Earthmoving Equipment Magazine August - September 2022

We’ve cast the EEM net over a wide area for this issue, that’s for sure.

Kicking off with Versace Concrete Solutions in Sydney and the inspirational rags-to-riches story of company founder and director Giovanni Versace, we’ve also blasted across the Nullarbor for a couple of interesting case studies.

Allworks WA Pty Ltd, and husbandand-wife directors Robin and Angelo Sarich, have a head office in Perth, but the company has work going on all over Australia and at the moment is running something like 50 wheel loaders. It’s a fleet built up over time – as has been the company’s association with CJD Equipment. That’s a great testament to Allworks’ high regard for its equipment supplier.

Also in WA is Corps, a family-owned and run civil-construction company which, based in the Pilbara, runs Caterpillar machinery, serviced and maintained through WesTrac. The Corps family takes special measures to cope with the distance and difficulties of running heavy machinery in the remote Kimberley and Pilbara regions, and it’s an absorbing study.

Hireworks in Darwin is the focus of another case study, and another instance of an earthmoving outfit enjoying growth and success in line with a long-term association with a particular brand and dealer – in this case Kobelco equipment from Forecast Machinery. Hireworks’ Managing Director Allan Gillett’s story on his time with the company has plenty of good examples for others to follow and is a very interesting and instructive narrative. And we wouldn’t want anyone to think we weren’t paying any attention to our Queensland readers.

EEM trekked north to get the good info on the first Hastings Deering Global Operator Challenge at Toowoomba in July, and to see 27 machine operators go head-to-head. The three challenges were all hard-fought, and Aiden Lee from Queensland Electrical Solutions was a worthy winner. Aiden will head off to Japan to compete against other top-flight performers from the Pacific region. We wish him the best of luck.

You can read more about that, and a stack of other industry-related stories, as you work your way through the magazine.

So, as usual, we’ve been at full throttle getting this issue whipped into shape and ready for your inspection.

Don’t just sit there. Get reading!

Tom Foster Contributing Editor

GET IN TOUCH

EEM an email at tom@maynemedia.com.au

We’re keen to get your thoughts.

Do you have something you’d like to share with the industry? Send

Jamie Gray

Jamie has been a professional photographer in Sydney for over two decades. He is the owner of Camera, Hammer and Tong, who provides digital content for small businesses in and around the construction industry. He is also a photo journalist & the product feature editor for What Tradies Want Magazine. But he’s just as comfortable with a hammer in his hand as a camera and pen. Undertaking a mature age carpentry apprenticeship in his 40s and still gets the nail bag on when he can.

Martin Kovacs

Martin

Scott Lidster

Scott is the Director of Australian Earth Training, a niche operator proficiency training organisation who work across the globe. He has over 25 years’ experience in heavy equipment operation and was an accredited Caterpillar Dealer Instructor (CDI) Trainer-Demonstrator. Scott’s unique skill set enables him to operate and train on a broad range of machines across the mining, construction, quarrying and waste industries, helping his customers to boost their productivity while lowering their owning and operating costs.

Ian Edwards

Ian Edwards is a Civil Construction Teacher and Assessor, who holds a Certificate IV in Civil Construction Supervision and Operations, a Certificate III in Civil Construction – Plant Operations, and a Certificate III in Civil Construction – Pipe Laying along with numerous Certificate III Civil Construction qualifications.

Ian has been involved in the Earthmoving industry for nearly 50 years, operating his own excavations company since 1972 and life member of the Golden Bucket. He has been operating excavators, backhoes, front end loaders, skid-steer loaders, and all associated attachments throughout his career.

VERSACE CONCRETE SOLUTIONS AND WACKER NEUSON

Running a small business is filled with unique challenges, dealing with the ever-moving goal posts that business operators face requires a great team and reliable equipment, staff and suppliers; not to mention unwavering motivation. For Giovanni Versace, Director of Versace Concrete Solutions, there’s a proud Italian heritage coming from a long line of concreters. Giovanni doesn’t have to look hard for inspiration – his young family is his motivation and wife Brooke is the backbone of the business. With their great relationship with Jackson Equipment Sales and Wacker Neuson, the future has never looked brighter for Giovanni and his team who are going from strength to strength.

Giovanni has been in the construction industry since the age of 14, working for both larger companies and subcontracting to smaller ones. About five years ago, Giovanni realised it was time to stop breaking his back working for other companies and instead start his own business and build a future for his family. “Coming from a long line of Italian concreters, it’s in my blood. I’ve had an interest in machinery and trucks from a young age like most little boys do. I was a boy who came from housing commission in western Sydney, and having my mother (a single mother with four boys all aged four and under) work three jobs just to keep food on the table, to now having everything I have today is a huge deal for me. I’m able to give my children more than I ever had,” said Giovanni.

Giovanni had a clear vision of the type of concreting business he wanted to run – to have as many elements as possible (if not all) fulfilled inhouse. Giovanni shared, “With the majority of our work being concrete works, I decided to buy all my own machinery/equipment so it was all inhouse and I wouldn’t need to subcontract out my work or pay to hire someone else’s machinery. For me, the whole experience of having my own business has been a series of challenges. Right when you think you’ve got everything down pat, something will come up just to throw a spanner in the works and test you, like covid. You never stop learning new things when you have your own business.”

In their day-to-day operations, Versace Concrete Solutions primarily use excavators and skid steers. After having varying levels of success with other brands of machines and suppliers, Giovanni and Brooke have settled in very nicely with the Wacker Neuson brand, which they purchase from Jim and Michael from Jackson Equipment Sales. “We have been dealing with Jim from Jacksons in Newcastle and Michael from Jacksons in Sydney. We had dealt with many others before coming over

The Versace family.

to Jacksons and their customer service was second to none. They always provide constant updates and make casual phone call check ins to make sure we are happy with the product and getting the most out of it. It’s been so appreciated and they really know their stuff,” said Giovanni.

Giovanni continued, “Our very first machine was an old 4 tonne Yama with an open cab. During the last two years we have purchased our Wacker Neuson EZ17 Excavator, Ride on Trowel Machine, two Wacker Neuson walk behinds and we are now in the process of purchasing a 4 tonne excavator all from Jacksons.”

The Wacker Neuson brand is built off the back of great strengths such as reliability, fuel efficiency, breakout force and digging power. When I chatted to Giovanni and Brooke, it’s pretty clear that this has been their exact experience with their machines, but it was the Wacker Neuson EZ17 we were keen to hear more about. Giovanni happily shared, “Our machine is reliable and the boys have enjoyed the power and performance, which transfers directly over to efficient onsite performance. Plus, the quick hitch as a standard feature is what really got us over the line with the EZ17. Not having to break your back changing buckets and even just saving time is great. Being a smaller machine, the adjustable tracks help for tight access with a lot of our residential jobs, which have limited access between houses in newer estates.”

Left to right: Giovanni Versace; Jason Spiteri (top); Chris Brown; and Michael De Bono, Jacksons (front).

Having the right equipment that performs reliably and efficiently is only half the equation. The other part is having the relationship with your supplier and getting the service you need, when you need it. After struggling in this area in the past, both Brooke and Giovanni seem to embrace the importance of this with their relationship with Jacksons. They shared, “I believe we will always have a very fruitful relationship with Jim and Michael. I wouldn’t go anywhere other than Jacksons for advice and sales for our machinery because they have always gone above and beyond for us. One time I had a specific job that required an auger, and the wait time was going to be a few weeks, which wasn’t going to help me. However, Jim and Michael being the legends they are, had a spare one in the warehouse, which they gave to me to use until my new auger arrived. If that isn’t top-notch customer service and keeping your existing customers satisfied, I don’t know what is.”

Mike De Bono has only been with the team at Jacksons for four months but has an impressive history with Wacker Neuson of over 15 years, in which he has built up an extensive knowledge of all things Wacker. This experience places him in an excellent position with clients like Versace Concrete Solutions.

When I chatted with Mike on site while we filmed Giovanni and his team prepping for a slab, he shared, “My role is Sales Manager Sydney and I have been with Jackson Equipment Sales going on four months, however have been in a working relationship with Ben for four and a half years. This stems back to when I was the State Manager of

Wacker Neuson Sydney and my total time spent at Wacker Neuson was 15 years, with the last two years working for another company. Giovanni and Brooke have purchased the EZ17, various Wacker Neuson concreting trowel machines and are now in the process of finalising a new EZ36 cabin with VDS mini excavator to add to their fleet.”

Michael continued, “With its compact design the EZ17 offers good value with the way we order this machine in. It comes with a great list of features, including factory fitted hydraulic hitch as standard, long dipper stick providing the customer 2486mm digging depth and maximum dumping height of 2550mm, rear counterweight to counteract the long dipper, and powerful 18.2hp engine. The high thermal resistance, which means this machine can work in up to 45 degrees Celsius without loss of performance and optimally match hydraulics LUDV (load sensing pumps), ensures excellent digging power and sensitive control. Also included are steel grooved pins and bushes and retractable tracks 990mm to 1300mm with dozer blade extensions, which provide superior stability and optimal maintenance access.

“The EZ17 has such an impressive list of features that benefit the end user for concreters and other operators who regularly work in tight spaces, fitting through sub 1000mm openings, to drilling 600mm holes with the auger drive.

The canopy is also removable and it only takes undoing four bolts to fit funder garage doors. All this combines to create a perfect allrounder excavator.

“Our working relationship with the Versace team is only getting stronger because they make us part of their team and love discussing their growth opportunities with us, as we too make them part of our business by helping out. Whether it’s advising them on new attachments or new products that will benefit them, through to our service capabilities, both our relationships are built on trust,” said Michael.

CAT® NEW LARGE HYDRAULIC EXCAVATORS LINEUP

Caterpillar offers a wide range of next generation large excavators, which comprise of performance models 336 to 395 featuring factory standard technology and the 336 GC and 345 GC standard models to suit applications like bulk earthworks or hammer use that don’t require the full suite of standard technology imbedded in the next generation performance range of excavators. “Our GC models provide solutions for operations where high reliability, faster return on investment and low cost per hour performance are the priorities, while our performance models are all about leveraging the integrated technology to achieve maximum productivity and lowest cost per tonne,” Teo adds.

The various configurations of the Cat ® engines in the large excavators can run on biodiesel up to B20 and by offering different emission choices like U.S EPA Tier 3 and U.S EPA Tier 4 Final options across most of the range, customers have more choice than ever.

HIGHER PERFORMANCE WITH LOWER FUEL CONSUMPTION

Teo said, “Our large excavators are designed with new features that help to lower the fuel consumption and increase fuel efficiency ranging from 5% to 25% while improving the machine performance and the productivity.”

Three engine modes of operation: Power, ECO and SMART modes are available to best match your performance and fuel efficiency expectations to your applications and to ensure the machines are always working in the most optimal settings for any job. It’s the next generation SMART mode however that automatically matches the engine RPM and hydraulic power to the actual

digging conditions to reduce fuel consumption and optimise performance in real time by sensing the load on the hydraulics that is a real game changer. Simply set the excavator in SMART mode and let it manage engine power when and where you need it with no further operator input.

A precise combination of lower engine speed and large hydraulic pump pressure and flow delivers more work per unit of fuel. “Cat pumps matched to Cat engines, with Cat hydraulics and Cat software means our systems are highly refined and tuned to work together,” explained Teo.

The cooling fans on next generation large excavators are mainly On-demand hydraulic fans with a couple of models using a hybrid system of electric and hydraulic fans. These variable speed fans ensure cooling is optimised and helps to save on fuel consumption when cooling (fan speed) requirement is low.

REDUCED MAINTENANCE

We wanted to help lower owner’s operating cost, so Caterpillar has reduced maintenance costs by up to 15 per cent based on 12,000 engine hours, Teo said. “We have gone further then we have ever before and extended and synchronised maintenance intervals on all models. Synchronised 1000-hour oil and fuel

filter service intervals reduce downtime and the extended intervals also means that on a 395 vs 390F, customers can save on 48 filters over 12,000 operating hours.”

The new hydraulic system no longer requires a pilot system, eliminating the need for a pilot filter, further reducing maintenance costs.

Other improvements like the advanced air intake filter with pre-cleaner has more dust holding capacity than the previous air intake filter for better engine protection. The new hydraulic oil filter provides improved filtration performance, anti-drain valves to keep oil clean when the filter is replaced, and longer life with a 3000-hour replacement interval, which is 50% longer than previous filter designs. The new high-efficiency hydraulic fan has an optional automatic reverse function to keep cores free from debris, eliminating the need for any operator interaction further lowering the maintenance costs.

The new Cat 336 Hydraulic Excavator offers class-leading production and low-cost operation. Its powerful hydraulic system delivers strong digging forces and swing torque to boost production in the most demanding applications. The new Cat 340 Hydraulic Excavator features a more powerful engine, wider track gauge, and 7.5-tonne counterweight to increase productivit y

“Caterpillar’s next generation excavators have revolutionised the excavator market,” Excavator Product Specialist, Yibin Teo, says adding, “A focus on the customer experience was central in the design of the new line of large excavators, which includes more models, more standard technologies and an even greater range of options and price points.”

by 10% over the 2020 model Cat 336. Its increased power and stability, combined with next generation electrohydraulic system efficiency, make it the best choice in the 40-tonne (45-tonne) class for moving tonnes per hour.

TECHNOLOGY

At the core of the Cat excavator range, simple, easy-to-use technology helps operators and owners get the most out of their machine. Cat GRADE with 2D provides real time guidance on bucket teeth position and helps the operator reach grade faster and boosts productivity.

The systems can be upgraded, or factory

optioned with 2D Advanced, which is able to provide in-field design or Cat GRADE with 3D which is able to track the bucket position through the Global Navigation Satellite System for high accuracy grade performance.

Grade Assist allows operators to stay on grade with the use of a single joystick input, automating the boom bucket and tilt commands. Grade Assist has been refined for use with heavier work tools and is now available on the 349 and 352.

Lift Assist is a new feature that is available on all performance models. The Lift Assist feature provides real time indication of load centre and mass and by calculating the weight of the actual load being lifted and comparing it to the excavator’s rated capability, visual and auditory alerts show and tell the operator where in the excavator operating range the load can be safely lifted.

Standard Product Link ™ makes the management of the customer jobsites easier by gathering data from the equipment. It provides location, machine hours, fuel usage, productivity, idle time, diagnostic codes, and grade control internet connectivity as well as remote flash and troubleshoot which can reduces downtime.

Cat PAYLOAD technology is a fully integrated system that delivers precise load targets with on-the-go weighing, which prevents over/underloading, and reduces load times and maximises efficiency.

OPERATOR ORIENTED CAB

The newly designed cabs with automatic climate control and wider seats raise the standard in comfort and productivity. The cabs are designed with advanced viscous mounts

that reduce cab vibration by up to 50% over previous excavator models.

All the controls and the joysticks are ergonomically designed to reduce operator effort and fatigue. The ROPS cabs with narrow front cab pillars along with other features like the standard rear-view camera, larger windows at the front, sides, and rear give excellent visibility to the operators in all the directions. The tilt-up left console allows the operators to enter and exit the cabs easily and safely.

Performance-enhancing features like the front-facing control panel, keyless pushbutton start, and large touchscreen monitor with jog dial keys come standard, which simplifies the operation. Convenience features like Bluetooth integrated radio, USB ports for charging and phone connectivity, cup, and bottle holders provide better access, connectivity, and storages, which further boost operator comfort.

Teo said the excavators set a new benchmark for the industry. “They are revolutionising how owners and operators utilise our machines to maximise performance, improve productivity and operator efficiency and reduce operating costs and help owners improve their job-site profitability. “Designed to deliver an unmatched customer experience,” Teo added. “The range has to be experienced to be believed – they have set a standard that enhances our segment leadership and paves our way forward.”

For more information about Cat large excavators, visit the local Cat dealer.

NSW/ACT WesTrac 1300 881 064

VIC/TAS William Adams 1300 923 267

Western Australia WesTrac 1300 881 064

QLD/NT Hastings Deering 131 228

South Australia Cavpower 08 8343 1600

NZ TERRA 0800 93 39 39

DOES YOUR BLADE MAKE THE GRADE?

CAT® MOTOR GRADER CUTTING EDGES

If you’re looking to help increase wear life and reduce costs, it’s important to choose the right cutting edges. In the long run, it’ll make a big difference to your motor grader’s performance and productivity.

Genuine Cat® motor grader cutting edges are built to deliver superior performance and long wear life. They’re designed for easy removal and installation too.

CHOOSING YOUR CUTTING EDGE

There are many factors that contribute to your choice of cutting edge. Consider your application environment – in particular, the level of impact, penetration and abrasion your edge needs to endure. It’s critical that your edge penetrates the material and doesn’t break during operation.

As Caterpillar Component Application Specialist Joe Clevenger knows, “Matching the correct edge to application allows for better machine performance and greater end results for your job. This can result in reduced operational and maintenance costs.”

The table (right) provides an overview of cutting edge options for a range of environments and applications.

GENERAL DUTY

• High Carbon Steel

• Available for 12’, 13’, 14’ and 16’ blades

• Offered in a curved profile shape in a variety of thicknesses

• Best suited for low to moderate impact and moderate to high abrasion.

HEAVY DUTY

• Thorough hardened DH-2 Steel

• Available for 12’, 13’, 14’, 16’ and 18’ blades

• Offered in a variety of thicknesses in curved, flat and serrated profile shapes

• Well suited to high impact and highly abrasive applications.

SPECIALTY

• Tungsten Carbide

• Available for 12’, 13’, 14’, 16’ and 18’ blades

• GraderBit2™ System, Rotating Bit System, Edges with Tungsten Carbide

• Best suited to low to moderate impact and moderate to high abrasion

NOTE: The Cat GraderBit2™ System installs without tools and adjusts to your grading conditions.

CUTTING EDGE SHAPES

Each of the options in the table is available in a variety of shapes and thicknesses to suit every application. As well as the large range of off-the-shelf options, you can also customise your cutting edges through the Made as Order (MAO) program.

Flat edges: These are suitable for heavy road maintenance and pioneering. Their strength and available wear material make them the best option for applications that require maximum abrasion and impact resistance.

Curved edges: Curved cutting edges are best suited to applications where you need superior penetration and rolling action. Curved edges are also useful for fine grading and finish work.

Flat serrated edges: When you need to penetrate packed gravel, a flat serrated edge can provide better penetration than a continuous edge. They provide greater down pressure per inch of edge contact.

Curved serrated edges: These loosen hard-to-penetrate materials quickly. Curved serrated cutting edges can penetrate better than a flat serrated cutting edge.

Caterpillar offers a wide range of cutting edges for motor graders, with each providing certain benefits when used in the appropriate application. Your Cat dealer can provide the expert advice you need.

It’s an important decision, so make sure your blade makes the grade. To learn more, scan the QR code below or visit cat.com/cuttingedge-au

A RELIABLE MACHINE STARTS WITH A RELIABLE BATTERY GENUINE CAT® BATTERIES

Genuine Cat® batteries are built to withstand intense vibration that comes with your toughest jobs. They’re designed and tested to stringent specifications and rigorous tests. And of course, as a genuine Cat product, they’re also protected by Caterpillar’s comprehensive warranty program.

WHY CHOOSE GENUINE CAT BATTERIES?

