While uncertainties over U.S. tariff policies and other aspects of international trade have gripped some of the global equipment market over the past year, construction contractors are hungry for new machines, if attendance at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show held in Las Vegas from March 2-6 is any indication. Original equipment manufacturers, domestic and foreign, flocked to show off their wares to a crowd of over 140,000 attendees looking to upgrade their fleets and find out how the latest technological advances could give them a competitive edge.
The show was home to several new products, including Caterpillar’s new 319 excavator. The 19-ton machine fills a gap in the manufacturer’s offerings, creating a new mid-size class for excavators, says Brian Stellbrink, a Caterpillar marketing professional. “The 319 is not a replacement for any previous model,” he explains. Rather than a typical upgrade, it addresses what Stellbrink says is a market demand. “We see a lot of opportunity in the industry for compact radius machines; customers value them.” With the 15- and 25-ton compact radius excavator classes now available, Cat saw an opening, he adds. “It’s a mix between 315 and 325. There are a lot of customers for whom 15 tons isn’t enough. They have utility jobs, they want to run bigger work tools, lift concrete boxes, and traditionally the industry said ‘go up to 25 tons.'” handle it The 319 hits that “sweet spot,” he says.
The recently unveiled D8 XE diesel-electric dozer (left) was one of Caterpillar’s big draws on the CONEXPO outdoor lot (right).
Photos by Jeff Rubenstone/ENR
The 319 isn’t the only new Cat machine exploring a new category. He also had his new D8 XE diesel-electric bulldozer on hand. This is Cat’s largest size dozer with diesel-electric power, offering comparable performance to a traditional D8 with reduced fuel consumption. “The big difference between the D8 XE and a traditional one [diesel] D8 is maneuverability,” says Sam Meeker, a Caterpillar marketing professional. “It feels much more nimble in the corners, and the diesel-electric is good for smoother acceleration and deceleration.” He adds that the D8 XE also has a 10 percent reduction in fuel use compared to the D8, but that comes mostly from performance in medium-demand applications rather than hard-driving. The diesel-electric also has a cost of lower rebuild, saving money down the line when it needs a mid-life overhaul. “Rebuild is less parts, less time—you get those savings later,” says Meeker.
Meanwhile, trying to avoid talk of tariffs, Japan-based Komatsu was quick to point out to press and attendees that it already has a significant production pipeline in the United States, along with a steady pace of new machines it has released in recent years. “Komatsu is heavily invested in the United States and Canada,” notes Rod Bull, president of Komatsu North America. He cited $5 billion invested over the past five years in company and distributor acquisitions to strengthen Komatsu’s position in the US and Canada, as well as more than $650 million recently invested in equipment manufacturing facilities in North America.
Komatsu vice president Paul Moore says intelligent machine controls were just one way to focus on improving operator productivity.
Photos by Jeff Rubenstone/ENR
“We are developing our machines for the future workplace of the North American market,” explains Paul Moore, vice president of products, marketing and service for Komatsu North America. He noted that Komatsu has focused on features to improve productivity at a time when experienced operators are hard to find, noting that “[at CONEXPO] we have the first scale of intelligent machine controls in the 13 to 15 ton size class.”
Komatsu’s iMC 3.0 system can provide both 2D and 3D machine controls for excavation and earthmoving. Although these systems can come at an added cost, many OEMs are increasingly offering them as factory-installed standards.
And despite concerns that the tariffs could make imported machines less competitive on price, there was also optimism among foreign manufacturers at the show. China-based LiuGong touted its extensive development of more than a decade of battery-electric heavy equipment, and company executives see its offerings as competitive in the U.S. despite tariff uncertainties.
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“Customers are looking for lower operating costs, higher margins and reduced emissions without sacrificing quality,” said Luo Guobing, president and vice president of LiuGong. Although LiuGong accounts for 50% of China’s electric wheel loader exports, with its electric equipment shipped to 60 countries, it has hit some speed bumps in bringing electric machines to the US, but Luo says that is changing. “We are strengthening our supply chain and service network in North America by working closely with strategic partners and suppliers to ensure faster response and more reliable support.”
LiuGong also announced that it would re-introduce its motor grader to the US market after retiring it years earlier. The previous model, a Tier 3 emissions compliant machine, returns in a final Tier 4 version to meet current standards. Company officials cited strong demand in the U.S. market for the move.
Doosan Bobcat’s RX3 stand-alone loader concept was an eye-catcher on the showroom floor.
Photo by Jeff Rubenstone/ENR
Using technology
While AI has been a hot topic for construction planning and execution (see page 66), it is also gaining ground in the equipment space, and not just in existing options for autonomous and semi-autonomous operation, but also in more immediate applications. Leica Geosystems showed its new intelligent camera detection system, X Sight 360, which can identify humans from cameras mounted on heavy equipment to trigger security alarms and automatic shutdowns. Computer vision technology is nothing new to heavy equipment, but manufacturers in the showroom were eager to promote their use of AI in automated visual identification systems.
Topcon Positioning Systems had its own version of this safety feature with the Topcon Awareness System, which can detect potential hazards around equipment based on camera data. In addition to providing immediate alerts about workplace hazards, the system also sends video to the cloud for further analysis and identification of potential broader site safety issues.
But the layout giant’s biggest launch at the show was Origo, a new reality capture system for quickly mapping indoor and outdoor environments with minimal setup. A combination of GPS and LiDAR sensors can be moved on a pole mount and quickly capture a 3D space for processing into a complete model. “This is a very, very easy-to-use system,” explains Marc Contino, Topcon’s vice president of North American retail. “A full robotic total station can lose its lock, lose sight of the prism. [Origo] it’s constantly measuring its surroundings, and in doing so it knows exactly where it is.”
