card
Joystick option for motor
graders
Maddock Industries’ patented GraderStick joystick
control system for motor graders is available as optional equipment on John
Deere motor graders. The company’s dealers will be able to order the
GraderStick on new D-series graders, with installation performed either by
the dealer or by Maddock. The single-lever, multi-function joystick system
provides the grader operator with proportional fine control ability to the
lift/lower and side-shift functions of the blade, and single-hand straight
up-and-down blade control.
Click 36 on
ROADFAX card
Severe-duty truck
 International’s new 7700 line of severe-duty service
trucks offers users a step beyond the 7600 series with new options that
specifically target bridge-formula mixer, dump, super dump, and block hauler
applications. The company says the three-model series combines the style and driveability of its 7600 line with the chassis strength and packaging of its
5000i.
The new truck’s style and driveability features
include liberal use of chrome and a new front taper leaf-spring suspension
system that delivers a smooth ride under load or empty, according to
International.
To maximize payload, two 7700 models feature a new
front-bumper-to-axle setting of 29.1 inches and a frame system that
optimizes payload weights for states that follow bridge formula limits. The
company says the frame system for all three models uses a single 12.25-inch
frame that is 400 pounds lighter than many double 10-inch frames, enhancing
payload potential.
The standard drive train for the 7700 series is a
305-horsepower engine.
Click 55 on
ROADFAX card
Larger oscillation roller
 The
Hamm Compaction Division of
Wirtgen America is
adding a new, larger model to its oscillating asphalt roller line. The Hamm
HD0120V is a 26,345-pound, 78-inch-wide roller with a working offset of 81.5
inches. It has a working speed of 3.9 miles per hour. The rear drum features
Hamm’s exclusive oscillation compaction, which works by using horizontal
shear forces on asphalt rather than by forcing it downward. Hamm says this
ensures that the drum maintains constant contact with the ground for faster,
more effective compaction. The new machine’s rear drum produces oscillation
forces of 46,125 to 62,775 pounds. The front drum features conventional
vibration with a top frequency of 3,000 vpm.
Click 48 on
ROADFAX card
Mid-size loader for production
work
 Caterpillar is touting its new 149-horsepower, 930G
wheel loader for work in high-hours applications as well as those requiring
versatility. The new model features Cat’s VersaLink loader linkage, which is
said to combine the strength of traditional Z-bar linkages with the
versatility of parallel linkages. The single-piece lift arm is said to
improve breakout forces, increase bucket fill factors, and provide
unobstructed visibility to the bucket corners. Equipped with a
2.6-cubic-yard bucket, the 28,720-pound unit develops 30,320 pounds of
breakout force — tops in its class, according to Cat. Other features include
a load-sensing hydraulic system, and a 23.8-mile-per-hour travel speed.
Click 35 on
ROADFAX card
Two new artic haulers
Case has expanded its line of articulated haulers
with the addition of the 380-horsepower model 335 and the 426-horsepower
model 340. The new models have rated operating loads of 35 tons and 40 tons,
respectively, building on a Case lineup that also has 25- and 30-ton models.
The new machines have a new front driveline featuring an integrated
transmission-mounted differential that transfers power directly from the
transmission to the front wheel ends, eliminating the drive shaft, reducing
noise, and increasing tractive effort. They also feature a patent-pending
warm-up circuit that uses the transmission retarder to warm hydraulic oil,
and a remote start control that lets the operator initialize the warm-up
circuit from the ground.
Click 58 on
ROADFAX card
Easier barrier construction
 Power Curbers is introducing a new hydraulic mold lift to make
slipformed highway barrier or parapet construction easier for concrete
contractors. The lift is designed for the company’s 5700-Super-B which can
also slipform curb-and-gutter and sidewalks using different molds.
The new
hydraulic lift provides additional lift clearance for the 5700 Super B, so
operators can quickly and easily remove the barrier mold off rebar at the
end of the day.
Click 34 on
ROADFAX card
Upgraded concrete transfer
machine
The
Terex/CMI MTP4004B concrete material transfer/placer has a new Tier-2
compliant 173-horsepower engine and four-wheel steering for a tight turning
radius. The machine can operate at 300 feet per minute and has a travel
speed of 10 miles per hour. It has a 4-cubic-yard receiving hopper and a
high-capacity transfer conveyor.
Click 47 on
ROADFAX card
Operator platform added
Morbark has added an operator platform with joystick controls to its
loader-fed 2400XL Hurricane chipper. Morbark says the platform moves the
operator away from the feed area and gives him better visibility when
feeding material into the machine. Feed controls allow the machine to also
be operated in a hand-fed mode.
Click 54 on
ROADFAX card
One-man cutting-edge changer
The Cutting Edge Lift was developed by motor grader
operators to make it possible for one person to change a cutting edge safely
and quickly. Made by Fargo-based Blade Lift, the compact steel lift is on
rollers and uses a jack-type system for lifting and lowering the cutting
edge. It handles cutting edges from 4- to 12-feet long.
Click 53 on
ROADFAX card
New packer follows contours
Handy Hitch has rolled out a new 90-inch Walk ‘n’ Roll contour/packer
with quick-attach lift assembly and 24-inch Packer offset. Like previous
models, it attaches to a motor grader to allow for grading and compaction in
a single operation. The new model has a new frame design to allow for two
contour saddles which enables the unit to follow the contour of the road
from left to right of the main frame. The quick-attach lift assembly and
24-inch offset are also new. All three features can be retrofit to previous
90-inch models.
Click 52 on
ROADFAX card
Reprinted from Better Roads Magazine
March 2005 |