As Caterpillar Aftermarket Services Consultant Clarine Koh highlights, “Cat Heavy Duty batteries are manufactured exclusively for Caterpillar so you can’t find the same batteries anywhere else. Our heavy duty batteries are uniquely designed from the inside out to resist vibration, which is one of the top reasons why batteries fail in off-road battery applications. Our batteries have anchored full frame grids and a reinforced casing that ensures they can withstand vibration without suffering mechanical damage and loss of capacity while maintaining structural integrity.”

Every battery in the Cat portfolio is designed to work in the most extreme conditions.

Cat Heavy Duty Batteries

o Factory fitted on all Cat equipment and generator sets. These provide maximum vibration resistance and higher starting power.

o Uniquely designed from the inside out to resist vibration, one of the main cause of battery failure in off-road battery applications. Vibration resistance is well above industry standard.

o Thicker posts, thicker paste and thicker connectors for better reliability.

o Positive and negative plates are anchored to the container and locked at the top. The heavy duty grid design helps prevent short circuits, out gassing and water loss, which may extend battery life.

Cat General Duty Batteries

o Designed for optimal performance in moderate to light applications.

o Caterpillar offers a variety of lead-acid, gel and absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries that can be used for automotive and light truck, bus, RV, marine, industrial, agricultural, stationary power and recreational usage.

FAST REPLACEMENT

When you need a replacement battery fast, you’ll usually find that your Cat dealer has heavy duty and general duty batteries in stock and ready to install. Or you can easily order anytime, anywhere from parts.cat.com.

EXCELLENT WARRANTY

Speak to your local Cat dealer for more information on the replacement and warranty program.

Are your batteries due for replacement? Make sure you’re prepared for a battery failure. Scan the QR code to order online at parts.cat.com or contact your local Cat dealer for more information.

A dead battery means equipment downtime, lost productivity and reduced profits. Genuine Cat batteries can provide reliable starting power and the proven performance you need from your equipment.

KOMATSU SMART CONSTRUCTION WEBINAR SERIES

This is an introductory overview to Komatsu’s iMC (intelligent Machine Control) machines and technology, tailored specifically for those new to the concept, before looking at the capabilities of the latest iMC 2.0 machines/ technology, and their potential for today’s worksites and projects.

What you will learn: As a result of participating in this webinar, you will understand the latest developments in machine control technology – where precision control capabilities are built into Komatsu’s iMC machines at factory level – provide unmatched efficiency, productivity, accuracy and jobsite

safety across all aspects of earthmoving and excavation, from initial bulk works to final trim. Why you should attend: If you are looking to take your project efficiencies and productivity

potential to the next level, this webinar will show you how. Whether you’re involved in small-scale earthworks, large infrastructure projects, resource extraction or primary production, iMC technology can deliver unprecedented benefits in terms of accuracy, productivity, speed of delivery, jobsite safety and client satisfaction. It empowers a single machine to carry out many aspects of earthmoving and material placement that previously would have required two or more additional machines, with all stages of a project’s earthworks accurately captured to provide detailed as-built results to clients, surveyors and government agencies.

Presenter: Matthew Fleming, Technology Advisor, Australia & New Zealand.

EARTHMOVING AND CONSTRUCTION ASSET PRICES ARE PREDICTED TO CONTINUE TO RISE IN

After 12 months of arguably the most fortuitous market conditions in Australian history, the 21/22 financial year ended with a bang. Industrial equipment sales had been consistently achieving new records and there was no slowing down in sight. Highly successful sales were now the norm, even while businesses continued to regain capital on their used or decommissioned items.

Remarketing services, too, saw an influx of growth in FY 21/22. Australian businesses still recovering from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic used Pickles’ remarketing services to retain fleets of assets now valued much higher than they had been previously.

The interest in the Australian earthmoving and construction industry sparks a new conversation about consistency of the market. Will this demand for Australian assets continue? Or will this bubble burst?

THE ASSET BUBBLE

Predictions on what the market can look forward to next are varied between forecasters, particularly surrounding large items. The backlog of orders that has transpired due to the pandemic suggests that this high demand for assets can only extend for a long as the shortages remain. The reality, however, is that the delays are likely to roll well into FY 22/23, and possibly the year or years that follow.

Manufacturers across the globe continue to push back expected delivery times of assets due to raw material shortages, production delays and international shipping issues. While the Australian asset bubble remains contingent on new shipments, there is often no telling when these orders might arrive. On top of that, as new waves and mutations of COVID wash over societies across the

world, new issues – such as extensive staff shortages – make for further delays. With no clear end to this new normal in sight, manufacturers continue to snowball through cycles of orders and delays. Consequently, Australian items continue to permeate the market thanks to their accessibility.

While the bubble is expected to deflate once the influx of new assets finally reaches Australian shores, it will likely take several years for the market to level out. When this happens, the price of assets will likely level out, but the market is only expected to grow in years to come. Market information from Mordor Intelligence suggests that machinery digitisation and emission-focused production will only drive up the industry.

Some experts have expressed concerns about the market swinging drastically in the other direction once this levelling begins,

and this could effectively reduce the worth of used assets substantially and start a cycle of low returns until the market plateaus. These market downturns, however, are not a given. If they do occur, they are not predicted to affect Australian businesses for another couple of years. This does leave businesses with a potential deadline for offloading assets while asset values are still at record highs.

THE STRENGTH OF THE MARKET

The last calendar year has provided optimum opportunities for businesses looking to capitalise on remarketing services for their used or decommissioned assets. A large number of industrial and construction companies took advantage of the well-timed opportunities to close up businesses and move on comfortably. Other businesses were simply forced to transition into closure, as liquidation became the only viable process to recoup capital. Regardless of the circumstances, a large pool of Australian businesses came to rely on Pickles’ valuations and remarketing services as a way to circumvent loss of cash flow or asset value retention. It can be challenging to fully understand the true value of company assets, so these services extend a helping hand to businesses in need to obtain the highest possible value for their used assets.

Pickles hosted a large number of successful sales for businesses across Australia, with the Norris Group Liquidation Auction one of the most successful sales across the board. Thousands of assets were sold over multiple events over the month of May with a total of over $22.5M in sales obtained for the Norris Group. All parties involved were exceedingly happy with the result.

The Norris Group Liquidation Auction consisted of 12 live and online auctions to showcase the volume and quality of the equipment on offer. The sale event featured

trucks, trailers, vehicles, earthmoving and waste equipment, and a range of smaller parts and accessories. The most successful asset class was earthmoving and waste, where large, niche assets received $13.7M in total sales. Of the assets taken to market, 96% were sold during the auctions, with the recouped monies used by liquidators to work with financiers and creditors on behalf of the Norris Group. While it was the smallest earning class of the auctions, parts and accessories fetched $2.3M in sales. This success highlighted the need for all types of assets in the current market. The marketing campaign that preceded the sale event was highly successful in attracting the right clientele. All up, $2.2M+ impressions, 200K+ page views, and 43K users on the event landing page were recorded, which indicated that there was a lot of interest. A proactive marketing approach, national anticipation, and the amount and quality of assets on offer all contributed to the high interest, and consequently the supreme sales results.

HOW BUSINESSES LEVERAGE MARKET CONDITIONS

Australian business owners are capitalising on the current booming market to offload assets for optimum prices. The outlook for Australia’s industrial market in 2022 looks strong, and decision-makers are jumping in to access liquidity or to wrap-up their business offerings while the market is hot.

Although international production is kicking back into gear, it’s predicted that it will still take a number of years for the market to level out. At the same time, infrastructure development will continue to drive the demand in the sector, and used assets are predicted to continue to sell at premium prices.

For businesses navigating this new normal, Pickles’ valuations and remarketing services offer a way to start new – to leverage assets, to recuperate capital – to start afresh, or retire to a new way of living. Whatever the reasons behind a fleet sale, Pickles will get you on the right path.

MKP INSIGHTS SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Rising interest rates, a downturn in the housing market and increasing pressures on wages and the cost of living have left many business owners uncertain about the state of the economy. But there are reasons to remain positive, and with the right planning and processes in place, businesses can safeguard cash flows and continue to capture opportunities when they arise.

It has been a turbulent time for Australian businesses, with increased pressures throughout the economy forcing many within the earthmoving and construction sector to evaluate their growth strategies. But it’s not all bad news. At Moody Kiddell & Partners, we’ve identified four key considerations that businesses should factor into their planning to ensure their cash flows remain robust and they can continue to capture growth opportunities.

1. EQUIPMENT FINANCE INTEREST RATES HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL LEVELS

Equipment Finance interest rates reached historical lows of under 4% back in early 2021. This period of historic lows helped businesses navigate out of the COVID-economy by reducing interest costs and improving financial ratios which enhanced access to additional balance sheet debt. However, these historic lows were always going to be unsustainable. While interest rates have risen, they have only risen to more balanced levels in the high single digits. Returning to this normal priced environment is more sustainable, offering rates that remain affordable and allow business owners to maintain a profitable bottom line. Remember, businesses have operated at normal interest rate levels during many previous economic cycles. To put the current rate rise into perspective, a 1% increase on a $100,000 purchase financed over a 5 year term translates to a $10 increase in repayments per week.

2. AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS REMAIN WEALTHY

The recent downturn in the housing market has seen house prices fall from historical highs. Even with this small reduction, equity positions remain strong: house prices have still maintained a significant valuation uplift in comparison to most of their original purchase prices (particularly for properties acquired more than 4-5 years ago). Those who purchased properties in the last year will

unfortunately experience some valuation pressure, however, used equipment values have improved significantly due to supply chain delays, resulting in an uplift in business balance sheet equity. The net wealth of the average Australian has improved considerably throughout this period.

3. HAVE A SOUND DEBTOR COLLECTION PROCESS IN PLACE

Pressure on business credit facilities will see a slowing of businesses paying their creditors and suppliers. Before supplying any goods or services, business owners should be meticulous when engaging new customers with their due diligence to ensure the customer’s ability to pay is evident. Businesses under pressure will seek out new relationships as prior relationships are fragile and under strain, usually due to non-performance or non-payment. A detailed and planned

collection process will safeguard a business’s cash flow now and into the future.

To further mitigate risk, businesses can take out an MKP Credit Insurance policy. Trade Credit Insurance can protect your business in the event that a customer or client is unable to pay, by insuring receivables, safeguarding hard-earned revenues, providing an additional layer of due diligence on new clients whilst also providing quick access to replacement capital. Trade Credit Insurance transfers the risk of non-payment to an insurer, to protect your cash flows while giving you the confidence to pursue new opportunities.

4. SETTLE ANY OUTSTANDING DEBTS WITH THE ATO

After two years of minimal action, the ATO is becoming increasingly proactive in their recovery activity, using disclosure of outstanding debts to credit reporting agencies and Director’s Notice of Demand to collect outstanding taxes. Removing this priority creditor is key and should be a focus for all business owners.

Tailored specifically for business owners, an MKP Home Loan can help pay off your tax bill.

With an MKP Home Loan you get access to more of the equity in your home so you can strengthen cash flows, restructure or consolidate loans and refinance business debts, including tax debts.

Opportunities for growth within Australia’s earthmoving and construction sector remain. Partner with Moody Kiddell & Partners today to see how we can help position your business to best capture them. Call 1300 000 657 or visit www.mkpgroup.com.au

Since 1981, Moody Kiddell has partnered with Australian businesses, providing finance, insurance and advisory solutions. With four decades of multi-industry experience, we offer businesses the tailored service business owners need to achieve their vision and safeguard its legacy.

We Dig Deep

At Moody Kiddell & Partners, we see your success as our business.

For forty years, we have partnered with the earthmoving industry to provide finance and insurance solutions for your business.

From enquiry through to paid claim, we dig in with you every step of the way.

Call today to see how one of Moody Kiddell’s equipment finance and insurance experts can tailor solutions for your specific business needs.

What are partners for?

Moody Kiddell. Partners With You

LEICA GEOSYSTEMS INTRODUCES LEICA ICON FIELD SOFTWARE VERSION 6.0

Leica Geosystems has introduced its latest software for the building construction industry, releasing its Leica iCON field software version 6.0 towards the end of last year, which has seen the introduction of a number of new features, providing enhanced functionality in catering to the different needs of industry.

Leica states that the Leica iCON field v6.0 software is designed to meet the needs of general and concrete contractors, the MEP and HVAC trades, and BIM/VDC departments, with it comprising “simple, trustworthy and easy to implement technology that enables the verification of built parts in a building construction project”.

“Leica iCON field v6.0 is packed full of improvements designed to meet the needs of and answer big challenges for the building construction industry by providing fast, precise, real-time verification of just-constructed parts in a building project,” Leica advises.

LEICA ICON FIELD V6.0: NEW FEATURES

The Leica iCON field v6.0 software sports a refreshed user interface, designed to deliver a more modern look and feel, with the home menu having been rearranged to provide additional information for the active project and job, while a new colour scheme is employed in the different applications and menus, improving visibility.

In addition to this, the user interface groups connection to all cloud services under a new ‘Clouds’ option, while projects and jobs handling is enhanced via the introduction of 2D thumbnail view and user-defined sorting (with the view capable of being configured to list view or thumbnail view).

Among the new features introduced by Leica iCON field v6.0 are:

• Map screen (Perspective View) – data visualisation has been enhanced with the introduction of Perspective View, offering better data realisation and improving the navigation on site, with operators able to zoom in and out, rotate, pan and adjust the perspective camera height from the enhanced map controls.

• Grid and Scan data capture – quick grid and precise grid scan support is provided

for Robotic Total Stations with a new quick data camera option for motorised sensors, with the Quick Grid function capturing reflectorless measurements quickly within an area, while Precise Grid Scan more accurately measures a defined grid.

Using the MS60 MultiStation, scanning support is provided via rectangular scan definition and polygonal scan definition, with 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 pts scan speeds, three predefined resolutions for quick scans and user-defined resolution for full flexibility (along with Quick Grid

and Precise Grid Scan support, the same as for all Robotic Total Stations).

Leica iCON build The complete solution for all positioning and measuring tasks on site

• Quick coding – Quick Codes, a new tool to quickly assign different codes to the measured points, can be activated from ‘View’ options in the map handler, with the screen splitting automatically to a 50:50 ratio once the tool has been enabled, showing the active code list on the left-hand side (this functionality is available in all measuring applications except the Draw/Sketching, Checks and Verification applications).

VERIFICATION FEATURES

Leica iCON field v6.0’s verification features provide operators a number of options, with Leica Senior Product Engineer Shane O’Regan noting upon the software’s release that for customers “fast, accurate verification in building construction is a significant concern”.

“The new Leica iCON field v6.0 and Verification app allow contractors to extend their possibilities using multiple integrated sensors, allowing for easier, more complete and real-time verification on site,” O’Regan commented.

“Out of tolerance areas are immediately available for layout, for quick decision making and corrective measures to reduce unnecessary rework at later stages of the project.”

In Leica iCON field v6.0 the following verification use cases are provided:

• Use case 1 (best fit plane, horizontal or vertical) – if no design data is available, operators can verify captured data against a best fit plane

• Use case 2 (data to reference) – a BIMrelated use case to compare the as-built construction with the digital design

• Use case 3 (quick verify) – it is also possible to quickly verify real-time measurements against a reference with the new Verification application

C.R. KENNEDY

As the sole and exclusive distributor for Leica Geosystems in Australia, C.R. Kennedy is focused on harnessing the innovative and industry-leading Leica iCON product portfolio

to deliver tailored solutions for the earthmoving industry, supported by its comprehensive national after-sales network.

The iCON range encompasses a variety of different technologies, included integrated hardware and software solutions, which can be deployed across different aspects of earthmoving operations, designed to deliver greater efficiency and cost savings.

C.R. Kennedy’s head office is in Port Melbourne, with its national network encompassing major state offices in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Perth, along with a regional office in Cairns.

DEMAND FOR MOBILE PLANT AND EQUIPMENT IN THE CURRENT ECONOMY

Demand for mobile plant and equipment (MPE) will increase considerably over the next three to five years. But there’s a complication: disrupted global supply chains.

Demand for mobile plant and equipment (MPE) will increase considerably over the next three to five years. But there’s a complication: disrupted global supply chains.

NTI’s National Strategic Underwriter –Mobile Plant & Equipment, Gary Woodhams, explains,“Before COVID, there was a lot of transport, urban and civil infrastructure expected to be delivered. But as governments have needed to stimulate their economies, many projects have been brought forward.”

By 2024, some $49 billion of work will be under construction in the transport infrastructure sector alone. There is also considerable activity happening in the mining space. These projects create many opportunities for companies and contractors but also present challenges.

TOO MANY JOBS, NOT ENOUGH EQUIPMENT

Typically, businesses source MPE from overseas. But governments worldwide are supporting their own economies through this period, meaning there is little MPE available.

In short, equipment is scarce and we’re seeing an upsurge in equipment hire, meaning hire or operational businesses with underutilised assets can benefit from opportunities to provide MPE to other companies.

MPE OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Operational businesses can take advantage of infrastructure pipelines to tender and win more work. The challenge is access to MPE, and if hiring – fair rates and fair hire contract conditions.

For hiring businesses, there’s an opportunity to generate income from their assets. The challenge is ensuring they can supply those assets correctly valued and adequately protected.

In both cases, the hire agreement is the critical document. It must make commercial sense for both parties, offering good value to the hirer and fair returns to the owner.

The insurance component is crucial. A good agreement will clarify who is responsible for the insurance; or, if there is a damage waiver, the types of damage or incidents covered by the owner and what must be covered by the hirer.

For the owner, retaining a lawyer to draft a standard hire agreement will be money well spent.

For the hirer, reading the agreement carefully and asking the owner directly what’s covered and what’s not is prudent. It’s also essential to understand the terms and shop around if you’re not comfortable.

KNOW YOUR TERMS: DAMAGE WAIVERS AREN’T INSURANCE POLICIES

Hire businesses commonly include damage waivers in their hire agreements. However, hirers need to know that a damage waiver is not an insurance policy. It’s a clause that releases the hirer from the cost of repairing or replacing damaged equipment.

However, these clauses can be restrictive by limiting the damage waiver benefit ‘to or excluding certain events’ with additional restrictions or requirements. These can be onerous and very easily expose the person hiring the equipment to an expensive uninsured financial loss, as Gary explains: “We sometimes see clients who think a damage waiver is insurance. I’ll give an example: a client hires in a conditionally registered excavator for five days. They pay an extra $700 for a damage waiver.

“The excavator is tracking on the road and slews around. The dipper arm comes to a stop

inside a passing BMW. The damage waiver covers any damage to the excavator – but not to the car.”

That’s why if you are hiring mobile plant and equipment, it’s essential to know your terms and be sure you understand what your hire agreement covers.

“For the owner, hiring is a great way to expand your business’s capabilities or generate extra revenue,” Gary says.

“However, not spending the money to have a lawyer experienced in crafting hire agreements for the mobile plant hire industry is a false economy.

“Not obtaining the correct insurance cover and extensions is also a false economy.

“The cost means nothing compared to what a claim or prolonged dispute could be worth.”

As always, it’s worthwhile for both owners and hirers to obtain the right advice and the right insurance. Speak to your lawyer and your insurance broker. Contact us today if you’d like to know more.

Want more insight from Australia’s leader in heavy vehicle, mobile plant and equipment insurance?

Visit NTI’s Yellow Cover at www.yellowcover.com.au.

TRUCKS, TRUCKS AND MORE TRUCKS

Truck operators – whether it be a rigid truck, an articulated truck or a body truck – are without a doubt the unsung heroes of the earthmoving game. They are integral to any project that they are utilised on.

