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ConExpo-Con/Agg sets high marks for attendance, exhibitors
Nearly 130,000 people were registered for last week's co-located ConExpo-Con/Agg and IFPE 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, surpassing the last edition of the shows and setting the second-highest attendance mark in the shows' history. According to AEM, ConExpo-Con/Agg set records for exhibit space (2.35 million net sq. ft.) and number of exhibitors (more than 2,000). ConExpo-Con/Agg, combined with IFPE 2014, also sold a record 41,000 education tickets. ConExpo-Con/Agg specifically covered 120 sessions over 10 targeted tracks. “The enthusiasm and traffic on the show floor was just incredible," says Megan Tanel, ConExpo-Con/Agg show director. "Exhibitors cited the high quality of attendees; they told us these were serious buyers and reported robust sales to existing as well as new customers that exceeded their expectations." International registrations for the shows totaled more than 31,000, according to AEM. That's an increase of 9 percent from the most recent shows. The number of countries represented increased to 170 from 159 in 2011, and the number of international attendees matched the record 24 percent… Keep Reading
Topcon haul truck system remotely tracks, reports payloads
Topcon Positioning Group developed a new feature for Sitelink3D in the HT-30 haul truck module. According to a press release, the system features a small, portable GPS-enabled control box that mounts into a truck cab. As a truck is loaded, data about the load is input, including material type, driver and quantity. The load is then integrated into Sitelink3D and can be tracked for scheduling. It can be rerouted if needed elsewhere, and recorded once delivery is made. “Whether the material is fill dirt, removal of overburden, select material, base course or even asphalt, HT-30 can be quickly plugged in so management and reporting can be maintained in real-time,” says Kris Maas, Topcon manager of machine control product marketing, in a press release. “By more accurately measuring hauls, the system can pay for itself very quickly.” Keep Reading
IRock debuts crushers, eyes the future
A jaw crusher and an impact crusher are new this year from IRock Crushers, which discussed its equipment launches at a Thursday press conference at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014. IRock's jaw crusher, the tracked TJ-3046, offers better sizing control because of a hydraulic wedge adjustment, says Bob Nelson, IRock's general manager. Hydraulic-folding sides are another feature and one that was incorporated to simplify the unit's transportation. The company's new tracked TC-20 impact crusher, meanwhile, features a 15-cu.-yd. fixed hopper that's paired with a 52-in. x 16-ft. vibrating grizzly feeder with a larger crusher inlet. IRock says the TC-20's feeder is the longest among tracked crushers in the industry, giving operators the ability to load with a large wheel loader. Still, IRock says the 98,500-lb. machine is designed with simplified transportation in mind. "We don't want it to be a complicated two-piece move," he says. "This is a one-piece move and it minimizes the transportation costs for a machine in this class." IRock also has plans to expand its international sales in the… Keep Reading
Atlas Copco touting fuel efficiency on latest drill rig
Atlas Copco is introducing its FlexiROC T45 top hammer surface drill rig at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014, along with the COP 3060 rock drill. According to Atlas Copco, the FlexiROC T45 with a fixed boom uses half as much fuel as its ROC F9 predecessor, using the same rock drill and depending on rock conditions. The FlexiROC T45 has fewer hoses and couplings compared with similar rigs, Atlas Copco says. The hydraulics and electrical components are positioned close to their functions, the company adds, and the engine on the FlexiROC T45 meets strict Tier 4 standards. A Tier 3 engine is also offered. The COP 3060 rock drill mounted on a fixed boom and aluminum feed manages large diameters using the T60 drill string, Atlas Copco says. During operation, Atlas Copco says operators can adjust airflow and the dust collector fan speed according to actual working demands. The speed of the engine and compressor are then adjusted automatically. Keep Reading
Bridgestone app to guide customers to right equipment
