Earthmoving & soil compaction

International construction equipment manufacturer Chicago Pneumatic has introduced versions of its CPS 11.0 (7bar) and CPS 11-12 (12bar) portable compressors aimed at the European market. The compressors feature Deutz EU compliant Stage 3B engines and are meant for surface drilling, abrasive blasting and ice blasting and excel in road work and shotcrete pumping. The 12bar variant is also suitable for special applications such as fibre optic cabling. The higher working pressure enables the CPS 11-12 compress

Materials handling has been made more efficient for Molenaar Zand en Grond, a Dutch materials yard, after introducing its first Hitachi ZW180-5 wheeled loader. Parent company, the road construction, drainage, sewage and groundworks contractor A. Molenaar, bought the Hitachi ZW180-5 in November for its materials yard subsidiary. The machine is now loading a steady stream of trucks and trailers at Molenaar Zand en Grond BV’s stockyard at Bergambacht, east of Rotterdam. The Hitachi ZW180-5 was delivered by the

New compaction machines will meet the latest emission standards for Europe and North America while firms from China are also competing globally - Mike Woof writes. The market for compaction equipment has become very competitive in recent years, most notably in the segment for soil compactors. The major US and European firms have developed more productive machines for use in both developed and developing markets. Meanwhile Chinese manufacturers are also competing in the soil compaction segment for the local

Chinese firms are now gearing up to tackle the quarrying market - Mike Woof writes. One of the key developments of note for the bauma China exhibition in late 2014 was the number of Chinese manufacturers now looking to compete in the quarrying sector. Also of note was how Western manufacturers are also taking the emergent markets seriously, developing machines to counter this increased competition from China. In many cases Western manufacturers have partnered with Chinese firms, bought out Chinese companies

SANY Road Machinery says that its machines offer customers a very good return on investment - Mike Woof writes. SANY Road Machinery looks set to boost its profile outside of China. The company has been focussed on the Chinese home market in recent years, due to the massive highway expansion programme in the country. However with 80% of the country’s highway construction programme now complete, SANY Road Machinery is looking to further develop its export business. Wang Zuochun is senior vice president at SAN

German manufacturers of construction equipment reported an 8% rise in sales, amounting to €8.4 billion. The level was higher than expected and equal to sales in 2006, according to the Construction Equipment and Building Material Machinery Association (VDMA). However, the VDMA, part of the German Engineering Federation, suggested that company profits may not have risen along with sales and tough times remain ahead. “Turnover is one thing, profit is another,” Joachim Strobel, deputy chairman of VDMA, said.

Operator comfort, improved durability and easier maintenance head the list of new features on Caterpillar’s extensively redesigned M318F and M320F Wheeled Excavators. The machines also have lower operating costs coupled with improved operator safety features, according to Caterpillar. But they retain the best features of predecessor models, including the Cat Smartboom, ride control, load-sensing hydraulics, dedicated swing pump, hydraulically driven cooling fan, large working envelope and configuration/work

German loader manufacturer Kramer-Werke has revised its products as part of a rebrand programme. The Kramer brand now stands alone, without the addition of allwheel. As part of the rebrand, Kramer has adapted machine names to indicate size classes for its economy 5 Series and premium 8 Series products. For example, 8095T stands for a Series 8 product with a bucket capacity of 0.95m3 and the T stands for tele wheel loader. The new wheeled loader models of the 5 Series, 5075, 5085, 5085T and 5095 with

Close to Larvik in Norway’s Vestfold County and around 80km south of Drammen, two tunnels are currently under construction as part of a state-funded infrastructure development programme. The project, which began earlier this year, comprises 7km of four lane highway – part of the E18 major route – linking the towns of Bommestad and Sky. This includes the new Larvik and Matineå tunnels, which will span 2.8 and 1.3km respectively. Worth €187 million, this project was awarded to Skanska Norway, the second la

There is increased competition in the wheeled loader market on a global basis - Mike Woof writes The wheeled loader segment is one of the most hotly contested in the earthmoving machine market. There is an enormous array of manufacturers competing in this segment, including European, US, Japanese, South Korean and Chinese firms. This last group is of particular note as China represents the biggest single market for wheeled loaders in the world.