When you’ve got a bunch of handy truckies, the material moves consistently, safely and stress free. When you don’t have switched-on truckies, those three points are flipped on the head.

The thing with trucks though, is it’s usually one of the first machines that a new to industry person starts their dirt moving career on, which can be problematic for a range of reasons including safety and productivity.

Here are five tips to becoming a better truck operator:

1. CONSISTENCY IS KING

Some operators think that the secret to running trucks is to run them full tilt, flat to the boards, screaming eagle style everywhere – it’s not. There is no benefit flying around like a lunatic and arriving back at the loading unit and waiting for it to finish loading the truck. Read the play a little, the trick is to arrive just in time (last pass). That way you’re not flogging the truck unnecessarily and you’re not knocking yourself around either.

2. MINIMISE YOUR TRUCK EXCHANGE TIME

Truck exchange time (or spot time) is the elapsed time from when loaded truck receives last loading pass until next truck receives its first loading pass. Working on lowering your exchange time at the loading unit and at the dump will give you the best opportunity at lowering your overall cycle times, guaranteed. Of course, you need to be going from A to B at reasonable speed to the conditions. But at no stage should you be running the truck outside of it’s safe operating window.

3. TYRE PRESERVATION

There’s a crazy statistic in our industry that says 80 per cent of large tyres fail before they wear out! That’s a massive amount of cash and lost opportunity sent to the scrap heap. The two biggest killers to a truck tyre are impact damage and cut damage. Two items that we as operators can influence through our decision making and actions.

If there’s spillage on the haul road or floor, don’t choose to drive over it, drive around it. Then call up to have it removed by the grader or another machine in the area. Be super mindful not to spin the tyres. Spinning the tyres is a sure-fire way to cut a tyre. Place water into the equation and I’ll guarantee that your tyres will look like Edward Scissorhands has been running his mitts over your tyres!

4. STAY PRESENT

Don’t be one of those scoundrels who jumps in their truck in the morning, turns the two-way

down, turns the stereo up, and drifts off into their own world for 10 hours. Most people get into strife when they haven’t been tuning into what’s going on around them. Whether they’ve missed a call on the two-way or they’re just not watching what’s happening around them.

It’s your responsibility to ensure that you’re across what position the digger operator wants you in when you get back to the cut. Do they want you coming in at 45°or 90°? What’s happening at the dump? Are we paddock dumping, running to the dozer or have we changed to a new fill area?

Stay present!

5. UNDERSTAND YOUR BRAKING CAPACITY

Trucks in our world, gross operating weight, can range from around 40 tonne on a civil job up to 600 tonne in the mining space. An off-highway truck can lull people into a false sense of security once you overcome the sheer size of them. Generally speaking, they drive very similar to an automatic car.

What’s not the same though is their braking system. Most off-highway trucks run wet pack brakes (bathed in oil). When they’re operated in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines, they work fine. However, when they’re not and the brake oil gets excessively hot, premature failure can occur.

Another factor to consider is the surface that you’re operating on. It’s mostly going to be dirt, mud, clay or even a combination of them all – not the best surfaces to try and pull a fully loaded truck up on in a hurry.

For almost half a century, STM has made it possible for businesses across NSW to power up – supplying and servicing quality trucks and machinery to meet the demands of any job.

Starting out in a single shed in the 1970s, we know what it takes to build a business – and are passionate about helping you grow yours. Today, our family owned and operated enterprise is proud to offer a multi-site, modern service, with a team of more than 120. We care about giving every customer the best experience possible – with a wide range of trusted brands, flexible finance, spare parts, repairs and personal service.

We may have come a long way from that shed, but our family commitment to quality remains. Whatever your size, whatever your budget, STM is your one stop shop – with everything to keep your business moving.

STARTING A NEW FINANCIAL YEAR OFF RIGHT

Here’s a few of our top tips:

1. REFLECT, REDIRECT AND COURSE CORRECT

Interrogate your data and get a good understanding of what worked well last year. Be honest about what was a flop. Was there anything that, if done better, might be worth trying again?

2. SHARE THE VISION

Bring your team along for the ride. Employees want to feel connected to a business’s strategy and like their work matters. You don’t need to bog them down in the details, but clearly and effectively communicating your high-level objectives and how you plan to get there should be a bare minimum. Ensure your senior leaders and anyone managing staff understand how and where their team fits into the picture. Incorporate an employee engagement plan to provide ongoing updates about how the business is tracking towards these goals so staff don’t feel like they are operating in a vacuum.

3. SCAN THE MARKET

Alongside reflecting on what you should stop, start, and continue, take some time to look at your competitors (direct and adjacent) and see if there’s any trends you may have missed. Is there something they did well, or lessons you can learn from mistakes they made? Did you lose any key clients to

a competitor and do you understand why? Are there vertical markets that are already being overcrowded by competition? If you followed a similar strategy, be honest about who did it better and break down why.

4. CUSTOMER DEMANDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Next look at your top clients. Are there any emerging needs you should prepare for? Are there opportunities presenting themselves? Has your client mix diversified since last financial year? What industries and sectors are you focusing on and what are the emerging themes and issues keeping them up at night? Make sure you understand their landscape.

5. INVEST TO SET YOUR TEAM UP FOR SUCCESS

Now that the stress of EOFY has (almost) passed look at investing in some new or

refresher training that will get bang for buck with your team. Topics common with our clients are:

• Media training – refresher training for boards and executives or middle management that are subject matter experts on a path to leadership roles. If PR/media engagement and thought leadership is a core element of your FY23 marketing strategy, this is a great investment to consider and also an excellent professional development tool that everyone should regularly undergo refresher training on.

• Content workshops – social media is a staple to most business strategies. Collecting quality content is often a marketing teams greatest challenge! Equipping field staff with the knowledge of how to easily gather content that can be utilised by a marketing team is a great investment. We often help educate teams on how to take photos, grab soundbites, video clips or identify valuable content that should be shared with the business.

• LinkedIn masterclasses – if you’re a B2B business and your team are not using LinkedIn, you’re missing out. There have been so many new features released for company pages, but also personal profiles. The potential is huge, and staff just need to understand how to use and apply it.

6. KEEP THINGS FRESH

New financial year is a great time to launch any new tools or templates the team might find helpful. Keeping fresh doesn’t need to mean a brand overhaul. Don’t underestimate the power of a new look and feel PowerPoint template, an updated proposal template or capabilities statement, visual tweaks to social media, new e-newsletter templates or even a revised email signature. It’s also a nice way to re-engage your team and get them excited about your brand and share your brand story.

It’s never too late to review your strategy and even doing one of the above is better than none. If you’d like some help kickstarting this financial year, reach out and ask us about our strategic shakedown service, internal training or even help with a brand refresh.

Contact us here: hello@hc.net.au

We all start a new year and a new financial year off with the best of intentions but can quickly get sucked into the execution of the plan and business as usual tasks. Investing some time in reflecting on the previous year and looking forward to ensure things are on track is critical to success. It can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be.

W H E N VO L U M E M AT T E R S D12

RAM EQUIPMENT BOOSTS PRODUCT

TRUCK

Dry hire earthmoving equipment specialist RAM Equipment is focused on ensuring its customers have access to the most effective equipment for the job at hand, with the Adelaide-based business having recently bolstered its product portfolio by adding the D’Avino D12 high-volume, rear-tipping dump truck to its line-up.

Established by Kevin and Michael Grace in 2014, RAM prides itself on providing its clients innovative service solutions, underpinned by an extensive, carefully selected range of equipment decked out with the latest technology and designed to deliver exceptional performance.

This sees RAM work closely with its clients to gain insight into their requirements on a project-by-project basis, assisting with the planning and execution of individual projects, and ultimately ensuring its clients

are equipped with the most efficient machines for the job.

“With 70-plus years of expertise, we understand what it takes to get the job done right,” Kevin told EEM . “That’s why we offer innovative dry hire solutions to the market.

“RAM has one of the largest fleets of construction equipment for dry hire in South Australia and supplies specialised attachments for excavators and skid steers within the industry.”

The D12 slots neatly into RAM’s selection of site dumpers, providing an all-rounder option for undertaking earthmoving operations, with it sporting the hallmark qualities that have come to be associated with the D’Avino range, having been both built to last and tackle demanding applications.

A GROWING FLEET SEES RAM SERVICE A WIDE RANGE OF INDUSTRIES

RAM’s product portfolio encompasses excavators, skid steers, site dumpers, compaction rollers, wheel loaders, dozers, graders and tipper trucks, along with a range of attachments, while it also offers attachments, accessories and ex-hire machinery for purchase.

“Our promise to our customers is to continuously improve our processes and make construction hire easy – when it matters,” Kevin commented. “Growing our fleet is an important aspect to servicing a wide range of industries, and with global supply chain issues we must take any opportunity we can.”

Kevin highlighted the value the D12 adds to RAM’s product portfolio, pointing to the impressive range of qualities it providers operators, enabling it to power on through and thrive in tough local conditions.

“The D’Avino D12 dumper is a great addition for medium-to-large-sized worksites as it has an impressive carrying capacity of 12,000kg thanks to its high-volume skip,” he told EEM.

“The most impressive aspect of the site dumper is its ability to change the steering modes, giving it crab steering, front and combine steering. This increases the machine manoeuvrability, and an impressive turning circle of 4650mm.”

In addition to this, Kevin singled out a number of key features that strongly appeal to clients looking for an efficient and reliable dump truck option.

“For half the year, most clients want to utilise a site dumper that has an enclosed cabin for safety,” he observed. “Along with this, the D12 is equipped with a double steering axle, and a 4WD hydrostatic transmission, has a levelled carrying capacity of 6800 l and a heaped capacity of 8300 l.”

D’AVINO D12 DUMP TRUCK DELIVERS HIGH PERFORMANCE AND MANOEUVRABILITY

Weighing in at 6170kg (unladen weight), the D12 runs an 83 kW Perkins 1104 TA Tier IIIA engine and has a maximum driving speed of 35km/h, with it combining high performance and manoeuvrability with operator comfort and safety.

The D12’s key features include:

• High-performance drivetrain – the fourspeed, 4WD automotive hydrostatic transmission enables high torque and power output with constant traction to the wheels during speed shift, paving the way for the D12 to safely operate to a maximum gradient of 40% with a full load. Along with this, the machine’s independent inching control pedal aids the operator in completing tasks with maximum precision, and a front swivel axle and differentials lock system enable maximum traction and grip with any ground condition.

• Double steering axle and rigid chassis – the four wheels/three-mode steering system increases manoeuvrability in confined spaces, seeing a 25% reduction in the turning radius compared to conventional articulated machines in the same category. The system also comes with “crab steering mode”, enabling the operator to safely approach trenches and working areas on a single manoeuvre.

• Enclosed cabin – the wide enclosed cabin is designed to meet FOPS II and ROPS standards, with the automotive air-conditioning system and suspended seat providing the operator a comfortable and safe environment. In addition to this, the all-around wide surface of the windows offers enhanced levels of visibility.

• Certified Hardox body – the high-volume body is manufactured using Hardox 450 abrasion-resistant steel, setting a new benchmark in the industry, while optional bulkhead protection ensures operator safety in any condition.

NIMAC PACIFIC OVERSEES HIGHQUALITY PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Distributor Nimac Pacific is focused on bringing quality machines to the local market, with its broader D’Avino range of trucks having

created a strong impression among business owners and machine operators.

As Nimac advises, the D’Avino machines are built in Italy, and are put together “following state-of-the-art manufacturing and quality control processes”.

“For over seven decades and three generations, the D’Avino family has been involved in the industry, building an incomparable know-how and experience on manufacturing machines which are focused on satisfying the customer needs,” Nimac states.

As noted by Nimac, D12 dump trucks provide a range of performance, robustness and reliability benefits, and have been chosen as a partner for private and public expeditions in extreme environments all over the world.

For more information please contact Nimac Pacific at www.NimacPacific.com.au

MERLO’S TOP-OF-THE-LINE ROTO 50.26SEE PLUS

Merlo Group Australia has expanded its local product line-up with the ROTO 50.26SEE PLUS rotating telehandler, sporting the full scope of features that have over the years come to be associated with its distinctive ROTO range, with a firm emphasis on productivity and versatility of use.

Established in Cuneo in 1964, Merlo draws on a long history of innovative product development, with the Italian manufacturer having brought its first ROTO model –distinguished by a revolving turret system capable of rotating 360°, meaning there is no need to reposition the machine – to market in 1991.

Catering to the evolving needs of its international customer base, Merlo has since steadily grown the ROTO product portfolio, which now comprises three separate product families: the Entry range, S-Classic range, and S-Plus range.

Across the wider ROTO range, Merlo has focused on developing machines that place a premium on ergonomics and ease of use, while its top-of-the-line S-Plus models have been designed to meet the needs of even the most demanding operators.

Belonging to the S-Plus line, the ROTO 50.26SEE PLUS is in turn decked out to deliver a premium operating experience, with it bringing together a finely tuned balance of technology and precision performance and incorporating a range of unique features.

• Axles – manufactured by Merlo in-house, feature dry disc brakes to maximise braking capacity and minimise the machine’s consumption levels

• Tilting cab – provides for greater comfort, improved ergonomics, and safety, with a dedicated button allowing operators to engage the system, tilting the cab vertically up to 20°

Safety Merlo’s patented ASCS is capable of recognising the attachment being used and measuring the magnitude of the load being handled, maximising the speed of the hydraulic movements without any risks to the operator’s safety.

At the same time, operators can check all operating parameters in real time, viewing at which point the safety system will intervene by slowing down and stopping any problematic movements.

Additional safety features include:

• Cab – is compliant with the ISO 3449 FOPS Level II and ISO 3471 ROPS standards

• Automatic parking brake management

– the system brakes the machine if the engine switches off, avoiding unintentional movements

ROTO 50.26SEE

PLUS FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The ROTO 50.26SEE PLUS weighs in at 17.3t, has a maximum capacity of 5t, a maximum lifting height of 25.9m, and provides for continuous turret rotation, with it running a 125kW FPT NEF45 Tier 2 engine and capable of reaching a top speed of 40km/h.

The telescopic boom consists of five sections, comprising a double C profile in high-strength steel with welds along the neutral bending axis, while hydraulic hoses and electrical wires are positioned inside the boom, protecting against any possible impacts.

Meanwhile, further bolstering durability and providing an added layer of protection, the machine’s frame features a steel belt around the outside made from a metal bar 70mm in diameter.

Performance

The ROTO 50.26SEE PLUS’s hydrostatic transmission has been carefully configured to pave the way for a smooth operating experience. It allows for millimetric variations in machine movements and load positioning, and with full-time four-wheel drive provides for excellent braking capacity, along with high levels of power and torque to the wheels.

In addition to this, performance benefits are delivered via:

• Suspension and levelling – the electronically controlled active suspension eliminates pitching, with locking of the axles providing for maximum stability, and levelling correction compensating for transverse and longitudinal slopes (lateral inclination: 12 per cent; frontal inclination: 4 per cent)

• Hydraulic system – offers two configurations: LS pump and flow-sharing distributor, up to three simultaneous movements, with an oil flow rate of up to 140L/min; double LS pump and flow-sharing distributor, up to four simultaneous movements, with a flow rate of up to 260L/min.

Comfort

The cab has been designed with comfort in mind, measuring in at 1.01m in width and providing substantial roominess, with vibration-damping silent blocks harnessed to reduce both noise and vibrations.

In addition to this, it incorporates a pressurisation system, preventing the entry of dust, while operator comfort is further improved via an air-suspension seat with a raised backrest.

The cab is also equipped with the following features:

• Controls – from the ASCS (Adaptive Stability Control System) display to the steering wheel and transmission controls, the transmission display and pedal control unit, the controls are grouped for optimal ergonomics, with the reverse shuttle on the steering wheel also present on the joystick

• Smart armrest – incorporates the machine’s main operational commands: stabilisers, auxiliary hydraulic controls, suspension, steering, braking and transmission management

• Air conditioning – comprises eight vents, three of which are dedicated to defrosting the windscreen, with the flow configured to reach all areas

• Cab entry – the door can be opened at 180° for easy access, with it featuring an independent upper window

• Self-stabilisation – operators can press a button to initiate the machine’s automatic frame stabilisation and tilt correction procedure

• Visibility – a 4.3m² glass surface provides for enhanced visibility

Efficiency

A four-wheel steering system and three steering modes – comprising front wheel steering, pivot steering and crab steering –allows for manoeuvring in confined spaces, reducing manoeuvring times and decreasing fuel consumption.

Meanwhile, facilitating attachments management, a double-acting hydraulic service line and an electrical socket for machineimplement communication are located at the top of the boom.

Other features designed to deliver efficiency benefits include:

• EPD (Eco Power Drive) transmission and engine control system – controls and adjusts the engine speed based on the operating conditions, for a reduction in fuel consumption of up to 18 per cent, and also provides for the control of the engine speed proportionally to the use of the joystick

• Tac-lock – an implement-locking device that can be hydraulically controlled from the cab, providing for quick and easy changing of attachments

• Machine movements – helping to reduce machine setup times, it can be moved with the turret rotated, even with the stabilisers partially or completely extended (with the maximum speed limited to 5km/h)

• Stabilisers – can be positioned with any extension, allowing the stabilisation layout to be adapted to the available work area.

