Topcon upgrades 3D MC Max for 4-way dozers, improves blade wear calibration and accuracy
Mast-free GPS machines are taking over the machine control world and Topcon has been at the forefront of this design revolution. Now the company has announced an upgrade to its flagship 3D dozer machine control system, the 3D MC Max.
Mast-free systems eliminate the tall, blade mounted poles on which the receivers for the first generation of 3D machine control systems were mounted. While these systems got the job done, the poles (or masts as they are referred to) were vulnerable to damage from earthmoving debris, overhanging branches and the like. Plus the receivers had to be dismounted and secured against theft at the end of the day. Mast-free systems use receivers on the top of the cab, sensors and inertial measurement units (IMUs) built into the machine to achieve the same results.
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New linkage, bucket up productivity on Deere’s new L-Series Utility Loaders (VIDEO)
With its redesigned L-Series Utility Loaders, John Deere primarily focused on improving two things: productivity and operator comfort. To do that, the new 524L, 544L and 624L wheel loaders feature a new parallel-lift linkage and a redesigned cab.
Chris Cline, Deere’s product manager for Utility Loaders, says that unlike the Z-bar linkage on the K-Series loaders, which would roll the bucket back 20 degrees or so, the new L-Series linkage keeps things “fairly parallel, within 8 degrees.”
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With 20 machine debuts at Bauma, LiuGong aims to be a Top 10 construction equipment maker
“The shift from ‘made in China’ to ‘created in China’ has inspired LiuGong to accelerate innovation in science and technology with the aim of becoming an industry leader,” says Guang’an Zeng, chairman, LiuGong Group and LiuGong Machinery, in remarks made Monday at the Bauma trade show in Munich, Germany.
The 61-year-old company’s vision is to be a top 10 global construction equipment manufacturer (today it is No. 21) and top three Chinese construction equipment manufacturer by 2025. Today, one-third of the company’s income is from overseas business. More than 100,000 LiuGong machines are now working outside of China.
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Volvo intros EC750E HR excavator with 118-foot reach for tall demolition jobs (VIDEO)
Volvo Construction Equipment’s new EC750E HR is designed for heavy-duty demolition, with a pin height of 118 feet.
The new excavator is based on the EC750E but as a high-reach version—hence the “HR” in its name—for demolishing tall buildings and other applications where high reach is needed. It is the company’s largest high-reach excavator model in North America.
Volvo also designed the machine for versatility with extensions and different boom settings, so it can be used for standard digging operations when the additional reach is not needed. It has a max digging depth of 32.8 feet.
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Mecalac’s MCR Series “skid-excavators” are in a category all their own
With speeds up to 6.2 mph, the MCR Series of excavators is “the fastest in the world,” according to French manufacturer Mecalac. The company entered the U.S. market two years ago at the 2017 ConExpo, and has 20 North American dealers with a headquarters in Boston.
One of several machines showcased at the Bauma show this week in Munich, Germany, the 8MCR model can use up to a 0.69 cubic yard maximum bucket, or the bucket size of a 12-metric-ton excavator. The 10MCR is capable of handling a 0.98 cubic yard bucket, which Mecalac says means the model can move up to 77 percent more when compared to standard same-size excavators.
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