Caterpillar is introducing four new next-generation large excavators – the 352, 374 and 395 for Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand customers; and the 345 GC, 374 and 395 for Africa, Middle East and Eurasian markets.
The heavy construction- and quarrying-suited Cat 352 hydraulic excavator is a 50-tonne class model with variable gauge undercarriage said to offer contractors up to 45% more operating efficiency, up to 10% more fuel efficiency, and up to 15% fewer maintenance costs compared to the model it replaces, the 352F.
Powered by a Cat C13 317kW engine, the Cat 352 has a new long-reach configuration reaching out to 19.6m and capable of digging down to 13.04m - making it ideal for steep slope work. Standard waterproof technology also provides precision excavation down to 4.5m; the optional submarine solution allows you to work down to 20m.
A heavy-duty, high-wide undercarriage and extra counterweight provide a stable platform for long-reach digging. Variable gauge undercarriage enables easier transport between job sites when retracted and adds stability when extended.
The next-generation Cat 345 GC 40-tonne class excavator is designed to deliver a balance of performance, reliability, and low-cost operation. The Cat C9.3B 258kW engine-powered excavator can increase fuel efficiency by up to 25% and lower operating costs by up to 30% compared to the 349D2. The new machine also incorporates significant engineering advances for safety and operator convenience.
Fitted with a premium Cat C15 362kW engine, the 70-tonne class Cat 374 offers heavy construction, quarrying and mining contractors high production, two times more structural durability, and up to 20% fewer maintenance costs than the machine it replaces, the 374F.
The 94-tonne Cat 395 offers large quarry and mining contractors up to 10% more production. Like the Cat 374, the Cat 395, which features a Cat C18 405kW engine, comes with two times more structural durability and up to 20% fewer maintenance costs than its predecessor, the 394F.
Speaking about the Cat 374’s and Cat 395’s high productivity, Brian Abbott, worldwide product manager for Cat large excavators, said: “A key to production is our new dedicated hydrostatic swing circuit. The circuit enables regenerating swing brake energy and independent management of cylinder airflow. What that means for owners and operators is higher efficiency and smoother, more predictable performance when multitasking with the excavator.”
The Cat 352, 374 and 395 machines have three modes of operation: Power, Smart, and ECO. Power mode is maximum power at all times. ECO mode lowers engine speed and cycle times while maintaining breakout force. The new Smart mode takes the guesswork out by automatically matching engine and hydraulic power to digging conditions, reducing fuel consumption and optimising performance. Engine speed automatically lowers when hydraulic demand decreases, further reducing fuel usage.
The cooling system features a new on-demand fan designed to operate only when required, saving fuel and ensuring maximum efficiency. An available auto-reverse function assists with cleaning debris from the cooling cores — another plus for enhanced efficiency.
The trio of next-generation Cat large excavators is said to have the highest level of standard factory-installed technology in their size class, including Cat Grade with 2D.
The system gives operators visual guidance to grade via the standard touchscreen monitor to make more accurate cuts. The system is readily upgradable to Cat Grade with Advanced 2D or Cat Grade with 3D for enhanced accuracy.
Cat Payload helps operators increase loading efficiency with on-the-go weighing; real-time payload estimates are calculable without swinging to help prevent overloading and underloading trucks.
Lift Assist quickly calculates the weight of the actual load being lifted and compares the result to the excavator’s rated capability. Visual and auditory alerts indicate whether the machine is within a safe working range.
E-Fence prevents the excavator from moving outside operator-defined points. This helps protect the machine, underground utilities, and other objects from damage.
Cat Product Link provides a constant stream of wireless information available via the online VisionLink interface, allowing machine managers in the office to evaluate critical operating details quickly.
On the Cat 374 and 395, booms, sticks, and frames are twice as strong as those on the previous model — all to give owners reliable performance for the machine’s life.
Booms have increased top and bottom plate thickness; sticks have increased side, bottom, and bracket plate thickness; and frames have increased base frame and counterweight mounting plate thickness.
Additional reinforcements are built into the car body, track link, track rollers, boom, stick, and bucket cylinders to ensure long-term, trouble-free performance. Extended and synchronised maintenance intervals contribute to the Cat 352, 374 and 395 large excavators’ lower long-term costs.
The new Cat air filter with an integrated pre-cleaner and primary and secondary filters provides double the previous design’s dust-holding capacity.
The new Cat hydraulic return filter has a 3,000-hour service life — a 50% increase over previous filters. Fuel system filters are synchronised for service at 1,000 hours — a 100% increase over the previous filters.
The fuel system’s water and sediment drains and hydraulic system’s oil level check are positioned close together at ground level, making routine daily maintenance faster, easier, and safer.
The Cat 352, 374 and 395 customers can choose between a deluxe or premium cab. Either option supplies operators with maximum comfort and safety. Performance-enhancing features like keyless pushbutton start, large touchscreen monitor with jog dial keys for control, and a sound-suppressed rollover protective structure (ROPS) come as standard.
