Category: Concrete Maintenance

An advanced electrohydraulic system for Cat’s new MH3026 material handler gives you a balance of power and efficiency to improve cycle times. The result is more material processed in less time, and that spells better ROI for waste and scrap metal applications.

A Cat C7.1 engine cranks out 128 horsepower and can operate on B20 biodiesel. The maintenance-free exhaust aftertreatment system maximizes uptime and lowers operating costs. Power and economy mode choices mean you only burn the amount of fuel needed to do the job, resulting in 10% lower fuel use compared to previous models, says the company.

Stronger swing torque

A new front linkage on the MH3026 reaches up to 42 feet 8 inches. The swing torque is 20% greater to move material faster. A heavy-lift mode gives you extra capacity when you need it, and Cat’s SmartBoom can travel up and down without using pump flow. This adds additional fuel efficiency and allows the operator to focus on grapple control for smoother operation.

For safety, Cat’s E-fence system comes standard and prevents the machine and attachment from moving outside parameters set by the operator in the cab. This can eliminate the possibility of hitting the cab with the attachment or running into adjacent structures in a tight work envelope. A pin code prevents unauthorized operation of the machine.

Multiple cameras

Large tempered glass windows with small pillars on the re-engineered cab protect the operator and enhance all-around visibility and operating safety. Standard right-side and rearview cameras, upgradable to 360-degree vision, display video feed on the large in-cab touchscreen monitor to further enhance work area visibility. Thicker impact-resistant windshields and roof windows meet EN356, P8B and P5A standards.

Another important safety feature, standard boom and stick lowering check valves, reverse oil flow in the event of an unexpected loss of hydraulic pressure keeping the front linkage secure in place. All daily maintenance points are quickly accessed from ground level, while a new service platform with steps provides safe and quick access to the upper service area. 

Easy access

For creature comforts, Cat is offering a choice between deluxe and premium designs. A joystick option eliminates the steering column and improves forward visibility, legroom and ease of entry. The left-hand console tilts up for exiting.

A 10-inch, high-resolution touchscreen monitor with jog dial offers easy navigation of the operator controls. Different machine operators can store their specific joystick and preferred power mode settings, and the machine automatically recalls the settings based on the operator ID. The cab sits tops out at 18 feet 10 inches to improve visibility for loading and material handling.

All engine filters and the new air-intake filter are coordinated to be changed at 1,000 hours. The hydraulic oil-filter change interval has been extended to 3,000 hours, and new anti-drain values keep hydraulic fluid clean during replacement.

Quick specs:

Engine: 128 horsepowerOperating Weight: 55,601-57,651 lbs.Maximum Travel Speed:16 mph
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Editor’s note: Each day until Christmas, Equipment World is featuring a new gift idea for the construction enthusiast in your life. Check back each day to our Gear section or subscribe to our Equipment World Daily newsletter to see each day’s new idea.

“Unprecedented comfort and maneuverability.” 

That’s how Blaklader describes its service pants with stretch.

The 65% polyester/ 35% cotton material blend helps keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while maintaining maximum durability and no shrinkage. Plus, it’s more oil and water repellent than cotton alone.

The pants feature a stretch panel in the crotch, on the knees and rear. Pre-bent knees provide added flexibility and comfort when crouching or kneeling.

Generously sized utility pockets, including an inner telephone pocket, are perfect for carrying tools and parts.

Men’s service pants with stretch can be purchased for $79.95 on the Blaklader website or at specialty retailers.

The women’s cut features a narrower fit, elastic waist and fast-drying material. The women’s service stretch pant is available for $69.95.

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Manitou launched its tallest articulated boom lift for North America last year, and now the company has rolled out an all-electric version.

The new ATJ60E runs on lead-acid batteries, instead of the 42.9-horsepower diesel engine in its ATJ60 articulated boom work platform.

With far fewer components than a machine powered by an internal combustion engine, the electric-drive ATJ60E substantially reduces maintenance costs, the company says.

Two asynchronous, maintenance-free motors drive the ATJ60E. An integral charger is located on the turret, and the machine recharges on a standard 230-volt plug. Manitou said it chose lead-acid batteries due to their low replacement cost and recyclability. According to the company, the batteries can be cycled and recharged up to 1,500 times.