NSW

CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT 535 Dallinger Road, Lavington NSW, 2641. 02 6025 0444. www.capitalconstruction.com.au

FRANKS SERVICE CENTRE 186 Wakaden Street, Griffith, 2680, NSW 02 6962 6073. www.fscforklifts.com.au/

NORTH WEST FARM MACHINERY 22-26 Whittaker Street, Quirindi, 2343, NSW. 02 6746 3300. www.nwfm.com.au

STM EQUIPMENT Unit 3, 28 Dunn Rd, Smeaton Grange, NSW 2567 02 4728 7500 www.stmequipment.com.au

THREE RIVERS MACHINERY

25 Zora Street, Warren NSW, 2824 02 6847 3111. www.3rm.com.au

SCTM (Canberra) 1/45 Bayldon Road, Queanbeyan, NSW, 2620 02 6299 1500. www.sctm.com.au

SCTM (Wollongong) 6 Mineral Road, Oak Flats, NSW, 2529 024257 1500. www.sctm.com.au

EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT AUSTRALIA (EEA) 99 Glenwood Drive, Thornton, NSW, 2322. 02 9671 1000. www.eeaustralia.com.au

QLD

EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT AUSTRALIA (EEA) 123 Cobalt Street, Carole Park, QLD, 4300. 1300 753 332. www.eeaustralia.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (DALBY) 17563 Warrefo Highwyay, Dalby, QLD, 4550. 07 4662 2288. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MILNE BROS EQUIPMENT (BILOELA) 61-67 Dawson Highway, Biloela, QLD, 4715. 07 4992 1099. www.milnebros.com.au

VIC

BALLARAT TRACTORS

155 Learmonth Street, Ballarat, VIC, 3350. 03 5334 2444. www.ballarattractors.com.au

KV EQUIPMENT

221 Midland Highway, Epsom, VIC, 3551 03 5445 6999. www.kvequipment.com.au

MELBOURNE TRACTORS 110 Hume Highway, Somerton, VIC, 3062. 03 9303 5777. www.melbournetractors.com.au

MELTRAC MACHINERY

6703 Princes Highway, Terang, VIC, 3264 03 5536 0222. www.meltrac.com.au

PRIMTEC TRACTORS

698 Benetook Ave, Mildura, VIC, 3502. 03 5022 1004. www.primtectractors.com.au

RAISING EXPECTATIONS

WA

FORKWEST

68 McCombe Road, Bunbury, WA, 6230 08 97254970. www.forkwest.com.au

GEOFF PERKINS MACHINERY

Lot 24 Stewart Street, Narrogin, WA, 6312. 08 9881 2222. www.perkinsmachinery.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (ALBANY)

189 Chester Pass Road, Albany, WA, 6330 08 9847 4255. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (ESPERANCE)

25 Norseman Road, Esperance, WA, 6450. 08 9071 1155. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (GERALDTON)

160 Flores Road, Geraldton, WA, 6530. 08 99605500. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (KATANNING)

Lot 4 Nyabing Road, Katanning, WA, 6317. 08 9821 7000. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (KULIN) 294 Pump Road, Kulin, WA, 6365 08 9880 2556. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (MERREDIN) 52 Mitchell Street, Merredin, WA, 6415 08 9041 1099. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

MCINTOSH & SON (PERTH) 547 Great Eastern Highway Redcliffe, WA, 6104 08 9475 1600. www.mcintoshandson.com.au

SOURCE MACHINERY

6 Reggio Rd Kewdale, Kewdale/Karratha, WA, 6105. 08 9358 3389. www.sourcemachinery.com.au

ACCESS SERVICE AUSTRALIA 26 Kilto Crescent, Glendenning, NSW, 2761. 02 9832 9990. www.accessservice.com.au 71 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge, QLD, 4110. 07 3219 5130. www.accessservice.com.au 32 Healey Road, Dandenong South, VIC, 3175. 03 9768 2155. www.accessservice.com.au

MOTION MACHINERY

1/10 Dickens Place Armadale, WA, 6112. www.motionmachinery.com.au

CORPS AND WESTRAC

When EEM talks about earthworks, roadworks, civil construction, sand delivery and cartage in Western Australia, there is one family-run company that stands out with unequalled capabilities and services. Corps is a single-solution civil construction company based in the economic powerhouse that is the Pilbara region.

Corps is owned and operated by the Corps family, who are true Karratha locals and big supporters of the local community. Corps has recently rebranded and is made up of Karratha Earthmoving & Sand Supplies, Karratha Asphalt, Bitumen Sealing Services, Hedland Asphalt and Karratha Environmental Crushing.

Corps has laid the foundations for every major project in the northwest over the last 37 years, having invested heavily in all aspects of its business from a locally based capacity with leading-edge technology, experience, sheer grit and agility, which enables the team to successfully deliver projects of any scale through their four hubs in Karratha, Broome, Port Hedland and Perth.

WORDS // IMAGES JAMIE GRAY

MINDED COMPANY

With a team of over 100 locally based staff members, Corps remains agile, approachable and community minded. That is also what drives Corps to put the local economy and environment at the forefront to find sustainable solutions that aren’t just idealistic, but feasible. EEM recently spent a few days with Dayne Corps in Karratha to get a feel for the various aspects of the Corps business and to see how their modern Cat fleet has been performing. Dayne shared, “Mum and Dad owned Karratha Earthmoving, which they started in 1985 while raising four sons who grew up and took charge of the Karratha Earthmoving business and its subsidiaries. Late 2021 Karratha Earthmoving rebranded its name to Corps, and from there it expanded into five different companies covering civil construction, transport, recycling concrete, glass, liquid waste, asphalt, spray seal, bitumen and sand cartage. Alongside myself, my brothers Kristian, Vaughan and Beau are also directors.”

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

After spending time with Dayne I quickly realise that the company is in a constant state of evolution. The Corps team are continuously looking for improved and cost-effective ways to do things, with less impact on the environment. They search for ways to innovate and create new environmentally friendly recycled products to use on large-scale projects to replace materials. There are a lot of moving parts, but with such dedication to the evolution of everything, including systems and procedures internally, layouts of the head office site, operations in Karratha and their ever-growing Cat fleet – it’s no wonder that after humble beginnings, this family business has grown to be the leading supplier of earthworks, roadworks, civil construction and sand supply in the Pilbara.

Part of Corps’ success comes down to their unequalled capacity and complete civil solutions, which assist small and large-scale projects across the northwest, including projects for Rio Tinto, FMG, Yara, BHP, Woodside, and various government bodies.

THE X FACTOR AT CORPS

There is an undeniable X factor at Corps with an intelligence and community-minded team spirit. A grit and ability to think outside the box, which really sets them apart. However, it’s easy to possess outlooks like this when business is great, but it’s in the tough times when a business’ community spirit and commitment to staff is really tested. It wasn’t long ago that Western Australia experienced tough times and the lengths the team at Corps went to personally to keep their staff working, proved their loyalty and dedication to not only their team, but the broader community of Karratha.

L to R: Dayne Corps, Director, Corps; Brad Lecocq, WesTrac Account Manager for Corps; and Kristian Corps, Managing Director, Corps.

RELIABLE TECHNOLOGY-FILLED MACHINERY

For Corps group to have reliable and powerful technology-enabled machinery is an important part of every large-scale operation, but when you’re working in the remote areas of Australia – like the Pilbara and the Kimberley –it becomes even more important.

Corps runs Cat machines purchased, serviced and maintained through WesTrac under FitFleet® Customer Value Agreements (CVAs). Dayne explained the importance of this relationship, “We have been working very closely with Caterpillar® and WesTrac for over 25 years and we have roughly 70 machines at last count. Our reputation is built off the back of the quality of our fleet. We’re in remote areas so the need for good back-up and service is extremely important. We travel long distances so if a machine breaks down it becomes very costly and time consuming. And when you add in the world shortage on parts – you can quickly have a huge problem that compounds itself.

“This is how important our FitFleet CVAs are with WesTrac. We rely on them to maintain and service our fleet, which allows us to focus on the smooth running of our projects and

business. After working with WesTrac for so long, I know I have the best dealer relationship in the country. With Murray, Brad and Singo in the Karratha Branch, Brad and Erica in sales,

Troy in training and WesTrac General Manager Cameron, I couldn’t ask for better help and support from a dealership,” Dayne says.

Corps has up to 400 various pieces of equipment in its fleet, including trucks, loaders, graders, dozers, asphalt pavers, spray trucks and tankers. Impressively, more than 70 of these are Cat machines, with the remarkable Cat D5 Dozer being one of the more recent purchases, and its abilities and technologies capturing Dayne’s heart.

CAT D5 PURCHASE

It has been the combination of power, speed, accuracy and technology, which has made the Cat D5 such a valuable investment for Corps. When I chatted with Dayne about the impact the D5 has had on site, I could feel his enthusiasm and positivity for this workhorse. “The D5 has brought both efficiency and speed with its onboard tech. Having the D5 is like having a pinch hitter in baseball – its ability to speed up the job with incredible accuracy is world leading. The Steer Assist feature has

been incredible, the 3D Grade Control ensures we hit the right levels of design. Auto Carry on the blade prevents track slip and the fully automatic transmission is a game changer.

“We can also transport it anywhere very quickly. Its push capability is huge, but also the accuracy with the new D5 screens and Work OS is equally impressive with up to 50 per cent more productivity with the Cat technology. Our operators love the D5 saying it is such a smooth machine to drive. From a fuel efficiency versus productivity angle, the D5 is considerably better in terms

of fuel use and material pushed. When we look at maintenance costs the D5 is the same as a grader with filter life and liquids,” said Dayne.

The in-cab Cat technology has helped improve the management of the Corps fleet and operator efficiencies through VisionLink technologies to alert customers for service and maintenance, which makes a big difference in preventative maintenance. Operator assist features like auto-steer and over cut protection have also created benefits on recent jobs.

CORPS GROUP AND WESTRAC

Brad Lecocq is a Heavy Construction Account Manager for WesTrac with clients based in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions. Brad has personally built up a wealth of knowledge since joining WesTrac back in 2000. Working closely with Corps for five years now, Brad has played a key role in the education and purchases of Corps’ Cat machines over this time. Brad commented, “I have enjoyed watching Corps grow during the last five years. We have a strong relationship with Corps who use our services across the Pilbara. I’ve personally developed a great relationship with the Corps brothers and in particular Dayne, which makes it a smooth process for all involved.”

MACHINE PURCHASES

Corps was one of the first WesTrac customers to purchase the Cat 150 AWD Mastless Grader in WA using Trimble Earthworks. “Eliminating the need to run fixed pole mast on either side of the blade was a great selling point,” Brad shared.

“The two Cat 972M XE machines recently purchased have proven to be extremely productive in terms of fuel efficiency and lower operational and running costs. The new D5 is also a bit of a weapon in the fleet. Being on grade control with the field follow auto steer and Trimble Earthworks, this machine is nimble and quick. The fuel efficiency and final trim ability has captivated Dayne’s heart.”

PROS AND BENEFITS

Having the vast majority of the Corps construction fleet as Cat machines has enabled a strategic relationship to form between Corps and WesTrac. Caterpillar is forever developing new technologies that Dayne embraces, and he understands the ultimate benefits which technology plays on machine efficiency and production.

CONNECTIVITY

All of the Corps Catmachines are on FitFleet CVAs where essentially the WesTrac Karratha Branch proactively maintain all the fleet, so Dayne doesn’t have to worry about the health of his equipment. Machine health is monitored daily, and any concerns are reported back to Dayne and WesTrac Karratha.

WesTrac Karratha also has a great relationship with Corps. To have the branch there with the field service trucks on the ground means they can attend any request anywhere, anytime. New opportunities are arising in the region daily and the constant refinement and evolution of the business driven by Dayne and his brothers, means the relationship between WesTrac, Caterpillar and Corps is set to strengthen further still. There is also a Cat D6XE and Cat D8 on order, which means the productivities and efficiencies of their Cat fleet is set to reach even greater heights in the near future.

precision digging

EVERY TIME

ALLWORKS AND CJD EQUIPMENT

Allworks is based in Perth, Western Australia and has been operating since 1999. Angelo and the Allworks team have several lifetimes of experience in both the civil and rail sectors. Angelo’s working timeline began with government railways, which lasted 16 years from age 19-35, working his way up the ranks during that time. After being retrenched at age 35, Angelo joined the team at John Holland for a four-year stint. At age 39 he started Allworks and hasn’t looked back. Angelo shared, “My wife Robin and I always wanted to work for ourselves. When I was working for the government railways for 16 years, I would look at the small contractors that worked with the rail guys and think ‘that’s what I want to be’.”

Angelo continued “We started Allworks 24 years ago, mostly focusing on the rail industry based in WA. We now work up in the Pilbara area, the wheat belt areas around

Angelo Sarich was only 19 years old when he started working on the railways. Today, some 42 years later, Angelo and his wife Robin are the directors of Allworks Pty Ltd – a leading provider of dry and wet hire equipment and personnel for the civil and rail industry.

“The EC250EDA has been a great machine so far.

It has been performing a lot of detailed excavation and bulk earthworks...it has shifted some serious dirt with minimal change in fuel efficiency.

The versatility of this machine has been great. It’s a good all rounder!”

- Grant Marino Owner, Marino Excavations

Perth, and we have started to move into the east coast of Australia as well. As it stands today, Allworks primarily uses loaders and excavators, including hirail excavators both tracked and wheeled, skid steers, water carts, 6-wheel tippers, semis and dual cab 4x4 personnel carriers.

“We started with just a couple of small machines working on a wheat belt job in

South Australia. Today, we have purchased more than 100 Volvo machines over the years, and just recently purchased our 50th Volvo wheel loader from CJD Equipment, with another four or five either on the way or recently delivered. Over the years, we have predominantly purchased front end loaders and excavators of 5 tonne to 30 tonne from CJD Equipment.”

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN RAIL AND CIVIL WORKS

The combination of reliability, operator vision, comfort and stability has seen Allworks stick with the Volvo brand for a long time. Volvo loaders are incredibly stable when climbing over uneven ground and up onto railway lines, which has made them the perfect machine for the Allworks fleet. When I

Angelo Sarich, Owner, Allworks.

The combination of reliability, operator vision, comfort and stability has seen Allworks stick with the Volvo brand for a long time.

asked Angelo about what technology Allworks has most embraced, it was the tracking which overwhelmingly took centre stage. “Our tracking brings information instantly to the office, including hours, location, speed and daily usage. This level of detail has been of significant value and importance for us. Our reliable, modern machinery with enabled technology and our talented staff are the backbone of our operation. Our key people each have decades of experience in rail and civil works,” said Angelo.

Angelo continued, “Back in the day it was a different business to now. No one had the money to go and buy brand new equipment, so the business ran on second-hand equipment from skid steers and excavators to water trucks and semis. Today, we pride ourselves on our fleet of Volvo machines and the quality of product and services we can offer to our customers. Our vision statement of ‘On Track, On Time’ drives and guides our well-equipped organisation to operate in dynamic environments, offering solutions

to their customers project timing and budget are maintained within expectations keeping them On Track, On Time.”

BUILDING A NATIONAL FOOTPRINT

The office is based in Perth, however Allworks has depots across Australia and their national footprint covers projects throughout Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. Moving into Conquest Way and seeing how far the business has grown has been some of the highlights for Angelo over the years. There’s no doubt

Angelo and Robin have come a long way from the first machine they purchased, which was a second-hand Clark skid steer costing $700. Before they knew it, they were purchasing their very first brand-new machine, which was a little Volvo L50D Loader from CJD Equipment. This turning point of previously only owning second-hand machines enabled the Allworks team to truly appreciate the benefits of buying new machinery and the increased reliability and efficiencies of stepping into the latest equipment and having a great team behind them like the one at CJD Equipment.

Today, we pride ourselves on our fleet of Volvo machines and the quality of product and services we can offer to our customers.

THE RELATIONSHIP HAS SOARED

The relationship between Allworks and CJD Equipment, just like the number of Volvos in the fleet, has soared over the years. “We have had several reps over the journey with CJD Equipment, starting with Bill Hastings and now Luke McPherson. Both Bill and Luke have been helpful and knowledgeable on products. I have always believed good products lead to clients wanting to hire them. Our after-sales service and maintenance has also been excellent. Our goal is to be the number-one supplier in the rail industry and diversifying into other fields. We will need CJD Equipment to continue to keep us up to date with supply because we all know that it’s very hard in these times with long lead times and increasing costs,” said Angelo.

Luke McPherson has been the regional Sales Manager for the northwest of WA and

They are such great people. A family-owned business with great morals is what I love about Allworks because it’s very similar to the owners of CJD Equipment and their business.

the northern suburbs at CJD Equipment for the last six and a half years. He has worked with Angelo and the Allworks team for the last two years. During that time Allworks has purchased many wheel loaders (mainly L120F and L90F) and some smaller excavators.

When I chatted with Luke about the relationship with Allworks, he shared, “They are such great people. A family-owned business with great morals is what I love about Allworks because it’s very similar to the owners of CJD Equipment and their business. Most of my dealings are with Angelo and Nick (operations manager) and I believe we have a strong and trusting relationship.”

Luke continued, “Allworks have just taken delivery of their 50th Volvo wheel loader in the current fleet. The Volvo L120F is a powerful machine with serious lifting capacity

through the Torque Parallel linkage, which is a Volvo patented product and a great fit for Allworks and their rail projects. This linkage provides a parallel lift from bottom to top –a great benefit when lifting rail sleepers with fork frames and fork tines, which is Allworks’ main use for wheel loaders.

“The reliability of their Volvo range has also been huge for Allworks. Being a mainly dry hire company, they need the reliability

of their machines. They don’t keep their machines for a huge number of hours, instead choosing to turn them over after about 6500 hours. The amazing uptime they get out of their Volvo machines and the fit-for-purpose performance, combined with the service and teamwork with us here at CJD Equipment, is why I believe this relationship has been such a good fit for Allworks.”

Left to right: Angelo Sarich, Nick McLoughney and Luke McPherson.

As an Australian family-owned company with global reach, Tilly’s is proud to stock over 43,000 new part lines for your earthmoving machinery. Tilly’s quality alternative undercarriage range extends from track groups to idlers, rollers, sprockets and track adjusters suitable for dozers up to D9 and excavators up to 30 tonne.

Tilly's are pleased to now offer a range of quality low-hour machines including General Construction Excavators and Loaders and D6-D8 ex-United States machines.

Tilly's is now offering account customers online ordering of over 30,000 parts for even quicker turnaround time, because we understand that down-time for your machines has a huge impact on your bottom line. That’s why we guarantee the quality of our new parts to ensure you are staying on track.

CASE STUDY

WORDS // IMAGES JAMIE GRAY

HIREWORKS DARWIN AND KOBELCO

Northern Territory hire company Hireworks has two separate locations based in Winnellie and Palmerston. The company supply a large range of general hire equipment and servicing, targeting the mining, civil construction, trades, events and DIY sectors. Hireworks exclusively provide Kobelco excavators to their clientele due to their reliability, performance and efficiency.

Allan Gillett is the Managing Director of Hireworks and has been in the hire industry in Darwin for over 20 years. EEM recently had the chance to visit Darwin and in particular catch up with Allan and his team. When I chatted with Allan about his history with Hireworks, he shared “I have been involved in Hireworks since November 2016, after being approached by the original owner, Richard Palmer. Hireworks had been established for 5.5 years prior to me starting. At the same time Richard got two other people involved, Dave Pettman and Eddy Bagley. There was an acquisition of another hire company ‘Go Hire’ at the same time, which provided challenges having all different types of equipment, especially excavators. So we set a plan to standardise our equipment – all the same make and model where possible across various sizes. In the end it was Kobelco’s 4-year warranty and reliability that sent us down our path with Kobelco… and the rest is history.”

SERVICING REMOTE COMMUNITIES

FROM

GOVE TO ALICE SPRINGS

Staff retention is always a great indication of a good business. The fact that the majority of Hireworks’ 10 staff have all been onboard for three to five years speaks volumes about Allan and his team. “We have a great retention rate in a labour market shortage. Our mechanics enjoy working on the newer machines and we are always adding new equipment to our fleet. We send equipment all over the Territory, including remote communities as far as Gove to the east, Alice Springs to the south and Kununurra to the west,” said Allan.

WORKING CLOSELY WITH FORECAST MACHINERY

Hireworks is very uniquely placed just two doors down the road from Kobelco dealer Forecast Machinery, run by Tom Bate. Forecast Machinery has supplied Allan with his 21 Kobelco machines over the last eight

years. Allan spoke about his relationship with Forecast, “I have been working with Forecast Machinery for about 8 years, including in my previous role for repairs on other machines. When I started with Hireworks, Tom had not long taken over the Kobelco dealership. It’s been very handy for us having Forecast two doors away from our Palmerston Depot. Tom and his team are always helpful and carry most stock on hand like service kits, GET, attachments and tracks, which is great for us because turnaround time on machines is paramount. I have bought a few machines from Tom because he had them in stock, which is a great help. Even just a few weeks back, Tom came in after hours on a weekend to solve a problem for one of our customers. You just don’t get that level of service often these days.”

Allan continued, “We have now just purchased our 21st Kobelco Excavator and they range

Allan Gillett, Managing Director, Hireworks.

from 1.7 to 5 tonnes. I originally chose Kobelco because of their 4-year warranty, but I’m happy to say I have never had to use it so far, which tells you a bit about the quality of the product itself, especially in the hire industry. The air conditioning units are a lot easier to keep clean in Kobelco machines compared to other makes of machines, which is very important in the NT.”

