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According to Bobcat, the new R-Series telehandlers offer agility on demand, with a newly configured transmission system providing enhanced smoothness to carry out “the trickiest jobs at height with surgical precision”. These operations are also facilitated by the combination of the Boom Positioning System, the new updated, ultra-accurate joystick, the inching function and the improved visibility from the cab. An enhanced inching pedal design is easier to use and reduces fatigue, the manufacturer adds. A higher engine brake provides a shorter stop distance and increases safety on construction sites. Turtle/rabbit speeds are standard on all models and operated from the joystick. Being built with the Middle East market in mind, the cab is one thing that Bobcat cannot ignore in the machine, given the demanding conditions in the region and the effect of those conditions on operators. Bobcat’s R-Series telehandlers feature a new cab, offering what the company terms “unmatched ease of use, designed around the operator”. Offering a unique central control panel for optimised 360° ergonomics, the new high-quality, contemporary interior of the cab features stand-out R-Series branding, as well as colours and textures that clearly reflect Bobcat’s DNA. In the ergonomic design, all surfaces have been optimised to offer increased space and visibility. It is based around a new five-inch LCD display providing interactive and streamlined information, including the feed from the rear camera for easier and more precise operation. Bobcat says it has made it a very simple process for operators to start working immediately on the company’s R-Series telehandlers. These are made possible with features such as an all-in-one joystick with improved ergonomics; intuitive automotive-style controls with backlit keypad, jog-shuttle and levers under steering wheel; an interactive five-inch LCD display; semi-automatic wheel alignment; an automatic transmission and parking brake; and full protection for maximum uptime on job-sites.

Bobcat brings new generation of telehandlers to the Middle East

New range of 12 R-Series telehandlers from the compact equipment market leader gives the Middle East market wider choice in lift capacities and boom reach with robust and high-performance machines under the brand’s “Next us Now” programme

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According to Bobcat, Demo Days 2022 “blended established products with new developments“, and attendees had the opportunity “to try out the full range of Bobcat wheeled and tracked loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers, light compaction products and attachments in working conditions“. Complementing these were a host of new product previews and leading edge technologies. These included previews of the MT100 Mini Track Loader and the new Grounds Maintenance Equipment range. Also shown were two concepts: the T7X – the world’s first all-electric Compact Track Loader; and Bobcat’s in-house developed Object Avoidance with Radar Sensors technology concept.

Bobcat previews new tech and models at Demo Days live event

Company shows off leading edge concepts applying electrification, digitisation and autonomy to the work site in first face-to-face customer outreach event for EMEA region in three years

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“We developed the new RW line of generators, designed specifically for rental applications, working hand in hand with our customers, The RW line shines in situations where high manoeuvrability and fast installation are required while maintaining a low cost of ownership,” adds Moravec. Most of the changes in the new small generators have happened under the bonnet, says DPP, with all new models upgraded with proven Yanmar engines which have been used on a number of other DPP products for years. The company adds that this improves uptime with a low requirement of repair. A wide variety of common parts among the product line also helps with parts availability. DPP has also reduced noise levels by 2 to 6 dBA compared to the previous models. As each unit can run as either a 50Hz or 60Hz machine, this provides a very practical solution for environments like ports, where ships from different countries are operating, says the manufacturer. According to DPP, the new generators are also very efficient, reducing fuel consumption by 7-20% when compared to the previous models or machines from other suppliers on the market. This helps to extend autonomy in the field and reduces downtime. The durability of the units has been demonstrated through extensive and successful testing in Middle East conditions for thousands of hours, with the units being used with different loads, and in temperatures above 40°C. In this latest generation of small generators, DPP has also improved durability while keeping the forklift capability and the lifting points at the base of the frames. Additionally, all the models are supplied with steel door hinges and handles.

Doosan Portable Power launches new small generator range for Middle East and Africa

Four new models available as both stationary and rental configurations provide power outputs from 18-59 kVA in dual 50/60 Hz configuration and complement new LVL Light Tower for the same area