The ATJ60E offers a basket capacity of 507 pounds, a working height of 65 feet 7 inches and a platform height of 59 feet 7 inches. Up-and-over reach measures 26 feet 3 inches.

It comes with solid, non-marking tires and weighs 15,653 pounds. The axles offer a maximum tilt of 4 degrees longitudinally and laterally. High ground clearance, four-wheel drive and the active oscillating axle enable stability off road and over uneven terrain.

In the front of the basket, a large color monitor displays information. Basket-overload and tilt sensors provide audible and visual warnings when operators push the machine past safe operating parameters. The monitor also gives the operator a reading on how much time is left on the battery. A one-point slinging design without a spreader bar makes loading and transport faster and easier, the company says.

The galvanized finish on the basket resists rust, while the removable mesh floor adds visibility beneath the operator. Easy access to hydraulic cables, hoses and batteries and to centralized fill ports further reduce routine maintenance.

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Editor’s note: From now until Christmas, Equipment World is featuring a new gift idea each day for the construction enthusiast in your life. Check back daily to our Gear section or subscribe to our Equipment World Daily newsletter to see each day’s new idea.

Moving dirt can get messy and water isn’t always readily available on the jobsite. For easy cleaning on the go, RinseKit offers a high-capacity, battery pressurized portable shower.

Its use isn’t limited to just showering though.

The manufacturer says the water station can be used to cool down on a hot day, spray off your boots, or hose down your equipment or truck.

The tank features a top-fill cap and can hold water ranging in temperature from 33 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. (A heater for the pro model is slated for release in 2022.)

The hose offers five spray settings at up to 50 psi to match the output for the task at hand. A 12-volt battery plug also allows for charging of external devices.

The RinseKit comes in a variety of sizes and can be purchased on the company’s website. 

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Mack’s MD Series is a rebirth of sorts for a company whose mantra is “Born Ready.”

Mack exited the medium-duty segment almost 20 years ago with the retirement of the Freedom, which was mostly a rebadged Americanized Renault. The Freedom concluded Mack’s 20-plus-year run with its medium-duty Mid-Liner.

The MD entered production just 13 months ago at the company’s new 280,000-square-foot Roanoke Valley Operations (RVO) facility in Roanoke Valley, Virginia. Mack announced its re-entry into the medium-duty market in January 2020, but COVID protocols delayed production from July to September 2020. 

Targeting medium-duty trucking vocations with frequent urban stop-and-go cycles like dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed, dump and tank, the 25,995-pound gross vehicle weight rating MD6 and 33,000-pound GVWR MD7 are both exempt from the 12% federal excise tax, and the MD6 model slides in just under the cutoff for requiring a commercial driver’s license for non-hazardous payloads.

Nextran Truck Centers Sales Manager Bruce Graham said the bulk of the units moving through his Birmingham, Alabama, dealership have been spec’d with flatbeds, but service bodies have become increasingly more common, with some vans mixed in. 

Bruce and his team at Nextran loaned me an MD6 to shuttle around the greater Birmingham-area – a Glacier White Class 6 outfitted with a Lyncoach box. This is a fairly standard configuration for a local-route beverage hauler, which is exactly where this unit was headed. 

Mack didn’t have to look far for inspiration for its MD Series. There’s no denying the influence of Mack’s on-highway flagship Anthem. The squared-off nose; the grille; the body lines; a wrap-around dash with ergonomic controls; a tilt telescopic steering column with flat-bottomed steering wheel; power windows and door locks; cruise control and a driver air-ride seat are all regular long-haul driver comforts found in the MD Model. Anthem’s paw prints are all over the MD inside and out. 

The MD6 and MD7 models feature a sharp wheel cut for enhanced maneuverability, and their air-suspended steel cab features an industry-best bumper-to-back-of-cab measurement of 103 inches. Eight wheelbase lengths will support typical bodies from 10 to 26 feet. My test drive model was a 270-inch wheelbase.

The wheels are a standard 22.5 inches, but 19.5-inch wheels are available. Other standard features include the basics like power windows and locks, cruise control and air conditioning. An optional two-passenger bench seat allows fleets to deploy crews of three, and a flip-up bottom grants access to a large bin for storage.

MD’s turning radius was tight, making navigating crowded surface streets easy and safe when coupled with the shorter nose and improved visibility. 