Having all Kobelco machines has now saved Hireworks a lot of headaches with attachments due to the standardisation that is possible from committing to the Kobelco brand. It is something that wasn’t possible when operating a hire company with four different brands of excavators.

NORTHERN TERRITORY KOBELCO DEALER, TOM BATE

While in Darwin I had the opportunity to visit Tom and his Forecast Machinery team to find out more about their relationship with Hireworks. “We’re a small team that has been running up here in the Northern Territory for the last

eight years, supplying and servicing the hire and civil industries with Kobelco equipment (amongst others) in these remote areas of the Northern Territory. There are six of us in the Forecast team, including my wife Andy, and we are covering industries ranging from plumbing, concreting, hire companies and landscapers. We are supporting Allan and his Hireworks team with their range of Kobelco excavators and the attachments that go with them.

Our goal is to provide them the support they need to exceed their customer expectations, by providing top-shelf machines and the attachments required to complete a wide range of specific tasks. It’s generally been the reliability, efficient running costs, performance and power that always seems to be the feedback we receive from Allan and his customers about his Kobelco machines.”

There’s a lot of work and infrastructure projects on the go in and around Darwin over the next five years or so, and if any environment is going to test the design and quality of any machine it would be the heat and humidity of the Northern Territory. It’s impressive to see the Kobelco excavator

range perform so well in such testing and challenging conditions.

The Forecast Machinery team are well positioned to build the Kobelco brand in the

Northern Territory as more operators and businesses like Allan and Hireworks tune into the reliability and performance of Kobelco’s range in challenging environments.

The SK135SR-7 perfectly demonstrates the commitment Kobelco has to designing and manufacturing the most capable excavators available, built with Japanese quality for legendary reliability.

As the #1 selling machine in the 14 tonne class, the SK135SR-7 combines unbeatable performance, fuel efficiency and reliability with a premium operator station and modern machine design.

And now Australia’s most popular short radius heavy excavator is available with a proven Isuzu Tier 3 engine, with no DPF and no AdBlue required, reducing operating costs and increasing convenience.

EXCAVATOR ATTACHMENTS

Tried. Tested. Trusted.

The job site is no place for equipment failure. Rhino Buckets are built to withstand more. Built with Bisalloy® steel, all welds exceed Australian Standards for guaranteed strength and longevity.

Rhino Excavator Attachments are built for the toughest job sites:

+ Rhino buckets were designed, tested and proven over years on the job in the punishing Pilbara. Thousands of kilometers from a replacement, our customers depend on Rhino delivering quality when and where it matters most.

+ Backed by a 2-year warranty and industry-best support - we don’t hide behind legal fine print.

+ Dual Radius Profile on digging buckets stops excess drag on the bucket and offers dramatic performance advantages

Done right, with Rhino

CASTROL’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY

The strategy sets out aims for 2030 to save waste, reduce carbon and improve lives, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but on a global basis.

Castrol became Australia’s pioneer in carbon neutral lubricants in 2016, when the premium Castrol VECTON range of diesel engine oils became the first to be certified as carbon neutral. From 2021, all Castrol products we sell in Australia and New Zealand are committed to carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS 2060.

CASTROL’S 120 YEAR FIGHT AGAINST FRICTION, CORROSION AND WEAR

Close to a quarter of the world’s energy is believed to be lost to friction, corrosion, and wear as per study by Kenneth Holmberg and Ali Erdemir.

“From Castrol’s earliest days, we have delivered products that help save energy by fighting exactly these problems,” says Jotika Prasad, Castrol Marketing Director, Australia and New Zealand. Castrol is also supporting new and growing sectors, like renewable energy and e-mobility with products and services.

For example, Castrol is the first lubricant supplier in the world to offer PAS 2060-certified carbon neutral lubricants for the wind turbine industry.

REDUCING PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS

As well as significantly increasing its carbon neutral offers to Australian customers, Castrol is aiming to halve its own global use of virgin (i.e non-recycled) plastic packaging per litre from its 2019 baseline. The PATH360 strategy is based on circular thinking, which means the company is looking at the lifecycle of its existing and new products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused, or recycled.

“Customers in the mining and CVO sectors are especially committed to reducing their carbon emissions,” said Jane Carland, General Manager Castrol Australia and New Zealand, “and we plan to be an important partner in helping them achieve their goals and our target is to halve the net carbon intensity of our products by 2030.”

For example, three of Castrol’s plants globally moved to renewable electricity in 2020. At the same time, the company has developed new light-weight bottle designs which use less plastic, saving on a global basis 7,000 tonnes per year by 2023.

CARBON NEUTRAL PROJECTS

To help fulfil its carbon neutral programme, Castrol works with bp Target Neutral who purchase carbon carbon credits that support a portfolio of carbon reduction, avoidance, and removal projects around the world. These include support for projects such as the Zhaoyuan Zhangxing wind energy scheme in China, which mitigates more than 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are each year by replacing fossil fuel power. Another such project has supported investment in solar energy in India, through a large-scale project that helps provide reliable and costeffective off-grid electricity for families and business. To date, 60,000 solar units have been distributed.

BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENTS

Castrol’s Senior Vice President, Mandhir Singh, said: “PATH360 builds upon work we’ve been doing for years, pulling it all together into one integrated sustainability programme. We know that many of our customers are looking for more sustainable offers and help with their sustainability goals, and this is what this programme is designed to deliver.”

Castrol is helping to drive a more sustainable future with its recently announced PATH360 strategy

VERSATILITY YOU CAN RELY ON

CASTROL RX SUPER - RELIABLE VERSATILITY

Whether you’re digging deep or aiming high improved Castrol RX SUPER has always got your back. Upgraded CJ-4 specification combats soot and gives critical moving parts a tougher protective layer. New DuraShield BoostersTM giving up to 40% better protection against wear*. Improved Castrol RX SUPER - the versatility that always gets the job done.

TILLY’S – NO ATTACHMENT ISSUES AROUND HERE!

Bedrock has a reputation as one of the world’s largest construction machinery attachment manufacturers, providing cost-effective alternatives driven by quality and built to last. With a rapidly increasing level of demand for Tilly’s range of genuine, low-hour OE machines has come matching demand for quality, compatible attachments.

Attachments currently in stock at Tilly’s Toowoomba HQ include long-reach booms, ripper groups, scrub canopies, front blades, sweeps and stick rakes. Wheel loader forks and variations of quick hitch and thumbs suitable for a variety of excavators round out the range.

Customers purchasing machines from Tilly’s inventory can make their selection of suitable attachments and have them fitted by the experienced team in their onsite workshop prior to delivery.

Add to this the extensive range of over 40,000 new alternative part-lines in stock and Tilly’s customers are guaranteed quality, long-term solutions for their machinery maintenance and repairs.

Tilly’s team of 14 highly experienced Parts Interpreters do just that – take the information provided and translate it into the perfect solution.

SERVICE, MAINTENANCE AND PARTS

Understanding the specific requirements of their Australia-wide customer-base and providing fast, efficient service and turn-around times is what Tilly’s has prided itself on for

38 years. The Right Part, Right Price, Right Now guarantee is fiercely upheld by the entire team, from the sales team to the workshop floor and everywhere in between.

Committed to keeping you on track, Team Tilly’s welcomes enquiries about their range of machinery, attachments and new parts, which can also be viewed online at www.tillys.com.au

SERVICE, MAINTENANCE AND PARTS

Scheduled service parts needed for regular servicing requirements as specified according to service meter reading (SMR) hours can now be ordered more quickly, easily and efficiently via the myKomatsu online parts portal (https://my.komatsu.com.au/buy-scheduledservice-parts).

To ensure earthmoving, quarrying and mining equipment remains productive, reliable, safe and efficient, it’s essential customers follow the regular servicing requirements specified for Komatsu’s SMR hours.

And because the parts and consumables needed to carry out a scheduled service can vary considerably depending on the machine and the relevant SMR service, it can be a timeconsuming process to ensure all the parts required have been ordered.

Now, to make this process easier, faster and more efficient, the myKomatsu online parts portal allows customers to order their scheduled service parts through pre-populated Bill of Material lists, using an easy-to-use, intuitive process.

This new feature has been introduced in response to customer demand and requests. Customers must be logged in to gain access to this new functionality.

According to David Small, Komatsu’s General Manager – Aftermarket, ordering through myKomatsu’s pre-populated list feature ensures their order contains all the parts and consumables required for a machine’s SMR service, so that it fully aligns with the company’s National Service Standards.

“Komatsu’s National Service Standards specify which parts are required for each SMR service interval; these standards have been developed to build on and expand Komatsu’s factory standards,” says Small.

“By using scheduled service parts based around the National Standard, customers are assured they are maintaining their machines using the right OEM parts – backed by full Komatsu warranty.

“Customers’ ability to order these scheduled service parts using pre-populated lists through myKomatsu greatly streamlines and speeds up the ordering process, so that the correct parts are supplied for the right machine every single time.

“This helps ensure that a machine’s productivity and uptime is maintained, with unscheduled downtime far less likely to occur,” he says.

Scheduled service parts included within Komatsu’s National Standard include:

• Filters, including fuel, oil, hydraulic, air, coolant and brake fluid

• Fluids, including coolant, oils and greases

• KOWA oil sample kits

• Hoses

• Nuts, bolts, washers, seals and other small items.

“myKomatsu automatically creates a pre-populated list of scheduled service parts – matched by serial number to the customer’s actual machine – that contains the full range of parts required for the next SMR service interval.

“That means they are not taking any shortcuts or finding out that they don’t have all the parts and consumables they need for a scheduled service,” says Small.

Within myKomatsu, customers can search for scheduled service parts based on their machine model, as well as by serial number, to ensure they have everything they need. Premium online account customers can also search according to their fleet records.

Small says it’s a simple three-step process to identify – and then order – the correct pre-populated parts list for a machine’s next scheduled service, giving customers’ a fast and efficient online shopping experience:

Step 1: Enter machine’s details (either model number or serial number), or select a machine from a fleet list (Premium Online Account customers only).

Step 2: Select the machine’s engine serial number range.

Step 3: Select the upcoming SMR service interval, between 250 and 6000 hours.

“Once identified, each pre-populated parts list shows the individual items within it, so a customer understands what’s required, including the individual parts, and the quantities of each,” he says.

“Customers can add extra items, or even delete some if they don’t wish to purchase. At all times, the flexibility in the ordering process is within the customer’s control.”

Scheduled service parts can be added to a shopping cart with a single click. They can also be saved as a “wishlist” for a future checkout without having to repeat the process.

Scheduled service parts orders can also be shared with others within an organisation, including identification of the model and service interval.

“Another great enhancement on myKomatsu is stock availability of parts,” says Small. “This includes stock within its local distribution centre and local branch.

“Service parts ordered through myKomatsu are shipped from our region-wide network of distribution centres and branches, directly to the nominated location for that machine, whether it’s the customer’s workshop, jobsite or office.

“This upgrade is the latest in Komatsu’s suite of offerings through our myKomatsu online customer portal.

“We’re excited to be able to continually grow our digital offering to make it easier for customers to do business with us online,” says Small.

“From the rollout of our online portal in 2019, to the integration of our Condition Monitoring Services website in 2020, and now the quick and easy online ordering of scheduled service parts, this is the latest example of how we are constantly responding to customers,” he says.

The myKomatsu online customer portal is available at https://my.komatsu.com.au and can be accessed by any web-enabled device: desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone, 24/7 from any location.

Dig right where you stand with a tiltrotator from engcon. In front of the machine, sideways or offset and reach those hard to get places without moving your machine. Engcon instantly makes your excavator more efficient, flexible and safe.

Our innovative system also minimizes the need and cost for that increasingly hard to find ground labor. Top your engcon off with our fully automatic quick coupler, DC2 controls and tiltrotator-optimized attachments and you’ll be fully ahead of the game!

Want to know more?

ITR PACIFIC

EXPANDING PASSED THE PARTS

As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to the Australian Earthmoving Industry, ITR expand their service offerings with the establishment of their Undercarriage Track Workshop facilities in QLD, NSW and WA, as well as their Rubber Track Installation services.

PART OF THE USCO GROUP OF COMPANIES

ITR Pacific is part of the USCO Group of companies and recognised internationally as a reputable supplier of Earthmoving Machinery Parts. With ITR Pacific’s Passion for Parts, the company has established itself as one of the leading suppliers of quality parts through a network of branches across Australia.

FULLY EQUIPPED TRACK SHOPS

Still strongly invested in the supply of Undercarriage Parts and Components, Ground Engaging Tools, Rubber Tracks, Aftermarket Earthmoving Machine Parts and Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Parts, ITR Pacific is targeting a new opportunity with the introduction of a new Undercarriage Track Workshop facility in both their NSW and QLD operations. This new development will allow ITR Pacific to offer customers an end-to-end service on ITR Undercarriage Parts and Components. The companies aim is to have a third Track Workshop set up in Western Australia by the end of 2021.

STREAMLINED AND EFFICIENT

Over the past few months, the ITR Pacific Team has been hard at work setting up some impressive workshop equipment such as 250ton and 360ton Track Presses which will allow customers to have their larger track

chains resealed with pins and bushes rotated ensuring maximum life out of these chains.

Hydraulic Wrench track bed Torque Multipliers will ensure all track bolts are correctly torqued to the required specification, ensuring track plates secure, especially when machines

SERVICE, MAINTENANCE AND PARTS

are working in tough conditions. Heavy-duty Track Beds and Track Winders custom made for Australian conditions and are capable of handling track chains up to 10 tones in weight, comfortably covering the large Cat D11 and Komatsu D475 track groups. Using all their knowledge and expertise to ensure the process of track lengthening, shortening, new link assembly bolts ups, and pin and bush turns are streamlined and efficient for a quick turnaround time. As ITR does not compromise on the quality of the parts, they have certainly not compromised on the quality of their Track Workshop Equipment, ensuring that each job can be carried out professionally and to exceed their customers’ expectations.

FREE UNDERCARRIAGE INSPECTIONS

ITR Pacific knows that a large percentage of the cost in owning and operating a tracktype machine is related to its undercarriage, therefore ITR recommends that it is best to be proactive and have the undercarriage on

your track-type machine inspected regularly allowing you to get the most life from your asset. So, in addition to the large range of Undercarriage Parts and the new Track Workshop facilities, ITR Pacific also offers professional undercarriage wear inspection and detailed reports using the ITR WearTek Plus reporting system, allowing a customer full access to their track reports through a mobile app and online web portal.

RUBBER TRACK INSTALLATION

With the acquisition of DTN Equipment in July 2020, ITR Pacific expanded their sales and service arm to include the fitment of excavator and skid steer loader rubber tracks, along with other undercarriage parts such as rubber pads and sprockets. The ITR

Mini Undercarriage installation team currently consists of two service vehicles that operate in Southeast Queensland, with plans to expand this service to their Sydney, Melbourne and Perth branches. With over 53 years of invaluable industry experience and qualified specialists, ITR will use the successful and well known DTN model when establishing their fitment services Australia wide.

The substantial growth ITR has seen over the last 12 months is nothing more than a reflection on the Australian Earthmoving Industry and the services and parts that it is demanding.

To find out more about ITR’s full product offering and services, give them a call on 1300 820 214 or visit their website www.itrpacific.com.au.

CATERPILLAR B MODEL HAMMER

Caterpillar introduced its latest range of smaller Cat® B Model hammers to the market a few years ago which are becoming a popular addition to many Cat compact equipment owners setup. These hammers have been designed to complement its existing range of H-series Hammers and are suited for customers looking for a reliable hammer option on jobsites where rock or concrete breaking requirements are more of an occasional requirement than outright production.

To achieve this, Caterpillar designed its B Model range which are compatible with the range of Cat® Next Generation Mini Excavators from 1 tonne to 10 tonnes in machine weight. While this comes with less overall features than the range of Cat H-series hammers, it continues to provide the durability and performance you would expect from Caterpillar. Some key aspects of the Cat B Model hammer can be outlined below:

1. Cat B Model hammers are designed and manufactured to strict Caterpillar standards using many parts commonly used on machine and products produced by the company. This makes accessing repair or replacement parts easier as items are readily available from the world-renowned Caterpillar and Cat dealer parts network.

2. Cat B Model hammers have 30% to 40% fewer parts than its previous design providing for a reliable and durable hammer with less chance of unscheduled repair.

3. Cat B Model hammers are performance matched to Caterpillar machines to provide the best overall balance between hammer breaking power and productivity, as well as protect against unnecessary fuel use or excessive engine wear.

4. Ease of Maintenance I – All B Model hammers can be maintained or recharged on the jobsite. Access to the charging port, testing port and greasing port can all be done without the need to remove the hammer from the machine or remove the head bracket from the hammer.

5. Ease of Maintenance II – Cat B Model hammers have lower bushings that are field replaceable in around 30 minutes, eliminating one of the major costs experienced with freeze-fitted lower bushings that require special tooling and can generally only be achieved at a workshop.

6. Ease of Maintenance III – The lower bushing can be rotated 90 degrees to effectively double the life of the bush. This can also be done in the field without need for special tooling.

7. Silenced Hammers – All Cat silenced hammers are fully enclosed with urethane and nylon isolation mounts to provide maximum possible sound reduction. These are maintenance-free and last the life of the hammer.

ILLUSTRATION OF A CAT B MODEL HAMMER, COMPATIBLE WITH NEXT GEN CAT EXCAVATORS FROM 1 TO 10 TONNES.

Internal control valve factory-set to deliver constant power and breaking force through the piston.

Single-piece outer cover on silenced models.

Weight balanced piston and tool ratio efficiently transfers energy into material and reduces recoil.

Large top buffer to reduce recoil force to the machine.

Maintenance ports and greasing locations all accessible when mounted on the machine.

Modern design with Fewer overall parts for greater reliability and lower repair and maintenance costs.

Slip-fit upper bushing freely rotates 360 degrees for extended life.

Slip-fit lower bushing can be rotated 90 degrees for extended life. No special tooling required.

Every purchase of a Cat B Model Hammer includes a maintenance toolbox consisting of:

• Nitrogen charging kit with charging hose.

• Cat® Hammer Paste.

• Tool retention and bushing retention spring pins.

SONDRIO CIVIL GROWS AT RAPID RATE WITH JCB 3CX

Owner of Sondrio Civil, Rino Giacomelli doesn’t shy away from hard work, but when it comes to finding efficient and more productive ways to get the job done, Rino is definitely open to considering new and innovative products to assist him and his team. With a fleet of JCB 3CX Elite backhoes, the business has grown at a rapid pace and has a strong reputation for its work in the professional services and pit construction industry.

“Before purchasing our JCB 3CXs, a lot of our work was manual,” said Rino. “With work loading and building formwork in the pits and on to trucks all done by hand.”

When on site working with another company, Rino noticed they would often use a backhoe to undertake a range of tasks onsite. Wanting his operation to be more autonomous, the logical solution was to purchase a machine to help with the heavy lifting and allow the team to complete the work quickly and efficiently.

Sondrio Civil now use the backhoes to lift, transport and backfill the pits as they are being stripped.

“Prior to purchasing our first backhoe, I spoke to a lot of owners in the industry and the JCB 3CX was the most recognised and respected machine on site, so it was the natural choice,” said Rino.

