News

Caterpillar ceo Doug Oberhelman is cautiously optimistic that recovery in the global equipment market will continue throughout 2014. Speaking at Conexpo, Mr Oberhelman said that the company was in the best possible position to make the most of steadily growing demand, with a host of improved machines and technologies on show. “The North American market is showing the best growth signs in March that we’ve seen for four years,” he said. “This year the market is stronger, housing is better and we see a very

JCB chief executive Graeme Macdonald says the UK manufacturer’s 140% sales rise in North America since 2010 has been a “great comeback story”. “North America has been on a rollercoaster ride,” Macdonald said during JCB’s Conexpo 2014 press conference in Las Vegas this week.

The giant construction equipment, mining, cranes and automation systems manufacturer Liebherr recorded group sales of just under US$12.4bn (€9bn) in 2013, $137m (€100m) down on the previous year. The privately-owned company suffered a 4% drop in turnover in its construction and mining division, which turned over $7.7bn (€5.62bn) last year.

Astec Industries, which is showcasing 45 pieces of equipment at this week’s Conexpo 2014, most of it new or upgraded, has outlined its plans for the future with president and CEO Ben Brock stressing that the group is going on a major export drive.

World demand for asphalt will grow by 3.6% annually until 2017, according to Cleveland market research company The Freedonia Group. This follows a decline in demand between 2007 and 2012 in North America and Western Europe, during the global economic crisis. “Gains will be driven by especially strong growth in consumption in China and other developing countries as they work to improve their transportation infrastructures,” said Freedonia analyst Mariel Behnke.

Sweden’s engcon, one of the world's leading tiltrotator manufacturers, is now increasing its efforts in the North American construction market.

SSAB has expanded its wear plate thicknesses to more closely meet the needs of its customers, the company announced at Conexpo 2014. Providing adequate thickness is a key challenge in the marketplace. SSAB says it now offers wear plate thicknesses that range from 0.7mm to 160mm.

Europe’s stand on sound is being heard around the world by the hydraulic breaker market. While many countries have not specifically adjusted their national sound guidelines, the Europeans have essentially done it for them, two industry experts revealed at Conexpo 2014.

Caterpillar is increasing its range of surface drilling products with the new MD5150C Track Drill, unveiled this week at Conexpo 2014. As the first of the company’s C Series drills, the MD5150C comes with a choice of three different rock drills and is said to deliver class-leading power and high airflow rates for the fast, efficient drilling of holes from 101.6mm to 152mm in diameter.

Hyundai used Conexpo 2014 to launch the HR120C-9, the first in a new range of soil compactors that will only be available in selected markets. The HR120C-9, made for Hyundai by Atlas Weyhausen, is a 12tonne machine equipped with a smooth drum and a permanent front axle weight of 6.9tonnes.

Two leading Canadian screen media manufacturers, W.S.Tyler and Major Wire Industries, have used Conexpo 2014 to unveil the next stage of their joint partnership. The two firms believe that they complement each another very well, and that they now have the ability to offer one of the industry’s widest range of screen media solutions including their Ty-Wire and Flex-Mat 3 products.

In Portugal work is restarting on the stalled Marao tunnel project. The Portuguese Government has assured financing from the EU to complete the necessary work for the 5.7km tunnel. The contractor working on the project originally hit financial problems, resulting in the work grinding to a halt and the Portuguese Government cancelling the contract with the original concession holder. The cost of the project has estimated at €204 million and the EU may finance up to €200 million of this. The package of works