The view from the standard air-ride driver’s seat is commanding, and the air-suspension cab is comfortable. Base models get a spring rear suspension, but Mack’s Maxlite air suspension is available. My test unit had air. 

It would be easy to assign a lot of the truck’s pleasant on-road manners to the air system, but that would overlook the durable yet lightweight chassis (7mm thickness for the MD6 and 8mm thickness for the MD7), constructed to an industry standard 34-inch frame width using 120,000 psi steel rails – a considerable bump from an industry standard 80,000 psi.

The MD is Mack’s first all-new truck model since the 2017 debut of Anthem. It’s also one of very few bulldogs to offer a non-Mack powertrain. Both MD models are equipped with an inline 6-cylinder Cummins B6.7 engine, making up to 300 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque.

The B6.7 is the most popular diesel engine Cummins builds, and its B Series has been on the market for nearly 40 years in various iterations. It’s pretty much the ubiquitous medium-duty engine. Cummins’ Single Module aftertreatment bundles the diesel particulate filter, selective catalytic reduction and diesel exhaust fluid doser into one unit.

In the MD, the B6.7 is matched with an Allison 2500HS transmission and Meritor axles. An Allison 2500RDS is available for applications needing a PTO.

My drive around Birmingham covered a little less than 100 miles, not an uncommon daily trip shunting around Coca-Cola products, and the truck felt just as at home at 70 mph pulling a grade as it was at 15 mph navigating a loading zone, or low-speed in a crowded Buc-ee’s parking lot. Yeah, I know. Buc-ee’s isn’t truck-friendly, but sometimes, when you want a Coke Icee, you have to take matters into your own hands. 

Now that a formal infrastructure plan has finally passed, Mack couldn’t have picked a better time to get back into medium duty – especially with a model as versatile as MD. 

In all, the MD Series is a comfortable and capable traffic fighter with plenty of workhorse capabilities and flexibility that both fleets and drivers will love, especially if you need to make a black-ops Icee run.  

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It’s like the project and the equipment were made for each other.

Volvo Construction Equipment recently partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to demonstrate the environmental merits of its electric drive technology and do some heavy lifting at one of the country’s most visible and important wildlife refuges.

A battery-powered, zero-emission ECR25 electric compact excavator and a L25 electric compact wheel loader made by Volvo CE are being used in a pilot program to build a new ADA-accessible trail in the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 20 miles from our nation’s capital.

Volvo ECR25Volvo Construction EquipmentThe machines are no lightweights either. The ECR25 excavator is a 6,000 pound, 48-volt/20-kilowatt machine that can dig to a depth of 8-feet 1-inch or 9-feet 1-inch (short arm or long arm) and offers a breakout force of 5,020 foot-pounds.

The L25 wheel loader weighs 11,023 pounds, sports a 48-horsepower electric motor driveline, hits the pile breakout force of 12,252 foot-pounds and offers a tipping load capacity of 7,275 pounds.

Construction of the trail supports the conservation mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the National Wildlife Refuge System — a network of 567 refuges across the U.S. that provides access to a host of popular activities and habitat for thousands of wildlife species.

These are the first pieces of electric heavy equipment to be used on a project by a federal agency. The pilot program helps the service explore ways to minimize its carbon footprint in natural areas and reduce the emissions produced while maintaining public lands. It also provides Volvo CE with valuable feedback on electric equipment performance.

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Komatsu has announced two new tools that allow contractors to analyze data throughout each phase of a project to track production and billing.

The new Komatsu Smart Construction Field and Smart Construction Drone are part of Komatsu’s Smart Construction solutions, an umbrella of apps created to help construction customers optimize their business remotely and in near real time.

“When the Smart Construction group came in, they integrated everything together, and the transition felt seamless,” said Kevin Hawkinson, vice president of operations, A.W. Oakes & Son. “Now, we can take the data, transfer it to the machines, get data back from the machines to the office, and utilize all of that information across the board for bidding, customer reference and billing.”

Smart Construction Field lets contractors quickly track spending to better manage project costs and resources. Komatsu partnered with Moovila, a provider of project management software, to develop the mobile app. Contractors can use the app to record jobsite activity and analyze operational efficiencies in near real time.

The app generates reports that can track daily jobsite conditions. Task progress can then be broken down by labor, equipment and materials, including machine utilization and fuel distribution, receipts, timecards and subcontractor work.