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Side-by-side combat:- But whether large or small, construction projects worldwide must now comply with strict legislation concerning engine emissions. It is no longer enough for contractors to submit the cheapest tender – if their construction equipment does not meet the required efficiency standards, their bids may well face automatic rejection. However, it’s not purely a question of engine efficiency – it’s entirely possible that two competitive machines could each utilize an engine with the same Specific Fuel Consumption across their power curve, but still show a vast difference in the level of their fuel tanks at the end of a long shift carrying out identical tasks. The real key factor is overall productivity – and when that’s combined with ultra-efficient modern engines like those used in Volvo CE excavators, it means that the increasing demand to reduce CO2 on construction sites becomes a far less daunting hurdle to overcome. So, to prove that its crawler excavators can do more work while also emitting less CO2 than those of its competitors, Volvo CE carries out numerous side-by-side (SBS) comparisons in real-life applications across the Middle East, testing their performance while tracking fuel efficiency. In each case, the results have been more than impressive and provided real benchmark figures that can be used to help prospective owners calculate TCO. One of the most recent tests was carried out in March 2021 at a quarry, where a mid-sized mid-sized Volvo excavator was with one of its main competitors in the region. As well as operating weight, the machines were similar in terms of bucket capacity, boom and arm length, and age, although the Volvo had acquired an extra 31% more working hours. The test involved two main tasks performed from a bench – the 90° loading of shot rock into a truck, and the 90° rehandling and loading of a truck with aggregate, with each loading comprising 10 passes. After 10 passes, the trucks’ payloads were recorded and the excavators’ fuel tanks replenished to reveal their consumption, before the process was repeated twice to provide a mean value. Each task was also carried out using three separate speed modes, precisely matching the RPM of the various modes of the two machines, resulting in a total of 18 loads / 180 buckets per excavator. The experienced local operator who performed all the tests used the competitor’s excavator as his daily workhorse but had operated Volvo models of similar size in the past. The results were spectacular! Not only did the Volvo excavator produce an overall 18% reduction in fuel consumption/hour compared to its well-known rival, it achieved this while providing an additional 19% of payload/hour. This meant that for each liter of diesel consumed, the Volvo delivered an extraordinary 46% more payload! As a more specific illustration, when testing was carried out for shot rock loading in the 1400 RPM mode, the Volvo consumed 23% less fuel than its competitor. This enabled a 15% improvement in loading compared with its competitor, or a 49% greater fuel efficiency in terms of tons per liter. But not all of this remarkable performance can be attributed to the powerful and efficient engine of the Volvo excavator. Increasing productivity comprises a whole range of criteria, ranging from something as simple as the Volvo machine’s more ergonomic control levers to the more telling edge it had over its rival in terms of actuator speed. Both machines therefore underwent testing for speed of movement of the boom, arm, bucket and swing cycle – with the Volvo coming out on top for every single one! Its most dominant performances were recorded for ‘boom up’ (a 22% edge on its rival) and ‘arm out’ and ‘bucket in’ (both 18% better). Those are a prime example of ‘marginal gains’ that add up to a huge benefit – but more immediately appreciated by an operator would be the 17% improvement in 360° slewing speed. The Volvo’s narrowest wins all boasted a 10% faster time. A further example of an SBS test shows the importance of rightsizing an engine to the machine to ensure optimum productivity. Here, a Volvo excavator went head to head with a more powerful machine from another major competitor at a UAE quarry – but in giving away just under three tons and slightly less engine power, it may have seemed like the Volvo was the underdog. This time, the test involved 90° bench loading of a 24-ton dump truck with 50-150mm limestone rock, from a dump height of 3.2m. Again, three equivalent engine RPM and power modes were selected, and three truckloads per excavator per setting were averaged out to produce the final results. Once the results were tallied, Volvo once again won by a knockout, with an overall 47% improvement in fuel efficiency and 17% less fuel consumption, with the biggest fuel consumption benefits (18-25% improvements) being seen in Normal Operation modes. Perhaps the most impressive figure from an individual test was that of fuel efficiency in the Volvo’s G1 setting (1530 RPM), where it boasted a 57% advantage. In each machine’s most fuel-frugal ECO setting, the Volvo revealed a 42% improvement over its competitor. Even more impressively, the payload delivered using this most fuel-efficient (and lowest productivity) setting of the Volvo easily surpassed the payload provided by the competitor’s best productivity performance (in maximum power mode). In other words, the rival machine required a far higher fuel consumption to achieve significantly less payload than the Volvo managed! In a nutshell, the Volvo excavator combined the consumption of a slightly smaller machine with the productivity of a larger machine. “I think it’s safe to draw similar conclusions across the rest of the excavators in our range based on these results,” says Olle Watz, Product Manager, Excavators at Volvo CE. “Yes, there may be minor variations, but relatively mid-range machines like the ones run in these tests can be seen as fairly representative of the whole line-up in terms of the simple and robust technology they employ, which is then upsized or downsized as necessary.”

Drink less, run more: Volvo CE excavators dominate the competition

Diggers with low fuel consumption from the Swedish brand provide returns both through increased fuel economy and reduced emissions, leading to higher profitability and increased sustainability

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Here’s how they did it… Constructing the world’s largest and tallest observation wheel is a major engineering challenge at any time. Add in factors such as sandstorms, strong offshore winds, ambient temperatures up to 45C and steel temperatures in direct sunlight reaching 80C, and it’s not difficult to appreciate the task facing Enerpac Heavy Lifting Technology, a specialist in engineering world class hydraulics systems. All at the heart of Bluewaters, the sophisticated, must-visit island destination in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the ‘Ain Dubai’ observation wheel is big - standing at over 250 metres tall. When tackling construction on a scale never encountered before, Enerpac was able to fall back on over 60 years’ experience. Since the late 1950s, Enerpac has developed construction techniques that are beyond the scope of traditional construction technologies. At its simplest the ‘Ain Dubai’ comprises a wheel rim, rotating hub and fixed spindles mounted on four support legs. The rim is 240m in diameter and assembled from eight segments that are welded together and connected to the hub by cable spokes each longer than a full-size football pitch. For the wheel assembly, the height of the ‘Ain Dubai’ takes it well beyond the reach of a traditional crane and so an alternative method was needed. Enerpac proposed to use a Push-Pull system for the wheel construction.

