Smopyc 2002

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I went to the Spanish Construction Equipment Show held at Zaragoza on the last weekend. Impressive Show: 100,000 squared meters full of equipment.

Many telehandlers: JCB, Merlo, Manitou,... and a new machine from New Holland. They did not have literature about this new NH as they said it was a prototype. Very good finishing to be a prototype, I must say. It had another "egg" cab, although we have seen them in Claas and Atlas machine it looks good. Nice telescopic handler.

Bell, also known by big arcticulated tractors, showed two articulated dump trucks with an amzing cab interior (fishing quality as good as in a car!!.

I feel I could be talking about excavators, dumpers, loaders,... but this website doesn´t seem to be the place. I´ll have to wait for the next year to see the Zaragoza ag machinery exhibition.

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Sorry about "fishing" in a dump truck cab. I meant "finishing" quality...

Doh!

[Woodbeef]

Hey European,

How have you been?

Sounds like an interesting show,with plenty of heavy iron!!

How much of that equipment is coming from the orient these days?

What is the most popular engine in use?

What's the largest loader these days? I remember seeing some big Kawis years ago back home in Michigan when they were first introduced there. Are they still making them?

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Yeah Woodbeef, it was very interesting.
Things have really changed since the last time I went to this show, twelve years ago (time flies!).

Since Japan buys the 50% of worldwide produced excavators - yes, 50%, amazing isn´t it! - this country has become the biggest manufacturer of hydraulic excavators with a very high technology and good prices. So most of what we think are European or North American machines are really built in Japan or have Japanese technology. Case´s CX Series of excavators that are replacing the French 88 Series are built by Sumitomo in Japan. JCB´s JS Series are based on Sumitomo design´s as well. Fiat-Hitachi excavatorsare Hitachi machines indeed. In North America you can buy them under John Deere decals.
The joint-venture between Fiat and Hitachi will finish this year and CNH have just signed an agreement with Kobelco, another Japanese manufacturer...
Even Caterpillar has a joint-venture with Mitsubishi in Japan for many years so I guess these great machines have some Japanese technology...

A few European brands seem not to use Japanese engineering: Liebherr, O&K and Atlas, for instance. I don´t think they will stand that way for many years.

Apart from Japan, South Korea are beginning to influence the world market. Although less sophisticated Daewoo and Hyundai are introducing in several countries. Volvo bought Samsung Heavy Industries 3 years ago and they stopped production at the formerly Swedish Akerman plant so now they sell the EC range built at South Korea.
With that change Volvo excavators lost their best feature, the Volvo engine, in favour of Cummins. Anyway I´m glad to say I saw the are fitting Volvo engines again. Thank you Volvo. Nothing against Cummins but Volvo industrial engines are superb.

Yeah, Cummins is the most popular engine for Construction and mining equipment. Perkins for smaller machines. A few years ago European machines used to mount air-cooled Deutz but now most of them mount Cummins.

Japanes influence is big here as well. Fiat-Hitachi mounts Isuzu and Fiat. JCB uses Perkins and Isuzu. Case fits Isuzu and Case engines. Atlas keeps Deutzs.Liebherr and Komatsu mounts their own engines, Bell fits Mercedes Benz,...
Anyway I think Cummins have joint-ventures with Komatsu and Case.

The largest loader is the Le Tourneau L-2350 with a 2300hp engine and an 80 ton (short) payload capacity. They are still testing this unit at a North American mine, but I think is due to be released this year. The rock bucket capacity is 53 yd3!!

Woodbeef, to be honest I never heard of Kawis unless you mean Kawasaki.

[Woodbeef]

Yep that's what I meant Kawasaki.

What about Komatsu,were they not linked with Cat?

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Heard a funny story once about a town council somewhere in the States who were deciding to buy a new piece of equipment.

The choice came down to a JD and a Komatsu.

They decided to go with the JD as it was the patriotic thing to do.

Turned out that the JD was built in Japan and the Komatsu was built in the US.

Thats globalisation for you.

SPN.

[JoeinTX]

  Has Dressta been represented at any of the European shows?  I see them rarely anymore (former IH/Dresser) and most of their dealers seem to concentrate on Komatsu now.  I was just wondering how they look and if they are selling over there.  Woodbeef, I don't believe that Cat and Komatsu have cooperated on anything so far.  I may very well be wrong, but they are too strong of competitors to do much work together.  I didn't realize that Samsung HI had been bought by Volvo Equipment(?).  I have noticed rebadged Komatsu dozers in Samsung paint lately however.  I saw on another board a "rumor" that Fiat might break up CNH and sell the construction end to GM???  Anybody else know anything?  

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Kawasaki, umm... Yeah, I saw a couple of Kawasaki loaders. They looked very basic machines. One of them was really big, similar size to the Caterpillar 988G. The show was so huge I could not stop at that small stand. That was probably the first time these loaders were presented in Spain. I never saw them working.

When I was studying we had to analyse two competitive companies for a marketing report. I choose Cat and Komatsu (what a surprise...) because I thought they were pretty similar. Although they have similar ranges and machines. Caterpillar is huge compared to the rest. Although Komatsu is the second one selling equipment worldwide...it still can not be compared to Cat in terms of sales. Komatsu and Cat have never cooperated.

Funny the story about JD and Komatsu, SPN!!

Joe, as far as I know Dressta machines are not sold in Spain. I don´t know about the rest of Europe. Dressta is a joint venture between Komatsu and Stalowa Wola. I think these machines are built in Poland. They are very similar to the IH loaders (look old now...)

For a short period of time Volvo sold the Samsung excavators under Volvo colours but keeping the Samsung name on the counterweight.
Are you sure that Samsung dozer was a Komatsu machine?
I read that post about Fiat and GM, but I do think it was a personal prediction.