Other cab amenities include a tilt-up console that allows easy cab entry and exit; advanced viscous cab mounts that reduce vibration by as much as 50% compared with previous models; and a Bluetooth integrated radio with USB ports for connecting and charging phones. Furthermore, each cab offers automatic climate control for maintaining temperature settings regardless of ambient temperatures; programmable joystick buttons for setting control patterns and hydraulic response rates; and large front, rear and side windows and standard rear-view and right-hand-side cameras to enhance visibility. Finally, an optional 360° visibility package combines images from multiple cameras to improve the operator’s sightlines in all directions.
The Mick George Group, a leading supplier to the construction industry in the East Anglia and East Midlands regions of the UK, has received Britain’s first new Doosan DL-7 wheeled loaders. As well as four new DL420-7 models, the order includes two DL580-5s and a DL300-5 wheeled loader working at quarries within the Mick George Group, with a further new DL320-7 wheeled loader arriving in mid-January 2021.
The new wheeled loaders were supplied by Leicester-based Pioneer Plant Ltd, the new authorised Doosan dealer for Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and the PE and NG postcode areas of South Lincolnshire. Providing increased peace of mind for the Mick George Group, the new wheeled loaders’ high reliability and quality are guaranteed by a 6,000-hour service package provided by Pioneer Plant.
The story behind the new wheeled loader order for the Mick George Group began when Pioneer Plant offered a demonstration of the Doosan DL580-5 wheeled loader at its very busy limestone quarry at Wakerley in Northamptonshire.
Michael Plant, quarry manager at Wakerley, said: “In the four days we had the demo machine it proved to be good on fuel, comfortable for the operators and kept up with the crushing plants and loading lorries. We knew from then, that if we were to purchase two DL580-5 models, the company would save on quarry costs, replacing the three smaller wheeled loaders the company previously used to keep up with the demand.
“The excellent performance of the demo machine and the fact that all the Doosan wheel loaders could be supplied very quickly and put to work immediately made it an easy decision to buy the Doosan machines. At the Mick George Group, we are always busy, so we need wheel loaders we can rely on to help keep up with the high demand and reduce the cost of having to hire in.”
All the new wheeled loaders are used in loading and stockpile duties at quarries in the Mick George Group. As well as the DL580-5s at Wakerley, the DL420-7 wheeled loaders have gone into operation at the Waterbeach and Mitchell Hill quarries in Cambridgeshire, the Ringstead Grange quarry in Northamptonshire and at the Crimplesham quarry in Norfolk. The new DL300-5 wheeled loader is working alongside the DL420-7 at Crimplesham.
Plant added: “Since receiving the machines and putting them to work across the Group, all feedback coming from the operators has been positive - they believe they have speeded up loading times of HGV vehicles, they are burning less fuel, and the traction the machines put into the ground has stopped wheel spinning which is going to save us money on tyres by increasing their life span on the machines.”
Starting with a single tipper truck in 1978, the Mick George Group’s commercial fleet has grown to be over 400 HGV vehicles. The group specialises in bulk excavation and earthmoving services, demolition and asbestos removal, a wide range of skip hire and waste management and aggregate and concrete supply.
In addition to the HGV vehicles, the Mick George Group has a wide variety of plant and machinery. The impressive collection of mobile plant machinery is used in various applications in its quarries and transfer stations and in its large earthworks projects. The lorry fleet means the company can meet the high demand for providing a reliable muck-away and aggregate-delivery service to all its customers.
The company operates from over 39 sites, including the limestone/sand and gravel quarries where the new Doosan wheeled loaders work, landfill sites, waste transfer stations and concrete-batching plants. The Mick George Group provides the knowledge, expertise, and equipment to offer a complete package to complete any contract from start to finish.
Pioneer Plant (www.pioneerplant.co.uk) is solely responsible for sales and servicing of the Doosan crawler, wheeled and mini/midi excavator, wheeled loader, articulated dump truck and attachment ranges in its area.
As the latest addition to the UK dealer network for the Doosan Construction, Quarrying and Mining Equipment range, Pioneer Plant offers over 40 years of plant dealership experience for both new and used equipment. Together, Brian Conn and Steve Corner, joint partners in Pioneer Plant, and their team provide a wealth of knowledge and expertise to advise and support customers with their plant purchases and how Doosan products can benefit their businesses.
Pioneer Plant customers benefit from a superb on-site service network, covering everything from emergency repairs to routine maintenance. The company’s factory-trained engineers have many years of hands-on experience of repairs and servicing of all types of plant and machinery.
Doosan’s new DL-7 wheeled loader range introduces a complete line of next-generation machines offering award-winning design, powerful engines, higher productivity, increased fuel efficiency and a low cost of ownership, coupled with a great environment and experience for the operator.
