Pit & Quarry, October 2013

EQUIPMENT NEWS Liebherr ADTs on the way L iebherr introduced a 30 ton articulated dump truck ADT at its media open house in Newport News Va and it offered performance comparisons of a crawler tractor and a wheel loader against competitive equipment The 30 ton ADT the company introduced the TA 230 will likely be available in 2015 along with a 40 ton model from Liebherr The TA 230 is currently being tested at Liebherrs headquarters in Newport News The TA 230 was not demonstrated at the open house but Liebherrs PR 734 crawler tractor and L566 wheel loader were Robert Klima the companys crawler tractors product manager led a demonstration of Liebherrs PR 734 against a competitive model One key difference Klima noted is the PR 734 s ease of operation Its easier to run a hydrostatic machine like the PR 734 Klima says Theres no gear shifting and no engine speed changes A comparative demonstration was also done between Liebherrs TA 230 ADT is expected to be available in 2015 Liebherrs L566 wheel loader and a competitive model Liebherr created a scenario in which both loaders were put in reverse near the top of a hill The Liebherr model featuring a hydrostatic drivetrain and less overall weight than the competitors offered fuller control and a safer machine according to company representatives Earlier in the event Liebherrs Peter Mayr who was appointed as president this summer offered insights on the companys direction and goals for the U S market In addition to its plans for bringing the two ADTs into the U S market Mayr says Liebherr is exploring its place in the smaller excavator market Michelin dealers certified into performance repairs program Michelin Earthmover has certified 10 U S dealers into the Michelin Earthmover Performance Repairs program since its inception earlier this year The dealers went through a process of certifying their repair locations through a comprehensive audit according to a press release According to Michelin the program is designed to develop validated repair shops throughout the industry This Manufacturer briefs Trimble acquires Actronic Technologies Trimble acquired privately held New Zealand based Actronic Holdings Ltd which provides weighing technology and payload information systems for aggregates markets Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed Actronic Technologies produces the Loadrite weighing system for wheel loaders excavators conveyors and waste collection vehicles Cummins Pacific named Cummins distributor Cummins Cal Pacific LLC and Cummins West Inc announced plans to merge into a single entity The new entity Cummins Pacific LLC includes training inventory control systems traceability methods and a quality repair process Thus far Michelin has certified five TCI Tire Centers locations Mulberry Fla Saginaw Mich York Pa Decatur Ala and San Antonio A E Tire in Denver Meekoff Tire in Grand Rapids Mich Purcell Tire in Potosi Mo and Phoenix and Ziegler Tire in Massillon Ohio will serve California and Hawaii as the exclusive distributor for Cummins Inc According to a press release Cummins Cal Pacific and Cummins West are merging to streamline service sales and parts resources for the territory Thompson Pump moves Atlanta area branch location Thompson Pump Manufacturing Co Inc headquartered in Port Orange Fla recently moved its Atlanta area branch in Conyers Ga to a larger facility within the same city The new branch location is situated on about 32 acres near Interstate 20 and features a larger office facility for Thompson Pump staff and a 5500 sq ft warehouse facility with a large parts room Superior appoints two territory sales managers Superior Industries Inc named Terin Louis and Matt Wulf conveyor components territory managers in the Northeast and Midwest respectively Louis joins outside sales after serving five years in Superiors engineering department Wulf most recently worked for Superior in customer service and sales TBEI names vice president of sales and marketing Truck Bodies and Equipment International Inc hired Henry Bell as vice president of sales and marketing representing the companys Crysteel DuraClass J Craft Inc Ox Bodies and Rugby Manufacturing brands 12 PIT QUARRY October 2013 www pitandquarry com