Komatsu says Smart Construction Field can collect machine data, regardless of equipment brand, from an entire fleet.

Smart Construction Drone allows contractors to gauge production progress through topographic surveys. The drone solution captures quantities for production tracking and billing, without personnel hoofing it around the jobsite.

With the capability to take still photos from up to 400 feet above ground level or under bridge decks, Smart Construction Drone can be used as pre-job verification or to keep stakeholders up to date. 

The survey technology integrates seamlessly into Komatsu’s Smart Construction Dashboard powered by Cesium, a platform used to visualize, analyze and share 3D data. Cesium’s 3D visualization engine combines video game computer-graphics technology with GPS accuracy that ties data to its precise location on the globe.

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New self-propelled scraper designs don’t come around very often, so when they do it’s big news, especially for any contractor who does high-volume earthmoving.

If you’re not familiar with what these beasts of the field can do, the new Cat 651, with a push from a dozer, can load 104,000 pounds of material in 30 seconds. That’s as much dirt as a 50-ton truck can handle — and it takes at least two and half minutes to load a truck.

Cat has reintroduced its 651 Wheel Tractor Scraper with a bunch of changes, upgrades and enhancements including a new powertrain, controls, hydraulics and structure. This single-engine model offers 44 cubic yards of heaped capacity and a 52-ton rated load. It also shares the same bowl design and many components as the Cat 657, allowing contractors with mixed fleets to stock fewer repair parts and lower owning costs. It replaces the 651E self-propelled scraper, which Cat discontinued about 15 years ago.

A 629-horsepower Cat C18 engine powers the redesigned 651. When paired with a push assist from a Cat D10 or D11 dozer, and its eight-speed transmission, the 651 can load at speeds up to 34.8 mph even in abrasive or rocky conditions.

The scraper’s new Advanced Productivity Electronic Control System integrates the transmission and engine drivetrain to provide smooth and responsive shifts. The electronic clutch pressure control features advanced shift control logic for smoother speed and directional shifts, while part-throttle shifting controls transmission shifts for smoother shifting between gears. Preventing loss of momentum during shifts, the shift torque management system carries higher torque through shift points.

For operator comfort, the cab on the 651 is as large as that of a twin-engine 657 and 21 percent larger than Cat’s E-series scrapers. Ingress and egress have been improved with the addition of a powered access ladder. Relocation of the HVAC system, steering column and pedal improve visibility. The new comfort seat rotates up to 30 degrees to the right for loading and offers an additional 2 inches of fore/aft movement to reduce operating fatigue. The seat’s adjustable armrest aligns with the implement control level with T-handle design for more comfortable operation. 

To keep your operators sharper longer, a new high-pressure steering system requires less steering effort and reduces fatigue. Improvements to the hydraulics include an electrohydraulic implement system for improved multifunction capability and a short throw for the T-handle implement control. Cat’s advanced ride management system improves smoothness by eliminating end-stroke events of the seat suspension cylinder

An optional three-camera Work Area Vision System (WAVS) shows the cutting edge, right side and rear of the machine on a 7-inch in-cab color monitor. Available sequence assist reduces up to 14 individual operator commands per cycle with a single button for improved cycle consistency, fewer repetitive motions for the operator and less fatigue.

Production efficiency

When it’s cold out, an auto-stall feature, new for the 651, assists in warming up the transmission oil faster so you can get to work sooner. Configured with sequence assist, the new payload estimator option uses bowl lift cylinder pressure to accurately calculate machine payload to within plus or minus 5 percent of scaled weight, optimizing payload and jobsite efficiency. Using the bowl lift cylinder, the reliable payload estimator system requires no recalibration or operator interface.

The scraper’s new ground speed control allows the operator to set the desired top speed, and the machine will find the gear that works best for the engine and transmission. This lowers the engine load factor and fuel burn compared to top gear selection. When operating on a downhill slope, the 651 detects a machine overspeed situation and automatically engages the compression brakes with no operator input. Hydraulic wet disc brakes replace air actuated brakes from the previous model to improve performance and serviceability. 

