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Canada's “Rock to Road”
Magazine
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Case Boosts N.A. Presence with 27 New Products Case Construction Equipment has in troduced 27 new and upgraded models of heavy and compact earthmoving machines in an aggressive move to boost its presence in the North American construction machinery marketplace. The new range of products available in 2002 include the 300 series articulated dump trucks, larger K-series crawler dozers, the 200 series vibratory soil compactors, the 800 series articulated motor graders and the D-series compact loaders. The new machines were announced at a press event attended by Aggregates & Roadbuilding in Anaheim, California in early February. The event also included live product demonstrations at the Fontana branch of D3 Equipment, the Case dealer for southern California. The official launch of the new line of Case equipment will take place at the CONEXPO-CON/ AGG 2002 show in Las Vegas.
Members of the construction press attend media event in Southern California to launch major expansion of Case product line. This CX800, the largest Case excavator, was part of the event. The product introduction, states Bill Seidel, senior director of marketing for Case, brings to 56 the number of new models that the equipment manufacturer has launched since 1999, including 10 new models of CX series excavators and D-series wheel loaders. Among the new machines announced by Case were the 325 and 330 articulated trucks which feature Cummins power from 248 to 286 net horsepower and rated payloads from 23 to 27 tonnes. The trucks have been designed and built from the ground up and feature large cabs, air suspension seats, rear-view camera, air conditioning and fully automatic transmissions. (A full report on the new trucks will be carried in the April/May 2002 issue of Aggregates & Roadbuilding.) The new K series crawler dozers are the largest models ever built by Case. The Case 1850K provides up to 205 hp, 671 lb-ft of torque and 3200 mm of track on ground. The 1650K delivers 145 hp, 428 lb-ft of torque and 2990 mm of track on ground. Blade capacities range from 3.2 m 3 on the 1650K to 5.6 m 3 on the 1850K. The drivetrain of the 1650K and 1850K comprises a fuel-efficient six-cylinder Cummins engine that powers a three-speed, torque-converter trans-mission. The power-shift transmission also features Auto-Load mode that downshifts automatically when the workload increases. The Auto-Shift mode automatically selects first speed for forward and second speed for reverse when making direction change. The innovative PowerSteer system features sin gle-lever control of direction and steering. One hydrostatic motor and planetary gear powers the tracks at variable speeds during turns for smooth, responsive steering. The system delivers 100 per cent of the torque to either side, allowing the operator to maintain a full blade of material throughout the turn. Case K-series dozers can counter-rotate within the length of the machine by tilting the lever right or left in neutral. The new line of Case vibratory rollers combine climbing ability, high centrifugal forces, 360-degree visibility and up to 36 hours of operation per fuel fill. The line includes four single-drum units with operating weights from 7140 kg to 14 325 kg and engines from 100 hp to 148 hp. The SV208, SV210, SV212 and SV216 have been designed to provide ease of operation, comfort and easy maintenance. Both smooth drum and padfoot configurations are available.
Left: A SV216 is one of four new single-drum vibratory compactors offered by Case with operating weights that range from 7140 to 14 325 kg and engines from 100 to 148 hp. Right: The new 205-hp Case 1850K dozer features an innovative tilt-over cab/ canopy and swing-open gull-wing side shields to provide easy access to the hydraulic pumps and other major components. Drum widths range from 1676 mm on the SV208 to 2210 mm on the SV216. The SV200 series rollers offer dual vibration modes, adjustable amplitude and frequency, centrifugal forces from 130 to 325 kN and maximum working speeds up to 6 km/h. Case also announced that it is introducing five new 800-series grader models to the North American market. The 805, 825, 845, 865 and 885 range from 80 hp to 215 hp. The 140 hp, 12 700 kg model 845, the 170 hp, 14 061 kg model 865 and the 215 hp, 14 515 kg model 885 will be the first units available. Three new D-series machines have been added to Case’s 21 Series wheel loader line. They include the 21D, 221D and 321D, ranging in engine power from 53 to 71 net horsepower and maximum bucket capacity from 0.8 m 3 to 1.1 m 3 . A Z-bar loader linkage delivers high breakout forces from 5449 kg to 7681 kg. The machines have narrow widths and offer a tight 41-degree turning angle to either side for increased manoeuvrability. A two-speed hydrostatic transmission provides forward travel speeds up to 20 km/h. Limited slip front axles supply increased traction while a hydraulically-driven fan aids in quiet operation. The high-torque four-cylinder engine is located for maximum machine stability.
Case 325 articulated truck has a rated payload of 23 tonnes and is powered by a Cummins 248 hp engine. The truck is designed for quick cycles, fuel-efficiency and easy maintenance. In addition to the new models, Case also announced a new "geofencing" feature on its FleetLink™ fleet management system that allows equipment managers to restrict equipment operation to predefined hours or a set geographic limit. The geofencing system allows FleetLink to automatically notify fleet managers by pagers, cellular phone or e-mail if a piece of construction equipment has been taken outside its pre-mapped operation zone or if it is being run at unauthorized times. "FleetLink enables the equipment to know when and where it is authorized for operation," explains Seidel. "If someone is using it without authorization, the machine calls in to report it." The system provides real-time data including the direc-tion and speed of the machine even if it is on a lowbed. FleetLink also allows contractors to in-crease their return on equipment by showing which machines are under-utilized and avail-able to be moved to other job sites to maxi-mize fleet productivity. q By Robert L. Consedine, Editor
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