News

Power

Battery Show Teems with All Things Rechargeable

Although electric vehicles (EVs) currently comprise less than 2% of the U.S. light-vehicle market, the transportation sector is bursting with established companies and startup enterprises...

News

Power

Volkswagen Unveils New-Generation Golf R

Although the memorable 6-cylinder character of the original R32 has given way to turbocharged 4-cylinder propulsion in recent years, Volkswagen continues to deliver V6-type power for the performance...

News

Energy

Bits and Bytes Boost Hydraulic System Capabilities

Off-highway vehicles are typically admired for their power, but the driving force behind a growing number of performance improvements are the invisible bits and bytes of control software....

News

Software

The Electric, Autonomous Revolution Lifts Off

Nearly a quarter-century ago, the Vertical Flight Society, a helicopter-industry group founded in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society, published a graphic dubbed “V/STOL Aircraft and...

Original Equipment

Energy

ConExpo 2020: Liebherr Equips Latest Crawler Excavator with Leica 3D Integrated Machine Control

Liebherr recently launched R26 crawler excavator is now equipped with a Leica-supplied Geosystem machine-control system. The Leica-equipped...

News

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Aiding Automotive Workers Displaced by Coronavirus

The Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Assn., in partnership with APA Search, has initiated a free platform to match automotive- and transportation-sector employers with industry employees who...

News

Manned Systems

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...

News

Manufacturing & Prototyping

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...

Original Equipment

Power

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...

Articles

Energy

SAE Symposium Covers New Approaches in Thermal Management

Vehicle thermal management, once almost exclusively about safely rejecting powertrain heat, continues to evolve to dealing with two extremes in operation of battery electric...

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....

News

AR/AI

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...

Articles

Power

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...

News

Unmanned Systems

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...

Original Equipment

Manned 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...

News

Data Acquisition

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...

News

Software

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...

News

Energy

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...

Technical Innovation

Energy

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...

News

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....

Articles

Manned Systems

Narrower Focus, Bigger Payoff for Commercial EVs

Government regulations are prompting a changeover to electric powertrains, with early growth coming in commercial vehicle applications where range and recharging are more easily managed....

News

Energy

Caterpillar Launches Next-Gen Mini Hydraulic Excavator, Skid Steer and Compact Track Loaders

Covering about 2.5 million ft2 and including roughly 2,800 exhibitors, the triennial ConExpo-Con/Agg event boasts an even-larger footprint for...

News

Transportation

Leak Testing of Commercial-Vehicle AC Systems Critical as Move to HFO Refrigerants Looms

Passenger car and light-truck makers in the U.S. already have switched to more environmentally friendly hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerants from...

News

Manned Systems

Bollinger Motors Reveals Second-Gen Class-3 EV Prototypes

Bollinger Motors recently unveiled its second-generation Class-3 EV prototypes. The start-up, based in Ferndale, Michigan, revealed the latest beta of its B1 SUV and B2 truck...

Articles

Green Design & Manufacturing

Cab Air Quality: A Critical Component of Operator Comfort

Review the design specs for any new haul truck, excavator, dozer or other off-road machine, and you’re not likely to find requirements related to cab air quality—yet. However,...

News

Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Link Digital Suspension Uses Sensors, ECU to Keep Cabs Stable

Link Manufacturing is beefing up its usage of digital technologies with an upgraded Cabmate, unveiling a cab suspension system that smooths the ride for both drivers and those in...

Articles

Connectivity

Getting Driverless Trucks onto Roadways

The developers who are creating autonomous systems have plenty of complex technical questions that must be analyzed and solved, but their challenges don’t stop there. Design teams also have to plan...

News

Manned Systems

Ford Revisits OHV Layout, Big Displacement for New Commercial-Truck V8

In a still-heated market for highly profitable heavy-duty pickups and commercial vehicles, Ford doesn’t intend to be outdone by General Motors’ and FiatChrysler’s...

News

Motion Control

Protecting a Cyber-Physical Remote Diagnostic Communication System Against Cyberattacks

The increasing complexity of microcontroller-based E/E (electrical/electronic) systems that control heavy-duty trucks, buses and non-road mobile...