Key features of the JCB 3CX for Sondrio Civil are the viewing height at the rear, stability of the machine, clearance and genuine reliability. Resale value of the machines was also a large factor, and given the popularity and reputation of the range there is a strong market for used JCB backhoes.

When it came time to increase Rino’s fleet, the new JCB 3CX Stage V Pro was the logical choice. “I needed a new machine to add to my fleet and the updated cab really appealed to me,” said Rino. Featuring a new 7” LCD display screen, operators now have

far greater information at their fingertips with more functionality and relevant information easily accessible.”

The new JCB 3CX Pro also features a class leading 6-speed auto powershift transmission and torque lock providing unrivalled performance on the road with high-speed capability when moving between sites.

The 3CX Backhoe comes standard with an auto locking limited slip diff, which detects

wheel slip without the requirement for operator engagement ensuring optimum safety for the operator, an ideal feature for the team at Sondrio Civil when onsite in wet conditions.

Since Rino’s first purchase of a JCB 3CX backhoe 30 years ago his business has pleasingly grown at a rapid rate and he hopes to see it continue over the coming years. “With the edition of this latest machine I’m looking forward to taking on more projects and helping my team be more productive and efficient,” said Rino.

Rino also credits the friendly and approachable sales team at his local JCB CEA dealership for their help in showcasing the JCB 3CX Pro’s key features and benefits as they apply to his business. “I’d recommend the product to others based on service and reliability,” said Rino. “When it comes to your business and managing customers expectations, this is critical.”

With an efficient design philosophy and a focus on operator ergonomics, visibility and safety, the new JCB 3CX Pro is the ideal machine for single and fleet operators across a diverse range of applications.

Like to know more? Contact your local JCB CEA dealership today.

MINIMUM SWING

MAXIMUM SPACE

Introducing our latest addition to the X Series. At just 1,720mm, the new 245XR has a 40% shorter tailswing than the conventional 220X, making it ideal for work in confined urban sites and highways. Despite having reduced tail swing, the 245XR still boasts one of the biggest, most comfortable, quiet and easy to operate cabs on the market, while our proven Tier 4 Final DIESELMAX engine and selectable swing smoothing as standard provide optimum performance in any application.

2 BROTHERS CIVIL GROWS WITH HIDROMEK

Jamie Stevenson has been in the earthmoving industry for over 30 years working for different companies as a machinery operator. Three years ago Jamie took the plunge and decided to go out on his own, which was the start of 2 Brothers Civil based in Miners Rest, north of Ballarat in Victoria. In July last year Jamie purchased his first Hidromek excavator: a HMK145LCSR.

The Hidromek HMK145LCSR is a compact heavyweight at 16.8 tonnes.

“The fuel economy of the HMK145LCSR is amazing – better than anything else I’ve operated,” Jamie explains.

Earlier this year 2 Brothers Civil had the opportunity to grow and add a larger excavator, this time – a Hidromek HMK230LC, which has an operating weight of 23.4 tonnes.

“I have been doing mainly subdivision work, drainage, trenches and civil work and the HMK230LC is perfectly suited to that.”

Jamie also opted for a Daemo (Alicon) B215 hammer, which is built for 18-25 tonne excavators.

“The hammer is great quality – I’m very happy with it and the integration with the Hidromek has been seamless,” Jamie adds.

When asked why Jamie took a punt and tried a newer brand on the market, he said, “I saw the Hidromek 30 tonner on the internet and thought it looked good. I also did my research and contacted a few owners

who all gave me good references. They sent me photos and I got feedback directly from the people who own these machines.

I spoke to enough people and did enough research to have confidence in the machine to purchase it.

“I also looked at the landscape in Turkey where these machines are designed and built. They obviously have to be built tough looking at the rocky landscape they have over there.

I contacted Onetrak and have been dealing with Shane Hickson from the Victorian sales team. He has been great to deal with and I’ve been very happy with the purchases,” Jamie adds.

Operator Wayne works with Jamie and now operates the Hidromek HMK145LCSR excavator.

“I’ve operated all the different brands on the market and the HMK145LCSR is in

a class of its own. It’s a ‘beefier machine’ –I was surprised just how powerful it is for its size. It’s almost like it’s over engineered,” Wayne says.

“I do mainly trenching works with a lot of rocks and use the rockbreaker a fair bit. The HMK145LCSR is more capable and has more breakout power than any other machines I’ve operated,” Wayne explains.

“The cabin comfort is great; it’s smooth, easy to operate, stable and has good aircon. The build quality is great and it’s just so powerful. It has no downtime – it’s just super tough and reliable. I really can’t fault this machine,” Wayne concludes.

Onetrak is the official dealer for Hidromek construction equipment and Dameo hammers. Visit www.onetrak.com.au or call 1300 727 520 to learn more about the equipment range.

The Hidromek HMK230LC is fitted with a Daemo B215 Breaker.

Jamie in the HMK230LC. Wayne in the HMK145LCSR.

TOUGH AND RELIABLE DIECI DUMPERS

With the needs of construction sites constantly changing and a large focus on reducing management costs and improving vehicle productivity, Dieci has invested in delivering a range of dumpers that match the evolving requests of their customers.

Designed with the same quality design as their telehandlers, Dieci’s dumpers are a versatile, manoeuvrable and lightweight solution with robust construction and industry standard components.

Robustness and practicality are primary characteristics of Dieci dumpers, thanks to the adoption of particular technological devices and quality components they are perfect for guaranteeing extreme performance such as those required on construction sites or in industrial settings.

Built with the Dieci PX off-road chassis, these machines have proven their tough off-road capabilities against Australia’s harshest environments.

These vehicles have a much smaller footprint than standard trucks, with a turning circle unparalleled by any other machine in its class, while still having a large payload capacity, given how compact they are. This makes them ideal for worksites that have limited space or where larger vehicles are impractical.

With a maximum capacity of up to 12,000kg and load volume of up to 7.0m3, Dieci dumpers are supported by a hydraulic system that allows the dump body to tip automatically.

All models have a fully enclosed ROPS – FOPS rated cab with air conditioning, double swing doors and reversible driver’s seat (allowing the driver to face over the cabin or the tray when operating). Many localised custom options are also available to ensure maximum productivity, safety and site compliance.

With 4WD, and three steering options – 4WD, crab and front steering – Dieci dumpers can manoeuvre around the tightest worksites.

Ease-of-use and driver safety are essential factors for every vehicle produced by Dieci, to which the company has over the years built a solid reputation for reliability and expertise among companies in the construction, agricultural and mining sectors.

DP 4200 KEY FEATURES:

Engine: FTP

Maximum Capacity: 8500kg Width: 2350mm

Height: 3010mm

Dumper Body Capacity: 5.3m³ (Heaped)

Total Weight: 5000kg

DP 7000 KEY FEATURES:

Engine: FTP

Maximum Capacity: 12,000kg Width: 2350mm

Height: 3090mm

Dumper Body Capacity: 7.5m³ (Heaped)

Total Weight: 5000kg

Dieci dumpers are in stock and available across Australia through the Dieci Australia dealer network.

For more information, contact Dieci Australia on 1300 888 479 or visit www.dieciaustralia.com.au

Designed with the same quality Italian design as their telehandlers, Dieci dumpers are a versatile, manoeuvrable and lightweight solution with robust construction and industry standard components.

Built with the Dieci PX off-road chassis, these machines have proven their tough off-road capabilities against Australia’s harshest environments.

DP 4200

Engine: FTP

Maximum Capacity: 8,500kg

Dumper Body Capacity: 5.3m³

(Heaped)

Total Weight: 5000kg

DP 7000

Engine: FTP

Maximum Capacity: 12,000kg

Dumper Body Capacity: 7.5m³ (Heaped)

Total Weight: 5000kg

Hardworking and reliable with many custom localised options available, it’s easy to see why Dieci dumpers are the ideal machine for your construction application. Contact

THE NEW CAT® 315 GC AN EXCAVATOR THAT FITS

The

315 GC – a model proven affordable, durable, reliable and low cost per hour solution.

Caterpillar designed the Cat 315 GC Next Generation compact radius excavator with a larger cab, lower maintenance cost up to 25%, and reduced fuel consumption up to 15% when compared to the previous 315F L model. This new machine is powered by the Cat C3.6 engine that produces 73kW net power.

Similar to the 315 machine, the 315 GC is a 15-metric-tonne excavator, part of Caterpillar’s small excavator lineup, sandwiched between the 13-metric-tonne 313 and the 18-metrictonne 317. This is a machine suitable for use in a wide variety of jobs and industries like grade work, slope work, trenching, loading and utility work.

A compact radius machine with a 1.57m tail swing radius, the 315 GC is easy to manoeuvre and transport. Operators will be able to get into tight spaces for digging and lifting. With a maximum digging depth of 5.99m and a maximum loading height of 7.2m, this machine compares very favourably with much larger machines.

The new electronically controlled hydraulics have made for both faster control response

and higher hydraulic flow on the new GC machine. To the customer, the benefit with the GC model is that you’re getting F-Series level of performance, but now at a lower price point while still getting the big maintenance savings, the big fuel savings and the electro-hydraulic controls on the more expensive standard 315 model.

A key driver in the new design was to reduce maintenance costs by up to 25 per cent over the 315F L with extended and more synchronised maintenance intervals. The new hydraulic oil filter delivers improved filtration and extends filter change intervals to 3000 operating hours, a 50% increase. Both the pilot and case drain filters have been eliminated on the 315GC, with less filters to change that means lower operating costs for the customer.

Operators can conveniently track filter life and maintenance intervals on the in-cab LCD monitor. All daily maintenance checkpoints, including engine oil level, are easily accessible from ground-level, making it safer and easier for the operator.

Just like the 315, the 315 GC larger cab design improves ingress/egress plus

boosts operator comfort and productivity.

The spacious Cat comfort cab offers a low-profile design plus larger front, rear and side windows with narrow cab pillars to provide a 60 per cent greater vertical visibility compared to the Cat 315F excavator, enhancing safe operation. The viscous cab mounts have also reduced vibration.

The new cab design features a large, 8-inch (203-mm) LCD monitor with touchscreen capability for easy navigation and intuitive operation, boosting productivity for operators of all experience levels. Standard rear-view and right-hand sideview cameras further improve visibility of the operating environment. Reducing operator fatigue, viscous mounts significantly lessen cab vibration compared to previous designs.

The new cab is key to the customer experience. The ergonomically designed, ROPS cab now sees all controls in front of the operator, a touch screen monitor for ease of use and a seat and consoles offering comfort in even the most aggressive applications.

A keyless push start button as well as joysticks with customisable buttons is available for each operator via a unique pin-code system.

This new cab is the standard for operator comfort allowing them to reach the highest productivity levels. It really has to be seen to be believed how much has been packed into one excavator cabin. There are some customers that do not need the added technology features for the work they do. Why pay for something you will never need? If you’re in the market for a machine that

gives you a solid performance with the benefit of lower up-front acquisition costs, lower owning and operating costs and unmatched dealer support, then check out the 315 GC.

Caterpillar expects the customer experience in the 315 GC machines will set a new standard especially for those who consider the Cat brand outside of their price range. They certainly warrant further exploration at your local dealer – a test drive is an experience not to be missed.

For more information about Cat 315 GC, visit your local Cat dealer.

NSW/ACT WesTrac 1300 881 064

VIC/TAS William Adams 1300 923 267

Western Australia WesTrac 1300 881 064

QLD/NT Hastings Deering 131 228

South Australia Cavpower 08 8343 1600

NZ TERRA 0800 93 39 39

CLARK EQUIPMENT BRINGS NEXT-GENERATION DOOSAN DL420-7M WHEEL LOADER TO THE

LOCAL MARKET

Australian-owned manufacturer and distributor Clark Equipment has expanded its line-up of Doosan wheel loaders, bringing the next-generation DL-7M series to the local market, with the newly arrived DL420-7M loader not only decked out to deliver power and productivity, but also sporting a range of intelligent and innovative features.

As Doosan advises, the DL420-7M draws on the strong heritage of previous loader generations, building on the key features of predecessor models, paving the way for efficient operations and improved performance, with it primed to tackle a range of demanding applications across variable work conditions. Meanwhile, its intelligent components are designed to deliver enhanced functionality, with simple and intuitive features helping operators get the job done efficiently and effectively, while operational data can be harnessed to undertake targeted maintenance and cut machine downtime.

Weighing in at an operating weight of 22.75 t, the DL420-7M is a workhorse that has been designed to go the long haul, with it balancing operating comfort with a robust and resilient design, allowing it to thrive in tough work environments.

POWER AND PERFORMANCE PAVES THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT OPERATIONS

The DL420-7M runs a Scania DC13 engine paired with an electronic powershift transmission (manual and automatic modes), with its loadsensing hydraulic system designed to produce flow and pressure for the implement system only when needed, improving productivity and lowering fuel consumption.

In addition to this, a breakout force of 198 kN, complemented by high traction power across a range of working conditions, enables easier operations in demanding environments, allowing operators to handle the hardest of materials.

Other notable features include:

• Z kinetics – the Z lifting geometry is designed for heavy loads, with few moving parts contributing to stability, enabling rapid bucket movements and ensuring correct angle positioning in all situations.

• Better weight distribution – a heavier standard counterweight structure stably controls the enlarged bucket (bucket capacity of 3.9 – 7 m³).

• Situation awareness technology – automatically monitors the machine’s operation, analysing operative data to adjust the engine’s output, attaining maximum fuel efficiency.

• Limited-slip differentials – fitted at the front and rear automatically ensure maximum

tractive effort and easy driving over soft and muddy ground, preventing excessive tire wear. In addition to this, the DL420-7M can be used with a range of durable attachments, providing operators flexibility in undertaking a variety of tasks.

SPACIOUS CAB DECKED OUT TO PROVIDE OPERATOR COMFORT

Operator comfort is a key feature of the DL420-7M, which features a spacious cab equipped with an ergonomically redesigned brake pedal and non-slip floor mat, along with a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

The cab is designed to deliver all-around visibility, with it sporting an enlarged front windshield and panoramic cabin windows, complemented by adjustable seating (optional air-suspension seat), delivering a safe and comfortable work environment.

In addition to this, a central gauge panel puts essential information in front of the operator, providing an overview of the machine status,

and a switch panel/keypad allows for convenient operation, while a thumbwheel joystick delivers united and intuitive control.

ROBUST DESIGN AND EASY MAINTENANCE

The DL420-7M is decked out to deliver durability across its various components, with it sporting a robust frame design which provides solidity, with Doosan advising that countless tests have proven it can cope with the most demanding work environments.

When it comes to maintenance, the DL420-7M has been designed for quick and convenient checks, with many of its components accessible from the outside and from ground level, enabling it to keep going over the long haul with a minimum of fuss.

Meanwhile, the DoosanCONNECT service provides operational data in an hourly cycle –including fuel consumption data, error code and parts replacement interval information – paving the way for operators to carry out preparatory checks anytime and anywhere.

FUTURE-PROOF PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY.

TIER 4 FINAL, NO DPF!

The Doosan DX140LCR-5 machine builds on Doosan’s enviable reputation for hardworking, reliable and comfortable machines, with this next generation model offering an exceptionally powerful DPF-FREE TIER 4 FINAL engine.

By complying with US Tier 4 regulations, the Tier 4 Final DX140LCR-5 will have no issue operating on jobsites with Tier 4 emission standards - helping future-proof your investment. And with no DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter), you will avoid the maintenance issues experienced by other manufacturers - from time consuming regeneration cycles to expensive DPF servicing issues. This makes the Doosan DX140LCR-5 one of the most productive and reliable machines in its class.

JOHN DEERE 317G COMPACT TRACK LOADER

COMFORT

In a John Deere 317G compact track loader, “compact” does not mean cramped! Larger entryways with doors that swing out make it easier to get in, get comfortable, and get on with it. Inside, there is more foot and legroom. Quiet pressurised cabs help to keep the dust out and the noise down, so you can focus on work — and even enjoy the hands-free Bluetooth® radio for streaming your favourite media. A comfortable, adjustable high-back sculpted seat provides daylong comfort and support. For even more comfort, a heated air-ride seat is available.

CONTROL

The 317G features push-button selectable electro-hydraulic (EH) hand or foot controls and connect-under-pressure auxiliary hydraulic couplers. EH differential steering speeds up the outside track during a turn, providing faster travel whilst manoeuvring and more powerful turns when grading and hauling. EH controls enable features such as creep control so the engine RPM can be maintained at full speed and the operator can reduce travel speed in 10 per cent increments so they can match the ground speed to the attachment.

Check the 317G CTL specs and you’ll see exceptional pushing power and breakout force deliver the tractive effort and leverage

to dig in where other machines just spin. Equipped with optional 15.8-inch track, the 317G CTL’s ground pressure is just 4.5 psi, enabling work in soft underfoot conditions and side-slope stability.

With standard 12.6-inch track, ground pressure is only 5.5 psi along with widths at less than 72 inches with optional 15.8-inch track and just over 65 inches with standard 12.6-inch track, little gets in the way of the 317G CTL. Its small stature makes it easy to trailer, too.

From the cab there are clear sightlines to the cutting edge and bucket corners, above and below the lift arms, and the jobsite ahead instil confidence when working in close quarters.

CONVENIENCE

Push-button convenience with the optional sealed-switch module provides access to keyless start and anti-theft settings, plus fingertip activation of numerous machine functions including optional ride control and hydraulic self-levelling.

Easy refuelling and other fluid additions are convenient and quick. Generous tank capacity and fuel-efficient diesels enable daylong operation, letting you accomplish more between fill-ups.

Checks are simplified with colour-coded handles and caps on conveniently positioned dipsticks and filler necks. See-through

reservoirs and sight gauges let you check fuel, hydraulic oil, and windshield washer fluid levels at a glance. Spin-on engine oil and fuel filters mounted remotely behind the rear door allow quick changes. Extended service intervals reduce downtime for scheduled maintenance. For easy drivetrain reach, the operator’s station also swings up and out of the way in less than two minutes.

SERVICEABILITY

Full-tilt access is achieved by swinging open the rear door and tilting up the hood for convenient ground-level reach to dipsticks, fuel- and fluid-filler necks, making access to filters achievable without rolling back coolers or removing sections of the belly pan. Auxiliary hydraulic lines and wiring are routed through the boom, where they are protected from damage.

Cleanout is a breeze because the hinged rear door and hydraulic cooler swing open, making trash removal and core cleanout simple. Latched coolers separate easily without the need for tools. If you are a ‘neat freak’ or run a rental yard, you will appreciate the convenient floor access that helps speed maintenance. Cab side windows also remove easily for cleaning.

For more information on all the comfort, control, convenience and serviceability of the 317G visit www.deere.com.au/en/compact-track-loaders

Comfort, control, convenience, and serviceability make up this 317G compact track loader from John Deere.

We fit one into a CTL. The 333G SMARTGRADE is here. The World’s First CLT With Integrated 3D Grade Control. It’s the brain of a SmartGrade™ dozer inside the nimble body of a CTL. So you can now precision grade in tight spots the crawlers can’t reach. The 333G automatically controls the custom-engineered six-way blade, helping both new and experienced operators to finish faster. It also helps operators learn faster thanks to the exclusive DozerMode control solution, enabling the EH joysticks to function like a crawler. Precision. Speed. Versatility. It all just fits.

It’s a New Day and a New Deere.

