Case’s European C series graders offer light touch

176 Case’s newest grader, the C Series - specifically for the European market - is a sensitive machine for a delicate job. The 12.6tonne 836C and its larger 17tonne stablemate the 856C are made in Berlin and for European Tier 4 Final countries, including Israel, says Massimiliano Sala, Case’s construction equipment product manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa. “Their grading is much more precise, meaning the machines are made more for finishing grading that requires exacting blade control,” he said. That is where the two European C Series machines differ from their C-series cousins, the 14tonne 845, the 17tonne 865 and 885, a 19tonne model. All these are made in the Brazilian inland city of Belo Horizonte and are destined for markets outside Europe, including the US. Roads and road construction work in these regions need much, much more rugged grading, where more speed and power is required and there is less need to produce an exacting surface specification.
The heart of the European C-series is the blade swing mechanism, explained Sala. It has external teeth and pinions and the two steel rotational plates move on a friction setup.

However, the European machines have a more sophisticated set-up, where teeth and pinions are internally mounted and the steel rotational plates move on an array of ball bearings. The result, he said, is much less friction than the Brazilian-made models, which means less torque is required from the machine’s engines and hydraulics. Also, the operator’s controls are much more sensitive to the touch.

It also allows for more accurate grading. Operators have controls that allow for small increments of blade movement, making the machine ideal for European road conditions where volume of earth to be graded is less important than accuracy grades and the displacing of smaller amounts of earth.

They will be available in 6x4 and 6x6 all-wheel drive versions that match customers’ key requirements of low operating costs, controllability and flexibility.

The machines feature the patented Hi-eSCR technology developed by 7935 FPT Industrial – said to be the only solution on the market that meets Tier 4 Final standards with only Selective Catalytic Reduction. This after-treatment system presents multiple benefits in terms of performance, reliability and economy.