Photo by Saibal Dasgupta/ENR Su ZiMeng is Secretary General of the China Construction Machinery Association. ENR caught up with him last month at Bauma China. Related Links: At Bauma China, Machine Producers Suffer From Excess Inventory Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle Su ZiMeng, Secretary General of the China Construction Machinery Association, represents member companies that form a large part of China’s estimated $1 trillion manufacturing industry, arguably account for half of the world’s heavy-equipment production and include 11 of the world’s top 50 equipment makers. The bulk of business comes from government-financed projects, though export revenue is growing.
Photo courtesy Bauma China China's slowing economy has left its equipment vendors with more excess capacity than in 2012 (shown), when they last exhibited at Bauma China. This year's show promises to attract around 180,000 global visitors. Related Links: Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle New Blooms for China's Latin America Construction Romance For all the outward bravado Chinese companies have demonstrated in recent foreign investments and acquisitions, they are now feeling the effects of a slower economy that has left them with excess manufacturing capacity and large numbers of unsold machines."The extent of unsold machines could be 20%
Photo courtesy Ford Motor Co. Ford's 2015 F-150, now in production, is class-leading among gasoline full-size pickups. Related Links: Test Drive: Ford Reinvents Tough By Switching to Aluminum Fleet Owners Stand To Gain From V6 Pickups The top-selling vehicle in the U.S. now is also the most efficient gasoline pickup in the full-size category.Equipped with an optional 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost engine and two-wheel drive, it achieves 26 miles per gallon on the highway; equipped with a standard 3.5-liter V6, it gets up to 25 mpg, according to new ratings for the 2015 Ford F-150.Switching to a lighter steel frame and
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone / ENR total control Komatsu's new intelligent excavator (above) features a semi-autonomous digging mode, which prevents the boom from excavating outside a predefined model. This model can be set on the built-in LCD touch screen (below) or loaded remotely via Topcon's 3D Enterprise software. Photo by Jeff Rubenstone / ENR Related Links: Komatsu Takes Machine Control to Next Level Sensing the heavy-equipment market is ready to move from machine guidance into full machine control, Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based Komatsu America has launched the PC210LCi-10, the first intelligent hydraulic excavator available in North America.Built on the same technology
Link-Belt Construction Equipment Co. Link-Belt partnered with A1A Software for iCraneTrax, which ships on new cranes at no extra cost. Photo by Tudor Van Hampton/ENR Every crane owner has individual data requirements, said Bill Stramer on Nov. 12 in Miami. Related Links: AEMP Reveals Comprehensive Telematics Standard Telematics Help Trim Contractor Fleet Costs Who owns your data? If you own a new Link-Belt crane, you do, according to Bill Stramer, vice president of marketing for the Lexington, Ky.-based manufacturer. As global crane owners are cautiously adopting telematics to manage maintenance, safety, geography and other risks, manufacturers such as Link-Belt are
Photo Courtesy Volvo CE Volvo CE is discontinuing its lines of backhoe loaders and motor graders, including the recently introduced C-Series motor grader (pictured). Related Links: Where East Meets West, China's Uphill Battle Volvo Goes Modular for Global Markets In one of its biggest production shifts since acquiring China-based SDLG in 2006, Volvo Construction Equipment has announced that it is discontinuing the development and manufacture of its motor graders and backhoe loaders in favor of SDLG-branded machines.Volvo CE made the announcement in a Nov. 13 press release. The company cited the poor performance of "technologically advanced and high-spec Volvo-branded backhoe
Preparing to run comparison tests of the world's tallest telescoping boom lifts presented a problem: What was the best way to measure the height of an aerial work platform reaching nearly 200 ft into the air?
Equipped with platforms extending more than 180 ft up and rugged running gear that is fully drivable at that height, the Genie machine, introduced at the Bauma exhibition last year, and the JLG unit, which debuted at Conexpo this year, have rapidly advanced the capabilities of telescopic boom lifts.
Related Links: Ford F-150 Will Go Aluminum in 2015 Fleet Owners Stand To Gain From V-6 Pickups Design and engineering teams at Ford Motor Co. have taken what might be thought of as a radically conservative approach to the new 2015 Ford F-150. Aside from a new grille and headlights, the latest F-150 looks familiar. The revolutionary step is the switch from steel to what Ford calls "military grade" aluminum in the body, cab and bed.The payoff is 700 lb in weight savings, which contribute to more efficient braking, towing and increased payload capabilities, topping out at a hefty 3,300
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone/ENR The 1850SJ can go up to 185 ft and has controls almost identical to JLG's smaller boom lifts. Related Links: Overturns and Falls Lead Aerial-Work-Platform Deaths JLG Rolls Out Record-Breaking Boom Lift On JLG's new proving grounds and expanded training center at its headquarters in McConnellsburg, Pa., an 1850SJ Ultra Boom slowly rises to its full 185-ft platform height. The lift is operated via a control panel that is nearly identical to JLG's more common 60-ft boom lifts. Often used in place of scaffolding or ladders, aerial work platforms are now reaching heights typically associated with
RSS