Enerpac Push-Pull System Constructs Ain Dubai

How a unique system of hydraulic grippers hoisted and put in place the world’s largest observation wheel

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Giacomo Bottone, Cat’s worldwide product director for medium excavators, says: “Caterpillar has introduced several products in the 20t excavator segment in the last five years. From 2017 to 2019, our Middle East customers had the 320, 320 GC and 323 models to choose from. In 2020, we introduced the 323 GC; and now in 2021, we have the 320 GX and 323 GX. These are all Cat’s ‘Next Generation’ excavators, and the product line is now the strongest in Cat’s history.” Explaining more about that strong product line, he says the Cat excavators in the range of 20-tonners and their vicinity offer “three value propositions”. “The first is the traditional or performance proposition, which utilises high technology for an advanced level of work and productivity. The machines that come under this are the 320 (21t), 323 (23/9t), 326 (26.5t) and the 330 (30.9t). The next is the GC or standard proposition, which has easy-to-own machines. The GC models are the 320 GC (19.8-20t), the 323 GC (22.6t) and the 330 GC (28.5t). “The newest and the most economical proposition is the GX or ‘fast payback’ one. These are the ones we have introduced now – the 320 GX (19.7t) and 323 GX (21.6t). The GX models have been designed to offer the maximum value out of the three, with a low acquisition cost.” He goes on to explain that the ‘fast payback’ of the GX models are derived through not only the lower acquisition cost but also lower maintenance costs and lower expenses on fuel due to a higher fuel economy. “However, there is no dilution of the Cat brand promise in these machines. We have not compromised on durability and customers get the same level of Cat dealer support with the same high-quality Cat components. There are also no restrictions on their applications and the GX models are fit for buckets and hammers. They offer simple solutions for customers, providing them what is needed without any bells or whistles.”

New Cat 320 GX and 323 GX offer fast ROI

Equipment leader’s GX series of 20-tonne excavators provides 15% higher fuel efficiency and 20% lower maintenance costs over previous models

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Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group - or XCMG – is the first of three Chinese companies in the top-10, maintaining its position as the largest Chinese manufacturer and the third largest globally. The company’s strong rise up the table continued with sales of $18.1bn last year. With sales of $16bn in 2021, another Chinese company, Sany, is fourth on the list. Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. Saw sales of $14.4bn in 2020, and its wide product range enabled it added around $4bn to its sales last year. John Deere, the American manufacturer of construction machinery and agricultural and forestry equipment, ranked fifth on the table. Moline, Illinois, headquartered Deere and Company climbed one place on the list with sales of $11.3bn. Deere had previously registered a steep rise up the table with its purchase of Germany’s Wirtgen Group in 2017.

The world’s top-10 construction equipment manufacturers in 2021 revealed

Yellow Table 2022 rankings see juggling of places and new entrant as equipment sales rebound

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10 Years in the Field: The fire brigade loaders have proven their value on an almost daily basis with many interventions taking place. Over the past decade, they have been indispensable helpers in a number of crisis situations. Examples are the removal of debris after the massive explosion of the ammunition depot in Vrbětice in 2014, help after the tornado in Moravia in 2021 or their continuous role during flash floods, which unfortunately happen regularly in the Czech Republic. At the Olomouc Region Fire and Rescue Service, they use the Bobcat S650 loader mainly to help in emergencies associated with natural disasters. "The S650 is a versatile and durable tool for firefighting purposes - without the power and flexibility of the S650, we would have been dealing with some of the consequences of extraordinary events for a much longer time. Owing to the versatility it offers, we are also not afraid to use the S650 for innovative and unique procedures in firefighting practice, such as helping to evacuate vehicles at risk of fire from inaccessible areas," explains Lt. Mgr. Lucie Balážová, a spokeswoman for the Olomouc Region Fire and Rescue Service. "The S650 is a big worker which we first used on development work at the station and over time it started working on interventions, where it has proved very successful. The S650 has excellent off-road handling, high performance and is amazingly versatile - we use a number of attachments designed for loading, sweeping and for working with pallets. This is a machine that works very reliably," comments Lt. Col. Mgr. Jaroslav Mikoška, spokesman for the South Moravian Region Fire and Rescue Service. Bobcat loaders did a great deal of work in removing the debris and turmoil caused by the tornado in Moravia, where they were deployed for many days and worked reliably with almost no rest. Pprap. Mgr. Tomáš Grošek, operations technician, said: "In this deployment, the Bobcat S650s proved to be the best helpers, not just for us, but for the inhabitants of the affected areas, who needed their services the most."

Tornadoes or Flash Floods - Bobcat Loaders Aid Firefighters

Compact equipment specialist highlights its equipment’s versatility and their role in civic and safety work in the Czech Republic

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