LOAD & HAUL
debuted a new crawler excavator range called 220X. T e product of a four-year development period, the 20 tonne machines feature a series of enhancements over previous models. Competitors were benchmarked,
T
and more than 1,000 requirements from international customers were examined. T e result produced a new approach to manufacturing, with the excavators being virtually built before parts were ordered from suppliers. Assembly line staff were bought in at an earlier than usual stage to consult on the build. T e end result is a doubling of the amount of sub-assemblies built off -line (up to 42%) and a greater emphasis placed on quality control as the units move through the plant. JCB’s chief innovation and growth
offi cer, Tim Burnhope, says of the manufacturing process: “JCB has moved to a totally new level of product development and machine assembly, that will benefi t all of our excavator customers in the fi eld.” From the user’s perspective, operators will notice lower noise levels, at 68dB(A), as opposed to the previous model’s 73dB(A). T e cab itself is 15% larger, with an incorporated ROPS frame, and it sits on redesigned mounts to improve isolation. T ree types of new Grammer
seat are off ered, including optional heating and ventilation. T e frame houses the servo levers, so everything moves together, and a 7in tilting
here has been much activity in the load & haul sector recently, with a fl urry of launches. In March 2018, JCB
monitor is included, with access via an automotive-style rotary controller. Redesigned foot pedals complete the picture inside the cab, and an additional hour meter is visible from outside. Externally, the larger cab has
allowed the main boom to be centrally mounted to cut the stress on the slew bearing and allow larger buckets to be used. T e AdBlue tank has been placed under a separate cover to stop any cross contamination and improve access for refi lling. Also, customers are off ered the option to have a GPS guidance system factory fi tted. Kayaba valves and Kawasaki pumps
have been retained with larger spools, and the main hydraulic hose diameter has gone from 19-25mm to increase oil fl ow. From a testing perspective, in a fi rst for JCB a completed machine was put through its paces in an automotive- style shaker rig. As the doors are of a new, larger design they have been slam-tested 10,000 times as part of the durability programme. Burnhope concludes, “Every detail of these excavators has been examined and perfected, to provide maximum durability and reliability in operation. T e 220X heralds the arrival of a new generation of JCB excavators.”
A busy 2018
Caterpillar has been busy too. At the start of the year, the company confi rmed an agreement to retrofi t 19 of its 793F trucks for autonomous operation at the Marandoo iron ore mine in Western Australia. For owner Rio Tinto, this will be the fi rst such deployment of Cat vehicles. If all goes to plan, by mid-2018 machines will
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