News

The latest official statistics from Spain reveal and improvement in road safety, with a reduction in the number of those killed or seriously injured on the country’s roads. In 2011 there were 2,060 deaths caused by crashes on Spanish roads in 2011, a 13% drop from the previous year. These figures include those people dying within 30 days of a crash

Plans are in hand in Brazil’s Minas Gerais State for work to an 817km stretch of the BR-116 highway. The project is expected to cost in the region of US$2.48 billion to carry out. The Brazilian Transport Agency (ANTT) is opening the project to tender and it will be offered under a concession package. The 817km section of the highway will feature eight toll stations. Meanwhile, ANTT is opening the preliminary tender for the concession of the BR-040 motorway at the end of December 2012

The Wirtgen Group is launching the Hamm HD 138 articulated tandem roller with two vibratory drums at bauma China 2012. One of a trio of new tandem roller models from the Hamm brand, the simple to maintain HD 138, like fellow new models the HD 128 and HD O 128 V, is said to provide good efficiency and versatility, along with admirable handling and visibility. The HD 138 has a 98kW rated engine, a drum width of 2,240mm and a maximum operating weight of 1.45tonnes.

From Zoomlion comes a surprise launch at bauma China in the shape of its impressive 300tonne class shovel, the ZE3000ELs. This huge machine is powered by a Cummins QSK50 diesel rated at 1,044kW for this installation. The machine wields a 17m3 bucket, allowing it to pass match loading of rigid dump trucks in the 100tonne payload class.

Mainly aimed at the Chinese market but set to be available for export in due course is Cheng Gong’s new 966H wheeled loader. The 6tonne class machine slots into the firm’s portfolio of wheeled excavators, sitting between the 5tonne and 9tonne models.

LiuGong is now offering a compact bulldozer that features a hydrostatic drive system, allowing a high degree of manoeuvrability. The CLGB110 dozer is powered by a Cummins diesel rated at 82kW and which meets Tier 3/Stage IIIA emissions legislation. Because of the hydrostatic drive, the machine has a tight turning circle while the graduated speed changing means that track wear rates are reduced. Weighing in at 9.9tonnes, the bulldozer is offered with different blade types depending on the application.

Low emissions are a key feature of the compressed natural gas (CNG) powered crawler excavator on the XGMA stand. Designed for use in areas where exhaust emissions are strictly controlled such as urban construction sites, the 22tonne excavator offers an alternative to conventional equipment running on diesel. Performance is said to be comparable to that of a machine using diesel as fuel but the benefits in reduced emissions will be extremely useful for certain applications.

Caterpillar has its CB534D XW (pictured) and CB534D twin drum compactors at bauma China 2012. Sharing a 4.93m length measurement, the CB534D XW weighs 11.3tonnes and has 2m wide drums; while the CB534D is a lighter 10.4tonnes and has 1.7m wide drums. Designed mainly for use in asphalt applications, the hard-wearing duo can also be used for soil compaction. Said by Cat to be easy to operate due to their in-built automatic speed control, which, in turn, leads to impressive compaction results, the CB534D XW a

Increased manufacturing capacity has been a key focus for XCMG in recent years, with the firm having committed to upgrading its production facilities. XCMG has invested heavily in new manufacturing capacity for its ranges of cranes and wheeled loaders and both the Heavy Machinery and Wheeled Loader divisions now have new factories. The heavy crane facility produces machines in the 90tonne category and above and all production moved to the new plant in 2012 as the old factory was too small. The new facility

Lonking plans to ramp up export levels – Mike Woof reports For Lonking, wheeled loaders form a major part of the firm’s business, although the company now has a well-diversified range. Product development has been important for the company and the third generation wheeled loaders are now coming to market. These new models feature new engines, while the firm is also introducing its second generation excavators and third generation forklift trucks. The third generation wheeled loaders will be available with e

Chinese firm Shantui is best known for its well-proven bulldozer range, which it started manufacturing 30 years ago, although the company has since diversified its product line.The company is China’s leading producer of bulldozers and claims around 70% of the home market for these machines although it also exports a significant percentage of its production run. Shantui’s senior consultant for Global Marcoms, David Lightle said, “We’ve been exporting for 25 years.” Exports form an important part of the compa