The new DL320-7 and DL420-7 are part of the first phase of the DL-7 launch, covering seven new models, with redesigned buckets offering up to 7% more capacity to provide easier and faster loading maximum bucket capacities from 2.8 to 6.4m³. They provide increased productivity for an extensive range of material-handling applications.
Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe (Hyundai) has unveiled the HL975A CVT wheeled loader – the first Hyundai model equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The Hyundai HL975A CVT combines the benefits of a traditional automatic transmission and a hydrostatic transmission in one machine. The new wheeled loader forms part of Hyundai’s, award-winning, A-series machines that comply with the European Stage V emission levels, offering near-zero emissions.
A range of new technologies has been incorporated into this new model which significantly improves fuel efficiency, keeps harmful emissions to a minimum and delivers the maximum power and performance needed for heavy-duty work in severe conditions. Customers can also expect increased productivity, better safety, more convenience, and improved uptime management.
The state-of-the-art ZF CVT offers optimised power matching. This continually changes hydraulic to mechanical energy ratios, depending on load and speed, keeping the engine in a low rpm range for smooth, seamless acceleration. During deceleration, the CVT acts as a brake, reducing wear on the service brake and prolonging the axle oil life.
Compared to conventional transmission, CVT delivers fuel savings of up to 30% depending on the application, without sacrificing performance or power. Traction control, intelligent inching, and automatic differential lock management help to cope with various conditions. The operator will experience a fast and smooth acceleration over the full speed range and superior traction. Hyundai’s sophisticated onboard weighing system technology is integrated as standard on this machine and additional control, monitoring and maintenance features help to optimise daily performance and productivity.
Hyundai has prioritised durability throughout the development of the HL975A CVT, from design and manufacturing to quality control. All systems have been optimised for endurance and tested rigorously on a range of work sites - the result is a robust, reliable workhorse that minimises downtime for repairs and maintenance and helps Hyundai’s customers protect their profits.
The machine comes with optional extra safety features like the AAVM (Advanced Around View Monitoring) system, which secures 360° field vision via nine views. This system also includes IMOD (Intelligent Moving Object Detection). The HL975A CVT also comes with an optional radar system that detects obstacles behind the machine day and night, with no blind spots. The distance between the obstacle and the loader is displayed on the secondary monitor.
Hyundai designed the HL975A CVT cabin to be a productive, stress-free working environment – it’s both comfortable and spacious. It features state-of-the-art noise and vibration reduction technology, achieving a sound level of only 70dB, one of the lowest in this machine category. An optional door control allows operators to open the cabin door remotely while standing safely at ground level.
All A-series wheeled loaders will incorporate several new service features developed and tested to improve machine uptime. The HL975A CVT is designed to make maintenance as convenient as possible: the engine hood opens wide to provide easy access for cleaning and routine tasks; all components and materials are manufactured to ensure a long, trouble-free life.
Machine diagnostics is an essential feature on modern-day machines. Hyundai’s HiMATE is a remote management system that gives access, no matter where the location, to vital service and diagnostic information for Hyundai machines. MCD (Machine Connected Diagnostics) enables the user to gather and analyse various data on the machine’s performance – resulting in more uptime.
ECD (Engine Connected Diagnostics) supports the aftersales technicians and dealers with an engine performance report via e-mail, mobile, app or HiMATE, Hyundai’s own telematic system.
With demand for excavators in China growing, at bauma CHINA 2020, held November 24-27 2020, Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) unveiled new standard and heavy-duty ranges. Each range is designed according to the varying needs of Chinese customers, promoting sustainable development of the industry with innovative technology.
Among the first to be introduced in H1 2021 will be the EC380 standard and EC380 heavy-duty excavators. A total of 10 models will be launched throughout 2021, showcasing how Volvo CE will continually and thoroughly mould the industry’s future with its new generation of electromobility, automation and connectivity.
Senior vice president of Sales Asia at Volvo CE, Tomas Kuta, said: “China is one of Volvo CE’s four most important sales markets in the world. Since the Asian headquarters moved to Shanghai in April 2020, through its twin HQ arrangement, Volvo CE has better served the local market with its innovative products and solutions. We have helped the rapid development of the Chinese economy through our shared vision of building a better tomorrow.”
The new ranges feature the latest fuel-efficient Volvo engines, smart telematics and automation systems such as Volvo ActiveCare and Volvo Co-Pilot, and many safety configurations. This greatly increases the safety and connectivity of machine operations, effectively helping the customer lower equipment operating costs and increase productivity for business growth.
Innovation is in Volvo CE’s DNA. The company has continually developed and expanded its product portfolio to meet the needs of urban construction. Featuring 12-tonne models and 90-tonne pieces of heavy equipment, the two new product ranges cover the full range of work environments, from the common to the highly challenging and complex, offering customers a wide variety of products to meet their needs.
The new ranges were developed locally at the Volvo CE R&D centre in Jinan.