REDUCE MATERIAL DOUBLE HANDLING NEEDS

ALLU series of multi-faceted screener crusher buckets, powered by the carrier they are mounted on, offer solutions for heavy duty carriers and operators to reduce material double handling needs.

When mine and quarrying veteran Len Hardy decided he needed two ‘big’ new buckets for his Bonnyview Quarries business in NSW, he knew exactly what brand he wanted and where to turn to when he wanted to buy them.

Having used a number of smaller ALLU buckets on his excavators over the years, Len had his eyes on a pair of ALLU DH4-23 XHD25 screening buckets to take on the bigger jobs and provide additional versatility to his operation, which supplies customers right across NSW.

Built by Finnish private limited company ALLU Finland Oy, the ALLU screen crushers are highly versatile and the ideal tool for creating material such as road base and building materials.

According to Len, they are the perfect fit for his business.

“They are the best constructed buckets for the applications we use them for. They are really well engineered and provide a very reliable performance,” he said.

“The two new buckets we acquired are performing really well and we couldn’t be happier.”

FROM INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO COMPOSTING CONTRACTORS

RDW group has been the Australian importer and distributor for ALLU for around five years, distributing the product through a nationwide network, servicing major infrastructure projects including water and gas. However, the versatile ALLU system is quickly making inroads with civil and composting contractors.

Sales Area Manager in Rocklea Queensland, Craig Einam, said ALLU bucket applications and installations continue to grow and develop each year.

The versatility of the buckets to be fitted to 5T-80T excavators and larger style loaders makes them particularly popular with quarry operators like Len, while the smaller buckets are also effective on skid steer loaders.

To meet the specific needs of each application a range of blade and drum sizes are available to provide fragment sizes of 50, 75, 100 and 150mm. This helps improve efficiencies through less chute blockages and also reduces the need for buffer storage areas and transportation of material heaps that are clogged due to moisture or contamination.

When looking at a project with a holistic approach given multiple equipment mobilisations, fuel costs and cost to process in low margin return Ore reclaiming projects etc.

ALLU Case studies have shown between $1.50-$2.50 per tonne savings in running costs in comparison to multiple unit processing configurations.

VERSATILITY MEANS BIG SAVINGS

With the ALLU Screener Crushers you can screen, crush, pulverise, aerate, blend, mix, separate, feed and load materials all in one stage.

The versatile attachment can process many types of material such as topsoil, black top and dirt, excavated and waste soil, contaminated soil, clay, peat, bark, compost, biowaste, demolition waste, construction waste, milled asphalt, glass, coal, oil shale, limestone and several other materials.

The versatility of the highly efficient ALLU screening buckets can also mean big savings for their users because they no longer need

to bring both a wheel loader/excavator and a crusher on site.

Instead, with ALLU’s Screener technology, existing loaders and excavators can be converted into effective processing, sorting and screening equipment due to the ALLU Transformers ability to deliver a one-step screening and loading solution capable of handling all materials from wet soils to coal and softer rock materials.

ALLU has the widest range of screening buckets and screener light crushers on the market. The units fit for almost any base machine size starting from the most compact ALLU DL Series to the massive ALLU M Series that will fit up to 160 tonnes excavator and up to 90 tonnes wheel loaders.

ALLU TRACKER HELPS OPERATORS UNDERSTAND PERFORMANCE OF THEIR EQUIPMENT

ALLU Tracker, launched to the market last year, is an effective tool for measuring performance and knowing where the equipment is located. It eliminates the need for lots of manual time keeping and owners and operators can understand the performance of their equipment.

ALLU Tracker works with all ALLU attachments and can be fitted to all models. The benefit of having the tracker is you know where your equipment is by GPS pinpointing and geo fencing, which means you’ll understand what your equipment is doing and its last known location. Increasing awareness of what your machine is doing will help you plan your working load effectively, including operational hours and operational ability. The ALLU Tracker stores all information sent over to an easy-to-use dashboard, and the data is stored in the cloud.

ALLU NETWORK

ALLU products are distributed to over 30 countries around the world and in Australia through a nationwide network:

• Walkers Hammers (VIC, SA, TAS)

• Groundtec (NSW)

• QLD Rock Breakers (QLD and NT)

• Total Rockbreaking Solutions (WA)

Efficient material flow is a key issue in any power plant, bulk harbour and bulk material, storage area or mining operation and any improvements made in this area reflect positively on the bottom line of the P&L and reduce environmental impact.

TOYOTA SKID STEER RELIABILITY TO HELP GROW LH EXCAVATIONS

A booming excavations business has turned to the legendary reliability and performance of Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA), as it establishes its own hire fleet of machines.

LH Excavations, based in Sydney, recently purchased a pair of Toyota Huski skid steer loaders as part of a business expansion that has seen it open an equipment hiring arm, LH Hire.

Since its inception seven years ago, LH Excavations has used equipment from a variety of manufacturers but has chosen to add TMHA to its roster to support the LH Hire business.

LH Excavations owner Lee Heares said that he needed skid steers for the fleet business that could be depended on to work day in, day out, and previous experience using Toyota equipment meant he knew what to expect from the brand.

“I’ve hired their gear through other people before – they’re just good, simple, reliable machines, they’re very easy to use,” he said.

The exceptional reliability and mechanical simplicity of the Huski skid steers made them the perfect fit for the hire fleet, which will likely also be called upon to assist the excavation side of the business.

“I just like that it’s very simple,” he said. “A lot of the gear coming out now is all computerised, there’s too much to fail.

“I find these are just a simple, tough machine in my eyes and I like that. And they’re reliable.

“Every machine I’ve been in with the Huskis; they’re always going, they’re never broken down.”

TMHA area sales manager Peter Bower added that the reliability and mechanical simplicity of Toyota skid steers were common reasons for purchase, due to the critical importance of having functional workplace equipment.

“Simplicity is what a lot of people like about our products,” Mr Bower said. “I would say the majority of our customers come to us for things like that. They are very effective and very reliable.”

LH has ordered two Huski skid steer loaders –

a 3.1-tonne 5SDK8 and a smaller 1.1-tonne 4SDK4 unit perfect for smaller applications like backyard DIY.

Mr Heares said LH Excavations saw the opportunity to expand its business after finding itself regularly lending out its equipment.

“The idea was pretty much borne from requests from others to use our gear. We could see there was a demand in the market for a new offering,” he said.

“Having the excavation business and then having people asking to loan the gear out, we saw the opportunity to start a hire company, and it’s taken off pretty well.”

Mr Heares said he would happily recommend TMHA to others in the industry, remarking that any company offering machines with the quality of his Toyota Huski units would get his blessing.

He also praised the easy and hassle-free relationship developed with TMHA, thanks to the help provided by Mr Bower.

LH Excavations has stated its ambition to grow its business and add more units to its hire operation.

“We don’t want to be a small company, we want to strive to be someone bigger,” Mr Heares said. “The doors aren’t shut for us in terms of growing, so it’s just the time now to keep the cash flow high and keep buying more machines.”

LH Excavations started seven years ago as a one-man operation, with Mr Heares getting his start when a friend bought him a machine to excavate his house.

Slowly buying machines and taking on new workers, Mr Heares and his partner Eleni Kamper expanded the business to the point where it now employs six staff in Sydney’s southern suburbs.

For more information freecall 1800 425 438 or visit www.huskiconstructionequipment.com.au

ROBUST LOVOL FL958K WHEEL LOADER THRIVES IN TOUGH CONDITIONS

Toowoomba-based construction and agriculture equipment importer and distributor Equipment Specialists Australia has been hard at work in recent times, with the authorised Australian distributor for Lovol equipment adding to its high-quality portfolio of wheel loaders, introducing a number of Lovol K Series loaders to the local market.

Lawrence Perkins, Equipment Specialists Operations Manager, told EEM that family farming business Reardon Farms, which operates farms in both Queensland and New South Wales, has recently taken delivery of a Lovol FL958K wheel loader, primed to tackle a range of demanding applications.

As Lawrence noted, getting it right first time is a priority for businesses like Reardon Farms, which may be isolated and far from the technical support that metro-based operators can sometimes take for granted, and which require “tough gear that will handle the tough conditions”.

“It’s one of Australia’s largest cotton farms,” he explained. “It’s an amazing setup, with all the roads and laneways signposted, while every property has a map at the entrance.

“It also has a full in-house workshop and parts guy. It’s like its own standalone business, they are so big. There are a few planes that they use on the farms and more. It’s huge and really an amazing, professional setup.”

LOVOL FL958K LOADER A PRACTICAL

CHOICE FOR REARDON FARMS

Reardon Farms draws on a long history in the farming sector, with owners Robert and Jennie Reardon starting the business in 1969, and presiding over its growth, which over the years has seen it branch out from its dryland origins to encompass both dryland and irrigated farming.

Today, Reardon Farms operates in Goondiwindi, Mungindi and Moree on the Queensland/New South Wales border, with its farms growing irrigated cotton, along with a variety of irrigated and dryland crops, in addition to running a cattle breeding program and a licensed feedlot.

In total, Reardon Farms owns and operates 11 farms, with the majority of its earthworks

taking place on its Queensland irrigation farms, which were originally grazing properties and which have been developed to grow row-cropped and flood-irrigated cotton.

Lawrence noted that the FL958K loader was a practical choice for Reardon Farms, representing “the highest-class machine out of China, with the new K Series featuring redesigned, rounded modern bodywork and a larger cab”.

“While comparing with the big-name brands in style, function and performance, Lovol has avoided extra plastic and troublesome electronics that others have added, thus making the Lovol K Series machines more reliable and a lower cost to own,” he commented.

“Not to mention, no AdBlue, no DPF and no EGR. Now at least someone has listened to what the people who pay to keep Australia running actually want!”

LOVOL FL958K LOADER PRIMED TO GET THE JOB DONE

The FL958K weighs in at 18 t (operating weight) and has a 5.5 t rated load capacity, with it running a 180 kW Cummins 9.3 L QSB common rail Tier 3 engine, paired with a fully automatic change powershift transmission.

As noted by Lawrence, electrically controlled functions are kept to a minimum (there’s no hydraulics system ECU), paving the way for less downtime and effectively reducing the potential for costly repairs.

When it comes to the FL958K’s construction, it is robust and primed to get the job done in tough Australian conditions, with it additionally featuring:

• An extra-large ROPS and FOPS-certified lined and fully sealed cab (low noise and less vibration), with an air-suspension seat with arm rests and seat belt, and air-conditioning and heating.

• A patented composite reinforced centre pivot structure and bushings.

• Air-over-hydraulic four-wheel disc brake or multi-disc wet brake options.

• Danfoss steering valve.

• A bucket capacity of 3.6m3, 4.2m bucket lift height and boom lifting time of 5.7 seconds (with a choice of GP, rock, coal, grain and bulk buckets)

• Pilot joystick accuracy.

• A travel speed of 40km/h.

• Dimensions of 8.36m (length), 2.745m (width) and 3.38m (height).

• A one-piece fully opening engine cover, enabling easy access (with no bolted covers to remove).

LOVOL FL962K AND FL980K LOADERS DELIVER ALL-ROUND BENEFITS

Among the other K Series models introduced by Equipment Specialists into the Australian market are the FL962K and FL980K loaders, which like the FL958K are designed to thrive and get the job done in tough conditions.

The FL962K weighs in at 20 t (operating weight) and the FL980K tips the scales at 26 t (operating weight), with Lawrence – who told EEM that the 14 t (operating weight) FL940K loader will also soon be arriving locally – pointing to the all-round benefits on offer from both machines.

“They come with the world-renowned Danfoss hydrostatic drive system, as found in Liebherr, with huge savings in fuel consumption, tyre wear, brake wear and increased operator comfort,” he commented.

“With all the big-name brands looking to go this way in the future, Lovol is at the forefront,

having owners and operators together in mind: providing big savings in costs for owners and comfort/less fatigue for operators, therefore increased production!

“It’s a win-win when buying Lovol, not to mention attractive pricing with less overheads from Equipment Specialists, which imports and distributes Lovol equipment throughout Australia.”

Supporting its equipment range, Equipment Specialists provides access to a range of parts and accessories (not only limited to the brands it stocks), which it sells along with other brands not commonly stocked in Australia, with it capable of sourcing items fast and at costeffective prices.

In addition to this, its trade-qualified specialists and experienced personnel support all the products it deals in, ranging from new equipment assembly and fit-outs to servicing and maintenance, with it providing both workshop and field services.

Along with its K Series loaders, Equipment Specialists offers the full range of H series loader models, ranging in operating weights from 12 t to 23 t, along with a selection of Lovol excavator models, spanning operating weights from 1.8 t through to 70 t.

“Equipment Specialists has a wealth of knowledge and experience in heavy construction equipment importing, assembly, spare parts, sales personnel and mechanics,”

Lawrence told EEM . “This gives you the confidence to know that you are backed to the highest level.”

ASV MAX-SERIES POSI-TRACK LOADERS THE NEW INDUSTRY BENCHMARK

ASV Posi-Track Compact Track Loaders have been a construction industry staple in Australia throughout the past decade. Already packed with exceptional and unique innovations, ASV Posi-Track Loaders are now even more impressive, with the addition of the new MAX-Series operator cabs.

Featured as standard on all ASV Posi-Track models sized 65 horsepower and above –including the all-new 132 horsepower RT-135 – MAX-Series cabs offer unmatched comfort, control, visibility, safety and reliability.

COMFORT

A primary focus of ASV’s redesigned MAX-Series cab is the maximum comfort of the operator, even on the longest and hottest days in the seat. Up to 30% more head, shoulder and leg room, plus a fully adjustable suspension seat with four-way armrests, ensures operators of any size are comfortable and relaxed. In addition, the fully insulated cab with improved air conditioning and climate control stays cool and comfortable on hot summer days.

In addition, the unique suspension system found only in ASV Posi-Track undercarriages – including double torsion axles, heavy duty rubber wheels and, on the larger models, independently moving wheels – ensures that shock vibrations felt in the cab are significantly minimised, reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.

CONTROL

One of the first new features operators will notice when they climb in the new MAX-Series cab is the 7-inch colour touchscreen display. This innovative addition conveniently displays all vital machine information, offers a high-quality view of the reversing camera, provides easily accessible service history and comprehensive maintenance schedules.

This gives operators a better understanding of their machine performance and condition, ensuring service and maintenance requirements are met and, subsequently, the machine performs to its brilliant best throughout a longer lifetime.

In addition, the overall layout and positioning of key controls, such as the joysticks and throttle, has been updated to deliver a more ergonomic

and operator-friendly experience. The machines are now easier and smoother to control than ever, and set a new industry benchmark for operator satisfaction.

Furthermore, not only has the machine control been improved dramatically, but so too has the operator’s ability to control their work environment. Bluetooth radio, high fidelity speakers, phone connectivity and device control are all new additions to allow operators to better enjoy their work day.

VISIBILITY

Working with various major blind spots is no longer a concern for MAX-Series operators –the new panoramic all-clear window designs offer 360-degree visibility and unobstructed views all around the machine; in fact, up to 52% more visibility than previous models of ASV Posi-Tracks.

Plus, MAX-Series cabs include the industry’s first roof escape hatch for added operator safety, and offer an optional heavy gauge Falling Object Protective Structure (FOPS) level 2 cab, for unmatched cab impact resistance.

Furthermore, the high quality 7-inch display screen offers a premium view of the rear of the machine via the reverse camera, to ensure maximum safety for both the operator and bystanders, and also reduce the likelihood of reversing into hazards and causing damage to the machine or surrounding environment.

SAFETY AND RELIABILITY

As noted above, the MAX-Series range of Posi-Track Loaders from ASV are packed with many crucial safety features often unavailable on alternate brands of Compact Track Loaders.

The new roof escape hatch is an industry-first for added operator safety, the unobstructed panorama views and high-quality reverse camera offer excellent visibility all around the machine, and the optional level 2 cab guarding enhances falling object impact resistance.

In addition, the renowned ASV Posi-Track undercarriage remains as stable, reliable and easy to service as ever. With its unique torsion axle suspension, rubber track system and open wheel design, ground shock is significantly reduced, and dirt and debris are easily ejected from the undercarriage, meaning less wear and tear on the machine and a longer service life. Furthermore, the new MAX-Series cabs include fully sealed watertight fuse panels.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

In addition to a premium nationwide service and parts network and 25 local dealers throughout Australia, ASV also offers an industry-leading 2-year warranty on all Posi-Track Loaders, plus comprehensive operational support from our expert product representatives throughout the machine’s entire life.

To learn more about ASV’s range of Posi-Track Loaders, including the new MAX-Series models, visit www.asvaus.com.

FECON FORESTRY EQUIPMENT BUILT TOUGH FOR AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS

Fecon is one of the world’s premier manufacturers of forestry attachments and machines, globally renowned for building the toughest attachments in the industry.

Made in the USA using premium quality steel, Fecon products are engineered and constructed with unmatched durability and power to tackle any Australian timber. Furthermore, with Fecon Australia – your national supplier of the full range of Fecon forestry equipment – customers throughout Australia receive world-famous forestry machines backed by only the best local service, support, parts and sales.

BULL HOG MULCHERS

Perhaps the most legendary member of Fecon Australia’s attachment family is the iconic ‘Bull Hog’ mulching head. Designed to be powerful and versatile, Fecon Bull Hog mulchers are perfectly engineered to suit a wide variety of track and skid steer loaders offering anywhere from 53 up to 191 LPM of hydraulic flow, plus mini and large excavators sized from 5 tonne and above.

Fecon Bull Hogs satisfy the three key requirements in a forestry mulcher: durability, performance, and value for money. Innovative engineering, premium quality steel throughout, reinforced rotors and mulching teeth and exceptional welding processes combine to deliver strength and longevity. Variable motor speeds also maximise the overall performance of Fecon mulchers. For lighter material loads, higher RPM means more bites per second and finer material sizing – whereas with heavier material, the Bull Hog delivers more rotor torque keeping the rotor turning when other heads may stall.

STUMP GRINDERS AND TREE SHEARS

Fecon Australia also offers a diverse range of vegetation management attachments, including the revolutionary low RPM Stumpex for skid steers, track loaders and excavators;

an auger-style stump grinder that uses slower, yet more efficient, grind rotations to minimise mess and deliver a clean end product. Furthermore, Fecon’s innovative tree shears are perfectly designed and constructed to nimbly shear, lift, bunch and carry multiple trees with a single attachment, also compatible with CTLs, SSLs and excavators.

FORESTRY TRACTORS

Finally, if you need a machine plus attachment combination ready to tackle even the most challenging land clearing project, Fecon Australia’s range of forestry tractors are simply unmatched for quality, performance, and durability. Ranging from the 140 horsepower FTX150-2 up to the absolute beast 600 horsepower FTX600, Fecon Australia’s machines are made to perform. Complete

NATIONWIDE SUPPORT

Fecon Australia also offers a nationwide parts, service, sales and support network for all machines and attachments, ensuring that any scheduled or unplanned downtime is resolved quickly and easily. Don’t wait weeks for replacement parts or service requests as is standard for many forestry equipment suppliers in Australia – Fecon Australia will have your support needs catered to swiftly and efficiently.

For more information about Fecon Australia’s range of forestry machines and attachments, visit www.fecon.net.au or call the national information line on 1300 332 661.

with ‘severe duty’ high flow hydraulic Bull Hog mulching heads, no job will stand in the way of a Fecon forestry tractor.

