I
t would be easy to think of the construction equipment industry as
a conservativebusiness. After all,machines todaydon’t look radically
different to many of their ancestors from decades ago. But a flick
through the pages of this month’s magazine would tell you something
different.
Look at thewheeled loader sector for example.Of course you can still
buy simple machines with basic controls, and these sell well in many
parts of the world where price is a big issue and it is difficult to justify
lots of optional extras and expensive technology.
However, look at the newmachines that are coming onto themarket
in Europe, Japan and North America. These feature some radical and
innovativenewdesigns that canmakehuge savings in fuel consumption.
For larger machines there is the Caterpillar XE system which places
a hydrostatic drive alongside a traditional mechanical drive for huge
fuel savings as well as smoother control. Further down the weight
categories, both Liebherr and Hitachi are now offering machines with
fully hydrostatic transmissions, which can cut fuel consumption by the
order of -20% or better.
And it does not end there. In thismonth’s equipment section you can
read about Komatsu’s intelligent machine control excavators, which
are now commercially available following a launch at last year’s Bauma
exhibition. These use tried and trusted GPS machine control systems
alongwith anewgenerationof software and components such as stroke-
sensing cylinders, to produce arguably the most accurate and efficient
excavator ever.
And it is not just themajor international players that are pushing the
boundaries. Back in the wheeled loader sector, many of China’s leading
players are now offering machines powered by liquefied natural gas
(LNG). This not only makes for a huge reduction in running costs,
but the fuel also comes without a lot of the emission and pollution
headaches associated with diesel. Some of the same arguments have
promptedmanufacturers tooffer propane-fuelled generators, as you can
read in thismonth’s portable power feature.
The question with all these new technologies, and others such as
hybrids, is where is the payback? Departing from design norms or
bringing in new technology is bound to cost more than sticking with
convention, so equipment buyers are going to want to knowwhat the
advantages are and at what point they offset the higher purchase costs.
This is something I think the industry could communicate better
to customers. In fact I think it is something the industry will have
to communicate better as more technology comes into play and the
choices becomemore bewildering.
Chris Sleight
Editor
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International Construction
(USPSNo: 021-895)
is publishedmonthly by KHLGroup and
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ISSNNo: 0020-6415
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COMMENT
3
september 2014
international
construction
The paper in thismagazine originates from timber that
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