Cat651 Quick Specs

Engine: Cat C18, 585 hpHeaped capacity: 4 cubic yardsRated load: 104,000 poundsWeight loaded: 249,000 poundsTop speed loaded: 34.8 mph
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The world’s largest gold mining company, Newmont Corporation, has announced a strategic alliance agreement with Caterpillar to create an automated, zero-emissions mining system. The agreement will enable Newmont to reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30% by 2030, with the ultimate goal of being net-zero carbon by 2050.

Caterpillar’s role will be the rapid deployment of an all-electric autonomous haulage fleet with an initial investment from Newmont of $100 million. This includes the development of its first battery electric zero-emissions underground truck to be deployed at the Tanami mine in Northern Territory, Australia, by 2026. The deployment will include a fleet of up to 10 electric underground haul trucks, supported by Caterpillar’s advanced electrification and infrastructure system. Cat’s system will include first-of-a-kind battery electric haulage technology for underground mining in 2024, the introduction of battery autonomous technology in 2025, with full deployment in 2026.

In addition to the Tanami mine, Newmont’s preliminary investment will be directed toward its mining infrastructure and haulage fleets at the company’s Cripple Creek and Victor (CC&V) mine in Colorado. The goals include the introduction of an automated haulage fleet of up to 16 vehicles at CC&V through 2023, with a transition to haulage fleet electrification and implementation of Caterpillar’s advanced electrification and infrastructure system with delivery of a test fleet in 2026. The programs will enable both companies to validate Cat’s battery technology in the years prior to full production of autonomous electric haulage equipment.

Newmont will also support Caterpillar’s validation of evolving features and functionality within the MineStar suite to be deployed across Newmont’s surface and underground assets globally. This deployment facilitates centralized production and asset management.

Together, Newmont and Caterpillar plan to test and develop equipment, infrastructure, technologies and processes to transform both surface and underground mining, focusing on safety, automation, decarbonization, optimization, data and asset management across Newmont’s global operations. Leveraging Newmont’s scale and operational capabilities, the company says the alliance sets the stage for the rapid development and deployment of the technologies, to improve safety, productivity and energy efficiency across the mining industry.

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Autonomous truck tech startup Embark Trucks on Thursday announced its expansion into Texas and the launch of a new autonomous trucking lane between Houston and San Antonio.

Embark plans to hire aggressively in the greater Houston area in 2022 for its new autonomous truck facility in the state.  

Embark noted the Houston area offers the three key advantages as it works to scale its business:

Well-positioned trucking hub

Houston is a trucking hub that is uniquely positioned for commercially viable long-haul autonomous freight. Houston is located at the center of key 600-plus-mile trucking lanes that are ideal for automation, as they cannot be completed in a single day by a human driver due to hours-of-service limitations. For example, a 600-mile run could take approximately 22 hours to complete manually, assuming full compliance with the federal hours of service rules, while that same run would take just 12 hours to complete autonomously.

Industry-leading expertise

The Houston area is home to academics and research institutions dedicated to autonomous vehicle technology, such as those at Texas A&M University, which the company will partner with on the autonomous-lane project. Embark expects to work closely with partners to test, deploy and validate its technology. Houston also has a mature trucking and autonomous vehicle workforce, representing a deep talent pool for Embark to draw from as it expands its headcount in the region.

Embark’s partnership with Texas A&M University is one of the cornerstones of expansion, as the company will use the university’s expertise and test track at the RELLIS Campus to pioneer novel AV capabilities and achieve its remaining technology milestones. These milestones represent the final hurdles to deploying commercially viable autonomous trucks, and include challenges such as emergency vehicle interactions, pulling over to safety in emergency situations, and performing evasive maneuvers, among others.

Public sector engagement 

Texas has forged extensive public-private autonomous partnerships. By engaging with developers to support the safe operation of autonomous trucks, the Texas Departments of Transportation and Texas Department of Public Safety have established the state as a leader well-positioned to reap the safety and efficiency benefits of the technology. Embark will continue to cultivate its relationships with state and local agencies as it prioritizes highway road safety and responsible integration of autonomous trucks into the state transportation system.

Together, these factors enable Embark to execute against its go-to-market timeline as it prepares for commercial launch of the Embark Driver in 2024. Embark expects to begin hauling freight for its partners between San Antonio and Houston as early as 2022. 

Embark’s expansion into Texas builds on several years of engagement with state officials to share information on the development of autonomous trucks. Embark is a longstanding participant in the TxDOT Connected and Automated Vehicle Task Force.

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