Case Showcase Heavy-line Machines at Open Day

11 September, 2019

First published in the September 2019 issue of Quarry Management as The Eagle has Landed

Case Construction Equipment’s recent Eagle Day at Maltby Colliery, in South Yorkshire, showcased a range of the company’s heavy-line machines. Dan Gilkes went along to the event, where he spoke to North European marketing manager Crispin Turner about Case’s offering to the UK quarrying sector.

Case Construction Equipment are making inroads into the UK quarrying sector, with increased sales of wheel loaders, larger crawler excavators and dozers. While the firm’s North European marketing manager, Crispin Turner, admits that the overall market has dropped this year, as continued political uncertainty affects business confidence, Case appear to be bucking the trend, especially at the heavier end.

‘Our G Series wheel loader sales, in particular, have increased significantly since we updated the machines and fitted a new cab 18 months ago,’ said Mr Turner. ‘We are seeing some companies buying purely on the visibility and safety of these machines. Our cooling pack has also been a big advantage in dusty environments, such as quarries, waste handling and biomass. Indeed, we currently sell more wheel loaders into waste than into quarries.’

The company has been developing a following in the dozer market too, where its 1650M and 2050M machines are proving increasingly popular for quarry work. The smaller 1150M is also grabbing sales in the landscaping sector. All Case dozers use a hydrostatic driveline, with power from Stage IIIB/Tier 4 FPT diesel engines. These engines have a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that only requires regeneration every 500h, during regular service and maintenance.

The Case dozers are available in a range of configurations, with the 1650M and 2050M both offered with a choice of semi-U, straight PAT or foldable PAT blades. The machines can also be equipped with rippers, winches or towing equipment at the rear.

The hydrostatic transmission has 15 preset steps in the box, but the operator can select which speed ranges to use, both for forward and reverse gears. As with the company’s wheel loaders, Case have developed an unusual layout for the radiator cores and coolers. Where the loaders use a cube layout, the dozers have a V-shaped set-up within the nose of the machine, providing increased airflow as there is no overlap between the various coolers. A reversible hydrostatic fan ensures that ideal working temperatures are maintained and that dust is blown out of the radiator cores on a regular basis.

All of the Case dozers now come with Ultra-Life tracks, from Berco. With lubricated pins and bushes, the company claims that its Ultra-Life track chains will last up to 2,000h longer than a standard chain.

As well as offering a range of electronic blade-control systems within the dozer, Case can now provide a full machine control system from the factory. Leica Geosystems are their preferred partner, though the wiring and hydraulic piping can be set to work with systems from Trimble and Topcon too. Every dozer brought into the UK market by Case is now equipped with the wiring for machine control, such is its popularity with customers.

Larger crawler excavators have also been proving popular with quarry businesses, with two 75-tonne CX750Ds sold recently to UK operators, including North Yorkshire firm Fairhurst Stone. The latest 50-tonne CX490D has also become an increasingly popular option with heavy earthmoving and quarrying customers.

While Case have been steadily improving their equipment offer to the quarry industry, it is not just the machinery that is winning over customers, according to Mr Turner. ‘We’ve also been building sales on our service support,’ he said. ‘We have rationalized the number of dealers that we have, creating larger areas. We are able to provide backup where some of our competitors have been falling down.’

With a revitalized dealer network and an increasingly strong range of equipment, Case are hoping to build on their current position in the quarry market.