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Caterpillar may be on its financial back foot, but a recent event showed the company has a vision far beyond this or the next financial year – David Arminas reports. Many construction machinery manufacturers have some data collection and analysis systems for their heavy equipment. For a good decade, manufacturers have been moving in this direction, first as retrofit packages on machines in the field and increasingly as standard on newer models. Caterpillar is no exception among manufacturers that are movin

Topcon Positioning Group has launched a 3D dozer machine control system, the 3D-MCMAX, for Caterpillar machines. The system is designed to let operators work confidently in rough or fine grade applications, slope conditions, and in restricted sight environments without the visual obstruction of masts or risks to hanging cables. Gone is the need for daily installation and removal of antenna, cables and mast; the operator just climbs on and gets to work. Downtime is minimised, said Jamie Williamson, exe

Asphalt paver manufacturers are meeting demands for high performance machines that can deliver a quality mat - Mike Woof reports Major manufacturers are rolling out ranges of new asphalt pavers designed to meet the latest emissions regulations for Europe, as well as developing models to suit customers in developing nations. The firms have designed many of the latest machines to meet tough new emissions legislation, although versions will also be available for less regulated markets also. Ammann has up

Andrade Moreno is a man on a mission. The head of Colombia's infrastructure agency ANI explains how the organisation is giving foreign companies increasing confidence to invest time and money in the country. David Arminas reports Change, especially when it touches the highest levels of South American business and politics, can bring with it personal danger. Luis Fernando Andrade Moreno, president of Colombia's National Infrastructure Agency - ANI - was aware of this when he took on the role in 2011. B

US roads and bridges are crumbling at an alarming rate as state governments wring their hands over the increasingly scarce money for repairs. Enter the FAST Act. But is it enough? US state transportation department officials, as well as highway contractors and operators, breathed a sigh of relief in December. For months the highways infrastructure sector waited anxiously to see where the necessary money for road projects would come from. For several years, the Highways Trust Fund – the usual way of paying f

Progress has been good for an important underground road link in Finland reports Adrian Greeman. Assuming all goes well, the new Ranta, or Lakeside, tunnel in Tampere will open in full six months early; traffic could be running by the end of this year. Work on transforming the rundown city centre with new developments will get a major boost. It is a major achievement on a four-year-long project bringing significant benefits to one of Finland's largest cities. From the government's point of view the scheme w

Giant reports that it has ramped up production of its first skid steer loader at its new European facility in Oisterwijk, the Netherlands. The first machines have been delivered to dealers in Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom. Giant skid steer loaders combine a low weight - 750kg - and compact size with a high tractive force and tipping load. This makes the machines extremely flexible and suitable to use for different areas of application. The machine is ideal for ro

Atlas Copco’s new SmartROC D60, a heavy-duty surface drill rig, is robust enough and smart enough to tackle aggregate and limestone quarrying. SmartROC D60, a highly versatile Down-The-Hole rig is designed for drilling 110-178mm holes. It also has a high level of automation for optimum efficiency and consistent productivity, according to Atlas Copco. The rig’s hole navigation and auto-positioning systems ensure that the rig locates the exact position of each hole and then accurately collars and drill