Bridgestone is putting the final touches on an app called Tire Advisor that will direct customers to the tire model that's most suitable for their particular piece of equipment. According to Michelle Lane, Bridgestone's channel marketing manager for mining, customers currently rely on dealers as a key source for information related to tire selection. But the app, Lane says, is designed to empower customers with information about the Bridgestone tires they should be selecting. In other Bridgestone news, the company announced at ConExpo-Con/Agg that it will be opening a new facility in Trenton, S.C. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the second quarter this year. The plant will produce large and ultra-large Orr tires ranging from 49 in. to 63 in. in rim diameter. Full production of VREP and VMTP models are planned for the facility. "The facility is going to help with product availability," Lane says. Bridgestone also provided an update on its B-Tag tire monitoring system. Roger Best, manager of OE engineering… Keep Reading
Ultralok tooth system update among Esco’s show highlights
Esco Corp. is launching a few new products and expanded product lines at ConExpo/ConAgg 2014. Esco's Ultralok tooth system, for example, has expanded to fit even more machines, including bolt-on adapters for wheel loaders and several new point shapes for utility and quarry applications. According to Esco, Ultralok is a hammerless system and integrated with the point – making field replacement safer, easier and faster. Also, Esco's Deuce blade product now has two rows of tungsten carbide inserts on the bottom edge and E3 overlay on the blade face. Esco says these dual tungsten carbide inserts maximize wear life and optimize cutting performance. In addition, Esco's new PosiGrab coupler design features front and rear locks that are mechanically engaged through the full working cycle – and can be operated and visually confirmed from the cab. The natural position of the coupler is locked and only unlocks using positive hydraulic pressure. Keep Reading
Trail King reaches milestone, showcases redesigned trailers
Trail King Industries, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, wove through its storied history Wednesday morning during a press conference at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014. Trail King, which is displaying 14 trailer models in its Gold Lot booth, is showcasing four updated trailer models here in Las Vegas. One updated trailer is Trail King's hydraulic detachable gooseneck (HDG), which now features a non-ground bearing, scalloped gooseneck to allow for more clearance between truck and trailer. Also updated for 2014 are the company's sliding axle trailers. Keep Reading
Hyundai excavator tops its others in size
A 260,140-lb. excavator, the largest Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas has designed, was one of several introductions the company discussed Tuesday during a press event at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014. The R1200-9 excavator features a 740-hp, Tier 3 engine and is designed specifically for quarry use. The excavator offers aggregate producers a variety of benefits, the company says, including a newly designed wide cab with better visibility; a multi-functional color LCD monitor with power and work mode selection; self-diagnostics; startup security; and an optional rearview camera. According to Hyundai, the R1200-9 has an advanced hydraulic system for super-fine touch and controllability. Among the other new equipment Hyundai introduced Tuesday was an R520LC-9A demolition excavator; an R220LC-9 Hi-Poss excavator that features an electronically controlled pump and valve, as well as an energy-saving system that's designed to save fuel; and the R220LC-9A amphibious excavator. Keep Reading
Portable Metso machine combines crushing, screening
Metso introduced two new portable plants Monday during ConExpo-Con/Agg 2014 in the Lokotrack LT220D crusher and the Lokotrack ST2.8 screen. According to Adrian Wood, Metso's vice president of sales support for crushing and screening equipment, the LT220D will revolutionize the way aggregate producers operate. Wood says the key to Metso's new crusher, which blends crushing and screening, is a centrifugal conveyor. "We take the material along the conveyor and turn it 180 degrees by centrifugal force," Wood says. "The machine becomes very compact. You have a very small area where we transfer [material]. That's what makes [the machine] transportable." Advantages Wood expects producers to experience with the LT220D are less downtime and less trailer transportation. "We believe that because you have one machine instead of two you'll have 100 hours' less downtime [per year]," Wood says. "We think there will be about 600 miles less trailer transport [per year]." He adds that Metso's LT106 jaw crusher is an ideal machine to partner with the LT220D. The second new Metso machine,… Keep Reading
