Latest Stories

News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

ConExpo Excels amid COVID-19

Las Vegas seemed to be in a bubble from March 10-13, the week of ConExpo-Con/Agg & IFPE 2020. Tens of thousands of attendees crowded the halls inside the Las Vegas Convention Center and outside on the new...

Feature Image

Technical Innovation
Green Design & Manufacturing

John Deere Power Systems Expands Lineup, Introduces New 13.6- and 18-Liter Engines

John Deere Power Systems (JDPS) showcased an expanding engine lineup and electric drivetrain solutions during a press event at ConExpo-Con/Agg in Las Vegas,...

Feature Image

Technical Innovation
Propulsion

EVs Are Coming, but Challenges, Alternative Fuels Will Slow Turnover

Regulatory attacks on petroleum are sparking heavy investments in battery power, but alternative fuels continue to spar for growth. As vehicles move slowly from diesel to...

Feature Image

News
Connectivity

Topcon Machine Control Solutions Provide Greater Jobsite Connectivity and Automation

Topcon Positioning Group announced advances to its portfolio of machine control solutions during ConExpo/Con-Agg 2020 in March. Tilt rotator functionality for...

Feature Image

Technical Innovation
Connectivity

New Standard Will Ease Grade-Control Data Sharing Between Construction Machines

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has teamed up with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to create a standard that will...

Feature Image

News
AR/AI

AI Moves into Military Boards and Subsystems

Artificial intelligence (AI) is inching into high-end military markets, according to the suppliers of computer and sensor boards. However, challenges like meshing AI’s rapid advances with...

Feature Image

News
Electronics & Computers

Shifting Design of Autonomous Architectures

The controls for fully autonomous trucks must deal with inputs from a number of sensors, analyzing this data and taking actions that enable the vehicle to complete its route safely and...

Feature Image

News
Power

Hyundai Reveals Compact Electric Excavator Prototype

Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas (HCEA) demonstrated a working prototype of its electric-powered compact excavator at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020 in Las Vegas, March 10-14. The R18E...

Feature Image

News
Materials

JLG Develops Self-Leveling Boom Lift

What started as a scale-model prototype shown at Bauma 2016 to explore the viability of a lift with a “smart” suspension has become reality for JLG Industries. At ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020, the...

Feature Image

News
Power

FPT Reveals Compact F28 Off-Road Diesel, Hybrid Variant

Seemingly everything at the ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020 is big – from the show’s footprint to the seemingly endless number of construction machines on the grounds. But FPT Industrial...

Feature Image

News
Manned Systems

New CM Labs Excavator Simulator Training Offers GPS Guidance, HMI Experience

CM Labs Simulations’ (ConExpo-Con/Agg, Booth F100911 in the Festival Hall) new excavator training exercise incorporates an integrated GPS guidance system that...

Feature Image

News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Case Unveils Fully-Electric Backhoe Loader, Begins Delivery This Year

Case Construction Equipment’s move toward alternative propulsion took another step forward at March’s ConExpo-Con/Agg Show when it revealed “Project Zeus,” also...

Feature Image

News
Power

Continental's Lidar in a Flash

A precise three-dimensional profile of a vehicle’s surroundings is a fundamental prerequisite for automated driving. A new high-resolution 3D flash lidar (HFL) sensor developed for use at close range – 50...

Feature Image

Articles
Transportation

Modeling Electric Motors

This article looks at an example of using some of the latest software technology to design a traction-drive motor for a medium-duty delivery truck.

Feature Image

Technical Innovation
Power

Prodrive, Volta Trucks Develop Electric Truck for Urban Driving

Working with Swedish start-up Volta Trucks, Prodrive is helping to engineer what promises to be a unique 16-tonne (17.6-ton) heavy goods vehicle (HGV).

Feature Image

Articles
Motion Control

Engine Developers Increase Efforts to Decrease Fuel Usage

Engineers are leaving no stone unturned in their unceasing drive to improve fuel economy, leveraging electronics, monitoring airflow and using data from outside the vehicle....

Feature Image

News
Test & Measurement

Autonomous Construction Sites

In the construction world, some companies are not just looking to electrify and automate individual machines—they have their sights set on something much grander: the entire jobsite. And Doosan Infracore...

Feature Image

Articles
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Solving the “Telehandler Problem”

A common challenge engineers face in the application of counterbalance or overcenter valves is machines with a high degree of load dynamics. Vehicles with slender booms, multiple booms, wear pads with...

Feature Image

News
Materials

2019’s Best Automotive Plastics Innovations

The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, now in its 49th year, is considered the “Oscars” for those developing polymer and...

Feature Image

Editorial
Test & Measurement

ConExpo & IFPE 2020: Go Big or Go Home

My inbox has been inundated with notifications of press conferences and exciting new construction equipment, power systems, and other advanced technologies to be revealed at the rapidly approaching...

Feature Image

News
Connectivity

Cellular-Key Solution Augments Commercial-Vehicle Security

Connectivity’s many benefits are matched by security concerns, which has prompted a number of security specialists from many fields to focus their attention on commercial...

Feature Image

News
Energy

Self-Driving Trucks Cut Fuel Consumption by 10%

Enhancing safety and helping combat driver shortages are two benefits that heavy-duty autonomous-truck proponents have preached during development. You can now add significant fuel savings to...

Feature Image

News
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Volvo CE Showcases 100-Ton EC950F Excavator, New Hybrid Assist That Cuts Fuel Use by 15%

The entrance to Volvo Construction Equipment’s ConExpo-Con/Agg exhibit (F3432), through what the company has dubbed “excavator alley,” will lead...

Feature Image

News
Materials

Low-Latency Cameras, Onboard Computing Combine to Advance Operator Assistance

Modern industrial machines have been using cameras for years to improve visibility and eliminate blind spots. With the introduction of Ethernet cameras, an...

Feature Image

News
Manufacturing & Prototyping

Engineering the World’s Fastest Tractor

For farmers in a hurry, JCB’s Fastrac series agricultural tractors are capable of speeds up to 43 mph (69 km/h) in stock form. But the British company believes in challenging its engineers to...

Feature Image

Q&A
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Parker Takes Electro-Hydrostatic Approach for Electric Machines

Off-highway industrial machines require multi-function implement operation with dynamic duty cycles. In many cases, machine implements demand short bursts of full engine power...

Feature Image

News
Electronics & Computers

Isuzu Simplifies Fuel Changeovers

Isuzu is making it easier for equipment owners to switch fuels from natural gas to liquid propane, letting users switch by merely sending a signal to the engine. Released in October 2019, the dual-fuel...

Feature Image

Technical Innovation
Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Freudenberg Designs New Seal to Cut Contamination, Improve Top-Speed Performance

Maximum efficiency under extreme operating conditions is critical for off-highway machinery. Downtime and malfunctions lead to reductions in profitability....

Feature Image

News
Power

SAE Publishes On-Route Mechanized Conductive EV Charging Systems Recommended Practices

SAE International published SAE J-3105 Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System Using Conductive Automated Connection Devices Recommended Practice in...

Feature Image