BICES Beijing; China bouncing back

At the BICES exhibition in Beijing, it was clear that the Chinese construction market has bounced back - Mike Woof writes

Demand for construction machines is now improving in China once more, with the backlog of unsold or nearly new secondhand units having been absorbed. This was apparent at the recent 2730 BICES construction machinery exhibition held in Beijing, where firms were more bullish than in previous years.

Despite the poor sales of the last few years however, Chinese equipment manufacturers have put investment into research and development. Many of the new models now being launched show a higher degree of sophistication, while the Chinese companies are also now offering well thought-out solutions for certain market needs.

A major boost for the construction machinery sector is coming from the Chinese Government’s ‘One belt, one road’ programme, which is steadily gaining traction. This massive project is aimed at improving the transport connections between China and Europe, helping to boost trade and commerce. Financing for capital purchases is assured through the programme, giving dealers and contractors the confidence to handle large machine orders. And China is also helping to fund new road projects elsewhere in Asia, kickstarting construction activity right across the continent. For the equipment manufacturers this approach to widespread infrastructure development is immensely important as it helps feed demand for new machines.

Tunnelling specialist CRCHI is offering a new range of drilling jumbos with machines offering one, two and three booms. Top-of-the-range is the three-boom model, equipped with three rockdrills delivering 18kW each. Drill depths of 5.25m can be reached and the rig offers a coverage 16m wide by 12.6m high. Mounted on a four-wheel drive chassis the rig is powered by a 139kW diesel.

Also new from CRCHI is the firm’s shotcreter, which can deliver up to 30m3/hour and at pressures of up to 8MPa. Spray widths of 31.4m can be achieved while it can reach a spray height of 17.5m. This 19.5tonne machine is powered by a 75kW diesel.

An unusual feature is now being offered by Lishide in the shape of its triple-boom cylinder design for its four new excavator models. The company has been offering excavators with this configuration on the Chinese market for two years but now that the layout has been proven, is looking to offer the machines for export to emerging territories. The SC3620, SC5030, SC5532 and SC8050 weigh in at 35, 48, 51 and 77tonnes, with 196 Cummins diesels rated at 169, 194, 260 and 336kW respectively. The machines meet China Stage III emissions requirements and other engine choices are available for the SC5532 and SC8050 models. Digging power is said to be significantly increased due to the use of the triple-cylinder design.

269 LiuGong is gearing up for its 60th anniversary in 2018, with its new wheeled loaders and excavators offering major gains in performance, while the company has also developed a sophisticated new remote monitoring system. This intelligent system is capable of transmitting operation data showing the status of LiuGong equipment in real time, helping to improve productivity and reduce operating costs for customers.

Meanwhile the most striking feature of the new 4180D grader from LiuGong is its novel cab design. Ed Wagner is now chief director for testing and technology at LiuGong and said, “The big new thing is the five-post cab.” And he explained that the posts have been located specifically so as to improve the driver’s field of view, particularly when reversing. The single rear post is located directly behind the operator and in line with the engine exhaust.

Aimed at the global market, the 15.5tonne machine is powered by a 140kW diesel, allowing a maximum forward speed of 46km/h and a maximum speed in reverse of 26km/h, as well as a drawbar pull of 80kN.

An innovation from 1170 Sany comes in the form of its remote control system for excavators, while the firm has also introduced a larger excavator class. The VR remote system allows a crawler excavator to be operated safely from a distance of up to 2km from the working area. For applications in dangerous areas such as at a quarry face or for demolition, this ensures that the operator can be in a place of safety, away from the machine. The system features a large screen mounted in a standard cab fitted with conventional controls. This cab can be located anywhere and can be mounted on a dolly for ease of transport. With CCTV cameras fitted around the excavator, the screen enables the operator to see the work that the machine is carrying out. The system is offered at the moment on an otherwise conventional 22tonne class Sany crawler excavator.

Meanwhile Sany has also developed a new and much larger excavator. This 75tonne unit is aimed at mass earthmoving and quarrying applications and is offered with an engine that meets the China Stage III emissions requirements. Broadly comparable with the Tier 3 requirements, the machine can meet the needs of customers in emerging territories also.

1171 Shantui’s DH13K hydrostatic dozer is the first of a new series, offering higher performance and efficiency. Weighing from 13.7-15.3tonnes depending on the choice of XL or LGP configuration and overall specification. The machine has a blade capacity of 3.39m3 in XL format and 3.69m3 for the LGP version, while power comes from either an FPT N67 or Cummins QSB6.7 diesels, rated at 115kW. Of note is that this machine is offered with Tier 4 Final/Stage IV compliant engines, to suit emissions requirements in the US and Europe.

Dump truck manufacturer Tonly hopes to build export sales for its machine range and in particular for its six-wheel drive TL849 model. The truck weighs 22tonnes unladen and offers a payload of 30tonnes in its 18m3 standard dumpbody. The firm hopes to win sales from customers wanting a simple but extremely rugged machine that can cope with rough terrain and is easy to service and maintain even in the field. It offers a lower cost alternative to more complex ADTs, with a pricetag around a 1/3rd of that of an ADT.

Key innovations from 2490 XCMG include its latest milling machine and roadheader models. However its XD143S compactor stands out as a particularly notable introduction. This 14tonne class asphalt compactor features high-frequency vibration on its front drum at 67Hz, as well as oscillation on its rear drum. According to the firm, it has offered oscillation on previous generation compactors, but this is the first to combine this with high-frequency vibration also.

Power comes from a 201 Deutz diesel rated at 111kW, which meets the China Stage III emissions requirements. For the moment this machine is only being offered for the Chinese market but it will be available for export in due course. It is not yet clear if a Tier 4 Final/Stage IV version will be available for sale in the US and Europe, but given its sophistication and XCMG’s increasing worldwide presence, this remains a possibility.

The XTR6/260 roadheader is one of several in the range and is the same model as used in the Jabuka Tunnel project in Montenegro. Featuring a cutting height of 6.2m and a width of 6m, this 90tonne machine has a 260kW cutter drive and is powered by a 1,140V supply.

1175 Zoomlion’s latest road machines include the ZP3880RE paver and the ZR5326 soil compactor, both of which are designed to meet the China Stage III emissions requirements. The ZP3880RE paver is equipped with the firm’s RE90TV screed, which can extend hydraulically from 3-5.8m and offers a maximum paving width of 9m when using bolt-on attachments. A single tamper bar is used and electric heating is standard while the machine can reach working temperature in 30 minutes from start-up, although gas heating is also available if required. The centrally-mounted auger drive is powered by twin motors and is raised up for easy access for maintenance, with drive chains connecting to the augers.

Power comes from a Deutz diesel rated at 175kW and the machine offers a maximum paving capacity of 900tonnes/hour, a significant increase from the firm’s previous top-of-the-range model with its 600tonnes/hour capacity. Hopper capacity is 18tonnes and the machine is equipped with Zoomlion’s own screed and paver control system.

Designed for large soil compaction projects, the ZR5326 is a 26tonne single drum roller. Power comes from a 174kW Deutz diesel, a significant increase from the 160kW of the model being replaced.