Author: Mark Dowdall

Wacker Neuson will debut its new innovations at the bauma trade fair in Munich in October, including the first battery-powered reversible vibratory plate with direct drive and its new EW100 wheeled excavator. According to the company, the APU3050e vibratory plate expands the potential range of applications in this segment and is characterised by its good manuevrability while it has “the lowest overall design height of all reversible vibratory plates on the market,” making it ideally suited for use in narrow trenches. The direction of travel is controlled by the tried-and-tested hydraulic adjustment system, the same as in the conventional models.…

Roughly nine months after reaching the four-billion-tonne autonomously hauled milestone, trucks equipped with Cat® MineStar™ Command for hauling have now moved over five billion tonnes, Caterpillar has revealed. Currently, more than 550 mining trucks are equipped with Command for hauling, operating across three continents. According to the company, Cat autonomous trucks are on pace to eclipse previous record totals of materials hauled in a calendar year, projected to be more than 1.4 billion tonnes in 2022. “In 2013, we placed our first fleets of autonomous trucks in Western Australia at FMG Solomon and BHP Jimblebar. Since that time, trucks using Command…

Continental has launched its new LD-Master L5 Traction construction tyre expanding its ContiEarth range to include the radial tire, initially in size 35/65 R33. The tyre, which will be presented at Bauma 2022, is specifically designed for loaders operating on abrasive surfaces. According to the company, the LD-Master L5 Traction offers high-level traction under demanding load requirements, a long service life and is fitted with tyre sensors ex-factory. A reinforced carcass supports high load carrying capacity requirements and is protected by an L5 traction tread pattern while an extra deep tread and sidewall protection improves tyre robustness and long-term productivity,…

Komatsu will use Bauma to focus on future technologies in response to the rising concern for global climate change, the manufacturer has revealed. As part of its line-up at the event, Komatsu will display a range of electrified machines including a fully electric, remote-controlled mini excavator that was announced as a concept machine last year. Among the other highlights will be the PC01E-1 electric micro excavator introduced to the Japanese market, earlier this year, as well as a three-tonne class electric mini excavator, which is a model change of the PC30E-5 introduced to the Japanese market in March 2021. According…

Manitowoc has modernised one of its most popular cranes over the last two decades with a host of new features from the MLC range, the company has announced. According to the manufacturer, the Manitowoc 999 lattice-boom crawler crane has been updated and upgraded into the MLC250, including significant updates but retaining the characteristics that have built the 999’s reputation in the infrastructure, refinery, and commercial building end markets. Key specifications largely remain unchanged, with the new MLC250 using the same boom sections that provide a maximum boom length of 88.4 metres and class-leading load charts. One key change is the…

John Deere is increasing the production capacity of battery-technology specialist Kreisel Electric, in which it recently acquired majority ownership, the company has announced. According to the manufacturer, an immediate investment in two additional production facilities in Europe and the US, will bring an increase of over 2 GWh to Kreisel’s battery production capacity, beginning with the opening of a new facility at the John Deere Saran factory which is the primary manufacturing location for John Deere engines in Europe. The funds from the investment will primarily be deployed within the mobile commercial and industrial solutions as well as the charging…

Nations across the Middle East are increasingly seeing the construction industry both as a stimulus for the economy and an opportunity to tackle the issues of air pollution and climate change. The Saudi Arabian government, in particular, has created the National Transformation Project and Vision 2030 strategy to integrate sustainable development goals into the national planning process. By 2030, Saudi Arabia is planning to invest approximately US$1 trillion in the country’s non-hydrocarbon sector, with key projects including Neom City, the Red Sea Project, Qiddiya Entertainment City, King Abdullah Financial District, and Amaala. On these projects, contractors are required to demonstrate…

This summer came with a lot of surprises for the Johnson Arabia team. As the business grows a range of new battery-powered equipment was added to its fleet, enhancing both the customer service and experience the company says. The investments included a Liebherr – LTM 1450-8.1, two MAN tractors, electric scissors (R1932, R2632, R3246, R4045), booms (450AJ, 660SJ, 860SJ, 1200SJP) and also equipment, which is new to the region such as the EC600, EC450 and EC520 electric booms. The new electric booms, which are said to have long battery life and the capability of a diesel equivalent, are in line…

Doosan will launch its new 4×4 articulated dump truck (ADT), as part of several world premieres at Bauma 2022, the company has announced. Complementing the company’s standard range of 6×6 ADT models, the company says the new 4×4 version of the DA45-7 ADT is intended to compete with rigid dump trucks (RDTs) in the 40-tonne class. The new 4×4 DA45-7 ADT complements the current market-leading range of Stage V compliant 6×6 ADTs from Doosan, which includes the DA30-7 and DA45-7 models with payloads of 28 and 41 tonnes, respectively. In the new 4×4 ADT, the front truck and cab unit…

BKT Tires has extended its lineup of tyres in the OTR segment with the new BKT Multimax MP 538, an agro-industrial tyre designed for telehandlers and several other applications such as motor graders and loaders operating on ice and snow. According to the manufacturer, the specially-designed tread pattern ensures high traction while its steel-belted casing allows the tyre to carry heavy loads at high speeds. The Multimax MP 538, which can also be used with sweepers for road maintenance, is available in size 405/70 R 20 MPT. Part of the same Multimax range is the Multimax MP 540, for which…