News

Easy transportation and installation are key benefits of the new Benninghoven Batchmix 1250. “It’s highly mobile, and you only need one small crane for the erection,” said Martin Van Stek, Sales Manager with Benninghoven. The plant can be loaded on six trailers, which are built to quickly arrive at the next site. “You can travel at normal road speeds,” he said.

An improvement in European and North American sales could not offset continued weakness in Asia leading to Volvo Construction Equipment sales falling by 5% year-on-year in Q1 2015. Sales in China in particular were less than half what they were in the same period of 2014, the Swedish sector giant said. “We are working to adapt to lower volumes and are implementing a series of measures to reduce cost levels. However, our efforts could not fully offset the significant drop in volumes,” said Volvo Const

Seven cutting edge testing laboratories, a prototype workshop, and an innovative office building with seating for more than 1,500 engineers and support staff are the key highlights of LiuGong’s new R&D centre due to open in June 2015.

Ambitious off-road tyres, wheels, rubber tracks and undercarriage systems manufacturer Camoplast Solideal (CP) is to launch an entire new construction-based product range over the next two to three years after a significant increase in its R&D spend. The Canadian company has this week launched three new tyres for skid steer machines: the SKS 732 and 775, both pneumatic, and the 793S. It is also showcasing its new 533 soil compactor tyre.

John Deere Power Systems, has completed its Stage IV engine line-up, now offering 2.9-litre, 4.5-litre, 6.8-litre and 13.5-litre engines with power outputs of 30kW to 448kW. The company is using three Integrated Emissions Control system configurations to meet the Stage IV/Tier 4 Final standard.

Astec’s Double-Barrel XHR plant provides more use of recycled asphalt planings (RAP) today – and helps meet emissions standards of the future. The Double-Barrel XHR is built on previous technology, said Malcolm Swanson, President of Astec, a subsidiary of Astec Industries Inc. But the Double-Barrel XHR plant also features new improvements, including a stainless steel drum and combustion flighting, that withstand the higher temperatures associated with RAP.

BICES 2015, China’s biennial international construction equipment show has made a series of step-changes by moving the venue to the New China International Exhibition Center (NCIEC) in Beijing, by bringing the timing forward from mid-October to September 22-25 2015 and by re-emphasising that the event continues to be run by the industry for the industry. Dressta vice president Howard Dale welcomed the initiatives saying it was right to hold the event where “many of China’s state-owned companies are headquar

IRIUM Group, a French software developer dedicated to the construction equipment distributor, rental and repair company market, has introduced modules to give users greater accessibility to its enterprise resource planning (ERP) application.

With plans to almost double its annual sales from $555m today $1bn in 2017, Alliance Tire Group (ATG) is keen to push its message of innovation at INTERMAT 2015. “It’s our ambition to be one of the top three global market leaders in the agricultural, forestry and construction sectors,” said ATG’s European president Peter Bauer, recently brought into the group to drive its expansion in Europe.

Ditch Witch has introduced an integrated mud recycler that cleans and mixes mud on the same unit for reuse for drilling operations

While the European construction equipment market is still some 40% below the record levels of 2007, there are definite signs of a recovery in the industry. This was revealed by Eric Lepine, president of CECE (the Committee for European Construction Equipment), who said that it is a mixed market environment. “There are still uncertainties in different regions of the world and particularly in Europe, but the good news is that figures are telling that Europe is picking up,” said Lepine.

The INTERMAT Paris 2015 inauguration included tours of key manufacturers’ booths and a reminder of the importance of the construction industry to France – and the world. The show was officially kicked off Tuesday in the Wirtgen Group booth.

Improved Trimble technology will enable contractors to reduce dozer time as much as 40%. The Trimble GCS900 Grade Control System has improved responsiveness, which provides a substantial benefit on jobsites. “It corrects faster,” said Dwayne Rosie, Software Sales Engineer in the Heavy Civil Construction Division.

Komatsu will be bringing different-sized hybrid excavators to the market in the next “one or two years”, the Japanese construction equipment manufacturing giant revealed at INTERMAT 2015. The new models will follow on from last year’s successful launch of the third-generation HB215LC-2, on show this week. “There are plans to extend the hybrid concept to other sizes of excavators. This development is ongoing,” said Keiko Fujiwara, chief executive officer of KEISA (Komatsu Europe International). Asked when th