ConExpo-Con/Agg is open at the Las Vegas Convention Center till March 11.
There are 2,500 companies bringing all construction professional to one event.
Chinese plant manufacturers were at the show in force targeting the 100-billion-dollar construction market.
An estimated record 130,000 attendees were at the opening of Con-Expo, where China has attracted the most spotlight, said organizers.
"Most of the folks speculating about further Chinese entry into the (American) market fall into the 'when' camp, not the 'if' camp," said Mike Rhoda, former Sany America chief executive.
"The Chinese invested well more than a million dollars just to attend," Barry Hubscher, a Chicago heavy equipment sales expert told Ecns.sn.
"Just the costs to transport the equipments are enormous." Chinese equipment producers have received the increasing acceptance and sales of their products in the United States, according to industry experts.
More highlights from the opening days...
XCMG hits North America
XCMG has new plant including launched a series of 3.5 to 49-ton excavators, light rollers, wheel loaders, rotary drilling rigs and backhoe loaders.
"These 14 machines are the fruits of our decade-long research and development efforts," said Wang Min, chairman, XCMG.
XCMG's display at ConExpo is a new start for the company in North America he said.
Metso launches new crusher
Metso unveiled its new MX4 cone crusher which allows easy under-load setting adjustment and wear compensation without having to stop the process.
The piston and rotating bowl are combined into a single unit that is said to cut operational costs by 10% and increase uptime by 10% over traditional cone crushers.
“Aggregate producers are facing increasing pressure on efficiency and cost management,” says Jouni Mahonen, vice president, Metso.
“In order to meet these demands, we rethought the crushing basics and combined our long experience in different cone crusher technologies with our extensive engineering knowledge. Two individual crushing methods based on the piston and rotating bowl were conjoined, and as a result, we created the MX Cone with Multi-Action technology.”
Yokohama’s new OTR tires
Yokohama Tire Corp showed its new off-the-road radial all-weather tire, the MYX S01.
“It’s an excellent venue to display our OTR/construction line tires to our customers,” said Tim Easter, Yokohama director of off-the-road sales.
The 25-inch radial all-weather tire – designed for loaders, dozers, and graders – is said to provide excellent traction on snow and icy surfaces thanks to advanced siping in the tread. Available in sizes 17.5R25 and 20.5R25, the tire also features a non-directional tread for all-year service, versatility, and abrasive resistance for longer service life.
Cat 745 artic
Cat rolled out a new version of its 45.2-ton Cat 745 articulated truck with what Cat calls a “dramatic improvement in visibility from the cab.
“Our focus has been on the operator with the 745,” says Scott Thomas, Cat applications specialist, articulated trucks.
“It’s a completely new cab, with 20% more interior space than the previous model.” Operators can now flip a ground-level switch to illuminate the steps and hitch areas for increased safety when entering the cab.
A “wake up” cab feature initiates machine displays as soon as an operator opens the door and a lighter, stronger cab door has shut assist for improved sealing against dust infiltration. Inside sound levels have been reduced 5 decibels at the operator’s ear.
“It’s now similar to driving a mid-size sedan,” Thomas says. Infrared glass reduces solar heating inside the cab, an important feature with the increase of cab glass, and left- and right-hand sliding windows increase ventilation in addition to allowing easy communication with other workers.
Additional vents above and behind the operator enable the cab’s new automatic climate control to efficiently heat and cool the cab and provide 12% more air, Thomas says.
A combined transmission and hoist lever gives operators single-lever control over truck speed and body hoisting functions, automating repetitive operations. Using a switch, operators can choose between manual or fully automatic assisted hoisting control. This control automatically applies the waiting brake, sets the transmission in neutral and hoists the body to the maximum angle at high rpms.
A push-button lever control lets the operator set the machine speed and transmission hold/waiting brake. Directional gear shifting protections brings the machine safely to a stop when transitioning from forward to reverse and vice versa.
Komatsu crawler dozer
Komatsu America has a new D51 EX/PX-24 crawler dozer offering up to 13% less fuel consumption than the prior model and exceptional maneuverability.
Also, the new PX model, high-capacity blade with wear-resistant moldboard, can increase production by 15%, compared to the previous model.
Additionally, the Standard Parallel Link Undercarriage System offers up to double the wear life, and up to 40% less maintenance expense, compared to standard undercarriage designs.
“The D51EX/PX-24 is a versatile machine, at home on jobsites from landscaping to site prep, as well as highway projects where you're sculpting on and off ramps, for example,” said Jonathan Tolomeo, product manager, Komatsu America.
“It can do the nimble jobs required of a small dozer, but also move serious dirt,” Tolomeo said.
