Major renewal programme for Case

Company announces plans to renew up to 90% of its construction equipment lines over the next two years 

CASE Construction Equipment are planning to renew up to 90% of their construction equipment lines during 2011 and 2012, providing customers with increased productivity, lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions.

European customers will be able to witness the start of this process at the Samoter exhibition in Verona, Italy, from 2-6 March, when Case will be unveiling a new generation of tractor loader backhoes – the T Series Construction King – and taking the wraps of their Tier 4 Interim engine line-up, which meets the change in emissions legislation this year and points the way towards a Tier 4 Final solution in 2014.

By calling upon the global resources of the Fiat Group, including Fiat Power Train (FPT), Case say they have been able to meet coming legislation without sacrificing machine performance, and that in many cases customers will benefit from improved power outputs and reduced fuel consumption.

Among the machines on the stand at Samoter will be a host of new and improved models, including the top of the range 695ST loader backhoe, Tier 4-powered versions of the new CX250C and CX350C crawler excavators and the first European showing for the 821F wheeled loader.

Of particular interest to the quarrying industry will be the first two models from the new C-Series of crawler excavators – the 24.7-tonne CX250C and the 36.7-tonne CX370C. Offering the same high power ratings as their predecessors, both machines will provide customers with up to a 10% improvement in fuel efficiency.

The C-Series models are equipped with five energy-saving systems that automatically reduce engine revs during boom lower and slew operation, return to idle when the joysticks are not being used, reduce flow at the start of swing operations, automatically stop the engine after a preset idle time and adjust hydraulic pressures in digging operations.

The new models also have a new hammer and high-flow auxiliary hydraulic system as well as an improved attachment design for faster operational speed and improved lifting performance.

As one of the first of the new F-Series of wheel loaders from Case, the 821F is powered by a Tier 4 Interim compliant 6.7-litre engine, which produces 227hp (168kW) of power, and features a four-mode power control system to match the output to the task in hand.

Developed from the successful E-Series design, the F-Series machine boasts stronger and faster hydraulics, with customers able to choose between a single servo lever and an optional two-lever hydraulic control system for high-production operations. A new five-speed automatic transmission with torque lock-up ensures faster acceleration and higher travel speeds compared to the E Series, reducing fuel consumption and increasing productivity.

Commenting on the new machines, Henrik Starup, vice-president, CNH Construction Equipment Europe, said: ‘This is the start of the most ambitious product-replacement programme our industry has seen in many years. In 2011 we will update crawler excavators, introduce new wheel loaders, refresh our mini- and midi-excavator lines and come to market with a new generation of skid-steer loaders.

‘The following year these machines will be joined by further crawler excavator models, a new generation of wheeled excavators, additional wheel loaders, new dozer lines, updated telescopic handlers and more.’