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Sandvik Construction president Thomas Schulz was keen to emphasise the firm’s growing commitment to China and gave an upbeat forecast for the health of the global construction equipment manufacturing industry over the next 12 months and beyond. Speaking during Bauma China 2012, Schulz said: “The global construction equipment market has been a bit lower for the past two years. However, based on these market conditions, the performance of Sandvik in China is quite good. We have quite a positive outlook for 20

David Beatenbough, vice president of LiuGong research and development, has talked about the importance of the Chinese construction manufacturing equipment giant’s purchase earlier this year of Poland-based HSW and its Dressta distribution subsidiary. Speaking during a LiuGong press conference at bauma China 2012, he said: “The acquisition of Dressta was LiuGong’s first significant acquisition overseas so it was very important to us. This year was mostly a year of rebuilding and reforming foundations in Dres

LiuGong and ZF are intensifying their cooperation by building a new joint venture axle company in Liuzhou. Called ZF Liuzhou Axle, the new company will produce wheel loader axles that are specially tailored for the requirements of the Chinese market. By 2018 some 190 employees will be working at Liuzhou Axle. Since 1995, ZF and LiuGong have been operating a joint venture company in Liuzhou, a major industrial city in the south of China. The two parties have now decided to further intensify their cooperation

Built to cater for hauling needs and with three body options, Cat is showcasing its 772G rigid-frame truck at bauma China 2012. The productive, durable and reliable machine comes with a fuel-efficient, yet powerful C18 diesel engine and has multi-mode operation to tailor performance to the duty cycle. The centrally mounted cab is said to offer high levels of operator comfort compared to rival models, with mirrors providing good rear and side views. Manufactured in India this truck is designed to cope with c

Cat’s bauma China 2012 launched 986H wheeled loader is said to be built to last.Fitted with what Cat describes as field-proven Cat components to lower cost/tonne, the model’s load-sensing hydraulics and standard torque converter lock-up clutch are said to ensure optimum fuel efficiency, while a C15 diesel engine at 305kW provides the 986H with ample power. Configured as a high production machine for truck loading and large scale stocking applications, the 41.4tonne model has a 42.5tonne operating weight and

High productivity, versatility and reduced operating costs are said by Cat to be stand out features of its new 326D L hydraulic excavator, being launched this week at bauma China 2012. Weighing 25.87tonnes and powered by a Cat C7 engine rated at 140kW, the 326D L model is said to have heavy duty upper and lower structures and a spacious cab. Low fuel consumption is claimed due to the efficient hydraulics and multi-mode hydraulics, which allow operators to configure performance to best match the operating cy

Said by Cat to offer reduced running costs, the new Cat 312D GC Series 2 hydraulic excavator being launched at bauma China 2012 is tailored for Chinese customers. A comfortable redesigned operator station is another feature of the new Cat excavator, which is also claimed to come with improved controllability. The machine feature’s Caterpillar’s sophisticated hydraulics with boom and stick regeneration circuits that save hydraulic power in boom-down and stick-in movements and help increase working efficiency

Both in Thailand and Morocco the authorities are looking separately at ways in which road safety can be improved. The two countries face similar problems with regard to road safety and have, independently, embarked on similar paths with a view to resolving the issue. Morocco’s Works and Transport Ministry is setting up a think tank that will attempt to tackle the country’s growing rate of road fatalities. The Moroccan Government intends to ban the use of unroadworthy vehicles and will further amend the cou

A new road in Bolivia is planned to improve connections between Montero and Yapacani. A loan worth US$122 million for the project is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Work on this four-lane road is being managed by Bolivia's road company ABC and the tender process is expected to open shortly. The 70km section of road will form part of the new Santa Cruz-Cochabamba highway. At present Bolivia's road network has a total length of 74,831km and this new highway project will help impr

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) is working with the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI to develop the Person and Technological Innovation program for agriculture. The program is designed to introduce young people in developing countries to technologies and applications of precise positioning in the global agriculture markets. Initial training will be conducted at the TPS training facilities in Modena, Italy. Countries targeted for the first projects will be Cameroon, Ethiopia and Ghana.

Plans are in hand in Israel to widen a 21km stretch of the Road 6 highway and strong interest has been shown in the tender process. Also known as the Cross-Israel Highway and the Yitzhak Rabin Highway, Road 6 is a major transport artery for the country. The construction work required would be for widening of sections 3 and 7 of Road 6 and the project is worth US$880.6 million and also includes a 35 year concession to operate the route. Shafir Civil and Marine Engineering and Ashtrom Properties are now submi

In Peru the Brazilian contractor Odebrecht is now setting out plans for a US$500 million package of works to upgrade the prime road network around capital Lima. In all some 144km of roads will be improved under the terms of the deal, which Odebrtecht was recently awarded by the Peruvian authorities. Key links seeing upgrades will be the Panamericana Norte, Panamericana Sur and Ramiro Priale highways. The work is planned for the 2013-2015 period. Odebrecht has been awarded the concessions for the highways fo