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CONSTRUCTION EUROPE
OCTOBER 2013
EXCAVATORS
>
A sector that is
action-packed
A large number of new excavators have come to
the market this year boasting advanced engines
and hydraulics, safety improvements and hybrid
designs.
Helen Wright
finds out more
S
o far, 2013 has been an action-packed
year as far as the European excavator
market is concerned, with at least 20
new machines have been unveiled by Hitachi
alone, for example, including a new dash 5
range of excavators.
At the same time, Volvo has launched
three new compact models as well as larger
excavators tailored to specialist applications,
including two ultra-reach machines for
the demolition market. The company also
inaugurated a new 20,660m
2
excavator
factory in Kaluga, Russia.
Meanwhile, CNHandKobelcohave unwound
their decade-long excavator joint venture,
leaving Kobelco free to build up its sales and
service network in Europe and elsewhere.
In addition, CNH-owned Case and sister
brand New Holland also made waves with the
introduction of their first Stage IV-compliant
models – the 8 and 9 tonne class CX75 SR and
CX80C from Case, and the E75C SR and E85C
MSR from New Holland in the same weight
classes.
STRICT EMISSIONS LAWS
The four new excavators use a range
of exhaust aftertreatment systems
to adhere to the strict EU Stage
IV off-highway diesel exhaust
emissions legislation that comes
into force from the start of next
year, replacing the current Stage IIIB
laws and cutting the level of pollutants
in exhaust gasses down to about the same
level as the ambient air in many cities.
For its part, JCB claims to be alone in the
industry in that it achieved the current
Stage IIIB emissions requirement on its own
Ecomax engines without the use of exhaust
aftertreatment systems such as a diesel
particulate filter (DPF) or selective catalytic
reduction (SCR).
JCB is now fitting its Ecomax engine across
its mid-range excavators from 11 to 22 tonnes.
The company said that it was seeing fuel
savings in the region of 10% compared to
previous generations. It said that on amachine
like the 22 tonne JS 220 tracked excavator
working a 1,600-hour year, this could equate
to savings of €5,200 over a three–year period,
based on European diesel prices.
But while changing engine emissions
legislation are having a major impact on the
development of newmachines, manufacturers
are also focusing on a range of other factors
to improve machines and push efficiency
improvements forward at a very fast pace.
Doosan’s 15.3 tonne
DX140LCR-3 is a
model that it said
meets an increasing
demand for reduced
radius machines