CJD LOADER DOUBLES PRODUCTIVITY FOR THRIVING QUARRY

CJD Equipment

allowed a family-owned transport and landscaping business to make

leap into quarrying, with a reliable wheel loader and the service to match.

Blue Ridge Quarries was purchased by the Millikin family just a few years ago, having worked in and around the operation for more than a decade.

In fact, quarry manager Aaron Millikin found his first job out of school at the hard rock quarry before he followed father Jeff’s footsteps into the family transport and landscaping business – Greenlands Garden Centre.

Now a thriving business along New South Wales’ south coast, the Millikin’s decided they’d become a one-stop shop for construction aggregates and bought the fully operational Blue Ridge Quarry to accompany Greenlands.

Of course, producing up to 150,000 tonnes of material every year can be quite the task, for which Blue Ridge called on its relationship with CJD Equipment.

The companies first worked together when Blue Ridge ordered several yard loaders for the landscaping business, before moving into the quarry and selecting a second-hand, 38-tonne Volvo excavator from CJD Equipment. That was almost three years ago, and Aaron Millikin told Quarry the excavator had barely skipped a beat.

“That digger has been a great asset for the team, and it’s never let us down,” he said.

“Since then, we were in the market for a newer, bigger loader which ended up being the Volvo L220H and we haven’t looked back since.”

The 31-tonne L220H is one of the largest in CJD’s Volvo wheel loaders range, with a 273-kilowatt engine and a breakout force of 244.5 kilonewtons.

Such power is what has allowed Blue Ridge to sign some household names as customers, according to Millikin.

“The proudest part of our business has been improving some of our materials that previously hadn’t met spec and getting them over the line,” Millikin said.

has

the

“Since then, we were in the market for a newer, bigger loader which ended up being the Volvo L220H and we haven’t looked back since.”

“Some of our aggregates are passed through a hot mix plant. We have quite a few concrete plants receiving our aggregates and our DGB (densely graded base) is now meeting an RMS (Roads & Maritime Services) spec.

“They were all quite proud goals we’ve been able to achieve and this has allowed us to pick up some bigger customers such as Boral and Holcim.”

Despite keeping the fuel economy to a reasonable level, according to Millikin, the L220H has still been able to accomplish the work of two of his old loaders, thanks to a well-designed bucket.

Volvo offers several bucket options on this wheel loader range – which also includes the L150H and the L180H – to suit applications in rehandling, general purpose, rock and light material.

Millikin said the team at CJD had been able to understand his application and offer the best size and weight for Blue Ridge.

“The bucket fits in the truck bodies well, it’s not too wide, while still being able to load the trailer in two buckets for most material,” he said.

“Sometimes, with the old loaders, we used to be loading a truck and trailer in three to

five buckets, but the new model has saved us those extra trips.”

Other features Millikin has enjoyed include the joystick, part of the Comfort Drive Control steering, and the hydraulic system which both allow for one of the smoothest loaders he or his operators have ever used.

“I drove the loader for the first three months and the joystick has to be one of my favourite features. It’s just well positioned and perfectly smooth, I’d never buy another loader without it,” Millikin said.

“I have a driver in it right now who came from working with other brands and he rates it quite highly among machines he’s operated in the past.”

And if ever there’s an issue with Volvo equipment at Blue Ridge Quarry, the CJD team are well prepared to respond in a crisis or provide some simple advice.

Millikin said he’s developed a strong relationship with his local CJD mechanic Richard which generally allows for same day repairs.

“We had a very minor hiccup once and within 24 hours Richard from CJD was straight down to sort it out,” Millikin concluded.

“There’s never an issue with him, we can talk to him over the phone and he can normally sort something out for us on the day.

“Sometimes it’s as simple as him explaining something over the phone for us to work on ourselves, but there’s really been minimal problems for us to call him about.”

BLUNDSTONE

STABILITY MEETS THE FREEDOM TO MOVE WITH ROTOFLEX®

Iconic Australian footwear brand Blundstone, continues to be at the forefront of safety footwear, with the launch of their new RotoFlex® Range.

This world-leading biomechanical design is a result of years of research and development into the needs of workers in the trades, mining and construction industries. The airportfriendly range includes four unisex styles and two women-specific styles crafted for the ever-growing female market.

The RotoFlex range of boots feature a biomechanically conforming sole design, GripTek®, which utilises a unique TPU tread pattern and super cushioned midsole, with zoned support carefully designed for all-day stability and comfort and optimum grip. “The sole has been designed with extra width in the heel and toe area to help stop ankle rolls by providing more stability. This means

that wearers use less energy when walking, helping to reduce fatigue – another contributor to workplace injuries. An added bonus are the larger cleats for self-cleaning,” explains Adrian Blandford, Blundstone’s Global Work & Safety Range Manager.

All six styles feature a water-resistant upper, lightweight, compression-resistant composite toe cap, and an all-new zoned airflow footbed, AirCell ® . The AirCell footbed is uniquely constructed with specialised zoning, designed to activate ventilation, allowing air to be pumped through channels to the heel, arch of the foot and between toes, offering moisture control and cushioning comfort as the wearer walks and moves – no more sweaty feet.

The overarching comfort system, SoftCell® utilises a combination of specialist materials and a unique biomechanical foot-cradling design to increase stability, balance, comfort and manoeuvrability, while reducing ankle slip risk and fatigue.

An Australian first, the RotoFlex Range also features Infinergy®. This E-TPU material is a super elastic energy foam from BASF, which is soft but resilient providing enhanced cushioning and reducing the impact of every step taken.

Every single component used in the construction of the RotoFlex range has been researched, tested and trialled to ensure Blundstone deliver truly innovative, betterperforming safety footwear. Their dedicated design team looked at multiple options for each element and selected the best performing, most appropriate product – and if they couldn’t find the perfect piece, they created it.

Launching in September 2022, RotoFlex delivers a strong foundation from the ground up, providing unbeatable fit and unrivalled comfort – perfect from day one. Put their innovation to work at the link below.

For more information visit www.blundstone.com.au/rotoflex

Introducing by Blundstone.

STABILITY MEETS THE FREEDOM TO MOVE

Infinergy® E-TPU, a super elastic energy foam providing enhanced cushioning. Made with Infinergy® by BASF Put our innovation to work—September 2022. COMPRESSION RESISTANT COMPOSITE SAFETY. ALL-NEW TECH FOR ALL-DAY COMFORT. STABILITY WITH EVERY STEP. UNBEATABLE FIT. UNRIVALLED COMFORT.

PRODUCTIVE WITHOUT WASTE, A CALL FOR MB CRUSHER

Connectivity is a defining feature of the modern economy. MB Crusher units are actively invested in linking communities, economies and countries.

The economy needs more infrastructure to connect supply chains across borders and connect households across metropolitan areas.

However, building housing, transportation, water, sewage, public facilities, and other necessities can be expensive and at the moment it is facing huge delays due to the global shortage of materials.

Without adequate infrastructure, the economy cannot flourish. Without materials, connections cannot be built.

The above statement seems a catch 22, however, the solution is pretty simple and can be summarised in this sentence. Infrastructure: do more with less.

How did we come to this conclusion?

By watching what our clients did to overcome the shortage. We saw how they used resources efficiently. How wastage was avoided.

The results are pretty amazing, they reduced construction costs, avoided waiting for supplies to arrive and used the carrier machine already

part of their fleet to do so and one of our attachments.

HOW TRENCHING IS DONE WITHOUT PURCHASING FILLER MATERIAL

In the Cerro Negro mine in the Atacama region of Chile, 80km of trenching across the desert has been done without having to purchase and transport the sand needed to fill the trench. The client attached an MB-S18 screening bucket to the Doosan DX225LC to repurpose the excavated material into the filler. Huge savings paired up with a speedy execution of the job, as well as being environmentally friendly. On-site processing not only reduces the number of trucks but also avoids contamination of material coming in from outside the region.

HOW URBAN PIPING IS DONE IN COMPLETE SAFETY

In Agadir, a port city in Morocco a new water pipeline has been made across the city. In the Saharan climate is fundamental that the reconstruction of this pipeline of drinking water is done quickly with the maximum safety for the workers. Manual separation of the excavated material would not only take too long, but it would have been risky and also the material obtained would not have been homogeneous. By employing an MB-S18 screening bucket and using the Doosan 240 at the site, the excavated material has been

sifted obtaining uniform graded material, moreover, the MB’s attachment has improved the speed and safety at this job site.

CUT COSTS WHILE PREPARING TONNES OF RAILWAYS BALLAST

The development of the railway infrastructure network enhances economic developments, as a train line is used to transport goods and facilitate commuting and tourism. A huge amount of track ballast is needed to make new rail lines, as its layers hold the track in place as the trains roll over. It also facilitates drainage of water and restrains vegetation growth.

We saw how in India and Italy our customers managed to prepare a great pile of clean crushed rocks ready to be laid for the new rail tracks, all done reusing materials

available. Cleaning the rocks makes the process cost-efficient.

In India, they used the Sany SY220 and an MB-S18 screening bucket during the actual construction, while in Italy the same rotary bucket model was mounted on a Hitachi EX215 to sift at the quarry, salvaging materials and loading the truck in one unique motion.

Maintenance of the railway that connects Warsaw to the nearby Polish regions provided the customer with many unused old sleepers.

He bought a mobile jaw crusher bucket BF70.2 for his Atlas 1604 excavator and began to reduce the railway sleepers, obtaining crushed material that can be used as a sub-base for the ballast.

Waste nothing is the key to success. Let’s build the future together. It is fast. It is easy.

JSC CONCRETING AND STM TRUCKS & MACHINERY

JSC Concreting has been in business for the better part of a decade and a half, with the family-owned-and-operated Canberra-based concreting specialist having steadily grown the scope of its operations over the years, building its reputation on the back of a hands-on approach and a comprehensive service offering.

Founded in 2008 by Josh Small, JSC services Canberra, Queanbeyan and the surrounding districts, with Josh and his team having put in the hard yards to develop a loyal client base, ensuring projects both big and small meet and exceed client expectations.

Josh told EEM that having started out in concreting after leaving high school, he’d set about building some experience in the industry, and had subsequently identified an opportunity to stake out a niche in the Canberra market.

“Just being on job sites, you see the machines, and then getting to know all the foremen around Canberra, and I thought it’d be silly not to jump into the civil side of things,” he explained.

“After buying my first digger, from there we just sort of kept powering on through, and then started winning our own government projects, and going to various builders, again building good relationships with these people and expanding off that.”

KOBELCO DIGGERS SUPPORT JSC’S BROAD SERVICE OFFERING

In addition to residential kerb and guttering, driveways, house slabs and general construction project services, JSC provides a variety of commercial services, including excavation works, bulk haulage, footpaths, concrete pumping and site cleanups, along with equipment hire.

“We offer a range of services, from concreting through to landscaping,” Josh said. “That’s what we offer these builders around town. We come in and do everything for them. No one in town really does everything, it’s just us.”

JSC has expanded over the years to comprise a staff of 35 employees and maintains a growing fleet of equipment, spanning a number of Kobelco machines, including the Kobelco SK135SR-3, SK85MSR-7, SK135SR-7 and two SK210LC-10 diggers.

In addition to this, JSC has recently added a Kobelco SK55SRX-7 mini-excavator to its fleet, which Josh told EEM is currently being deployed across various government projects.

“We do a lot of footpath maintenance for the ACT government,” he explained. “So, that stays on those projects. That’s a three-year contract, which keeps that little thing going night and day.

“We’ve got the little 8 tonner as well. That’s more on building sites and carparks.

It’s also a good machine, and I haven’t had any dramas with it. Then we’ve got the two 13s, which are on wet hire mostly, with a GPS setup. “And then the two 21s. I’ve got one in town, that is also on wet hire, a GPS setup, and that works various subdivision sites throughout Canberra and NSW, and then I’ve got another one up at Snowy Hydro, same setup, GPS, the lot.”

KOBELCO SK55SRX-7 DELIVERS SPEED AND PERFORMANCE UPGRADES

The SK55SRX-7 weighs in at 5 t (operating weight), and runs a 29.1 kW Yanmar engine, with Kobelco advising that compared to previous models travel speed is up by 12%, and hill-climbing speed up by 10%, while the digging cycle time has been shortened by 11%. With a compact tail swing, the SK55SRX-7 can be put to use in tight spaces, while its larger boom and arm (it has a maximum digging depth of 3.89 m and a maximum digging reach of 6.27 m) provide a wide working range.

In addition to this, the SK55SRX-7 features:

• Operator comfort – a Grammer suspension seat is fitted as standard, an enlarged wrist wrest reduces fatigue and allows for stable operation, while additional air vents provide a uniform air flow.

• Operator safety – the cab/canopy meets ROPS, TOPS and OPG Level 1 (Top guard) standards.

• Easy-to-use controls – include a colour monitor displaying information such as operating history, maintenance requirements, and fuel and coolant temperature gauges, while lever angles enable comfortable operations.

• Durability – the boom, arm and swing bracket feature large cross-section segments for added attachment strength, while the bucket’s cast-iron idler link provides greater strength.

• Maintenance – daily maintenance is made easier with convenient access provided to components inside the cab, along with the cooling unit and engine compartment.

STM TRUCKS & MACHINERY GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO PROVIDE SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED

John Eccleston, STM Trucks & Machinery Sales Executive, told EEM that he has been dealing

“with Josh and his team for anything – from servicing, queries on machine operation, to sales”.

“Josh and his business rely on great machines that have the support he needs to keep going,” he commented. “The Kobelcos are comfortable, reliable, low fuel consumption while still maximising power, and are supported by STM.

“His business has been absolutely smashing it, from government upgrades, new roads, Snowy Hydro 2.0 and more!”

Josh said he can’t “fault the machines”, and highlighted the benefits of the strong relationship JSC enjoys with STM.

“They just do what you want them to do,” he said. “I don’t even really look at other machines, to be honest. I obviously do my shopping, but I tend to come back to Kobelco.

“STM has been awesome. Staying with the one dealer, the one machine, you do get preference. We’re after the longevity service,

and STM will go out of their way to help us in any way they can.”

As for the future, Josh told EEM that JSC is “growing every day” and focused on continuing to build its presence in the local market.

“We’ve got a few things in the pipeline, and we’re here to keep growing. I’ve set the goal at 50 employees, which gives us a fair footing in the market, and there’s some more machines on the cards, that’s for sure.”

SDLG WORKHORSE A ‘NO-BRAINER’ FOR WA FARMER

When it came time to update a wheel loader for feeding out hay and handling other odd jobs on the Watts family’s Pingelly and Brookton farms in Western Australia, selecting a suitable SDLG workhorse became a “no-brainer’’.

“We looked at a new Volvo loader too, which is ok for commercial use, but for an extra couple of hundred thousand (dollars), you can invest in something else,’’ Graeme Watts said.

“For $100,000 more you can also buy a second-hand machine with 7000-8000 hours on the clock, but unless it’s commercial, it’s not sensible. They have boom suspension, self-greasing and other features, but they are creature comforts really – you don’t need all the fruit.

“You are always a bit dubious when buying low-cost equipment, but we have been quite impressed and had no real issues with the SDLG.’’

The Watts ‘Nimbedilling’ enterprise is a family affair with Graeme and his wife Anne, farming with their daughter Tracey, and her partner Richard. Son-in-law Jeff Stoney and their daughter Kate, who farm at Wellstead in the State’s south, lease 1620 hectares of their 2430ha total holding. Jeff and Kate manage a strong cropping program, as well as some cattle and sheep, including a White Suffolk stud at Wellstead with cropping and sheep also their focus at Pingelly.

Graeme and Anne, together with Tracey and Richard, mate about 1400 Merino ewes annually as part of a flock of up to 4000 sheep, of which the dry sheep are run at their 405ha Brookton property.

The ewes are joined to Westerdale rams from December for an April-May lambing. Any dry ewes are crossed to White Suffolk terminal sires via Kate’s stud.

The Watts previously used a Komatsu wheel loader for feeding out the hay, but it was retired to the Brookton farm where it spends some time cleaning up timber, thereby making way for a new SDLG LG946L wheel loader.

Graeme said feeding out hay with a set of forks continues to be the main job for

the SDLG, while a rock rake assists with cleaning-up various rocks, trees, rubbish and fence lines in paddocks.

“With the third hydraulic system, we can also run a powered attachment. We run a post-hole digger for fencing across both farms.’’

The SDLG wheel loader, which comes with a 2.3m3 bucket and offers a lift height up to 3.8m, also has demonstrated its strong performance and versatility in numerous other areas.

“It works three to four days each week doing something,’’ Graeme said.

“We’ve also fixed-up sheep yards with it and last summer we did a lot of work on cleaning out dams. Some had two-foot of mud in the bottom, but it handled it with no problems. Our previous wheel loader would have baulked at what we were doing, but the SDLG handled it easily – I was quite impressed. We went into a couple (of dams) gingerly, but the stability was good. I was scared more in the old machine when side-on to a bank. I have never had that with the SDLG.

“If you have got a loader, you tend to use it, even if it’s for changing fluoro globes in the shed.

“When my wife and daughter are in the garden they request the loader for all the cuttings and weeds, so they can be taken away.’’

The SDLG LG946L wheel loader features a 6-cylinder, turbocharged 129kW (173hp) power plant with tropical cooling package

and smooth powershift transmission offering two forward and one reverse gears.

It provides minimum fuel consumption of 7 litres per hour from its 160-litre tank.

“It’s not too bad on the fuel, depending on how hard you work,’’ Graeme said.

With their Pingelly and Brookton properties located 50 kilometres apart, he said they were keen for a loader with a reasonably high transport speed and were well satisfied with the SDLG.

“We can travel at 35-40km/hr with the SDLG, whereas the old loader was about 12km/hr,’’ Graeme said.

“The drawback with some big-branded loaders also was overheating and this can be par for the course with loaders, but this SDLG has never got near it (overheating). This one has an oversized radiator and bigger oil cooler.’’

He said the transmission also had performed well and CJD Equipment, which was the national distributor for the SDLG line-up, provided good support and service.

“They came out and did the 100-hour service and we had no hassles. Some others don’t come or can stuff you around, so that was good.’’

A two-year or 2000-hour warranty is offered with the SDLG wheel loaders.

Those interested in further information about the loaders can contact their nearest CJD Equipment branch on 1300 139 804 or visit www.cjd.com.au

HYDRAULINK WELSHPOOL COMMITS TO 100 PER CENT SERVICE FOR BUSY WA INDUSTRY CENTRE

A man with more than 20 years of mechanical engineering experience has taken the next step in expanding his future by taking on a full franchise in Welshpool in Perth’s industrial heartland with the national Hydraulink hydraulic hose and fittings group.

Ryan Whiteside is the new Hydraulink Welshpool franchisee located in the inner south-eastern Perth district that is one of the city’s main industrial areas, with a strong representation of companies supplying industries such as mining, construction, materials handling and the waste industry.

“I chose the national backing of the Hydraulink franchise model as I set out to do something different for myself, where I could grow a business with the strong backing, training and reputation of the Hydraulink brand,” said Ryan, whose new franchise joins more than 400 Hydraulink service outlets throughout New Zealand, Australia, Oceania and Asia.

“I have been dealing with Hydraulink for 10 years and their product has always been high quality and their service has always been good. I think customers like their positive, can-do attitude and the fact that they apply the same uniformly high standards of service and maintenance across all sites they deal with –either single sites or multiple sites.

“I also like the fact they will go that step further to ensure service. They not only fix faults that customers want fixed immediately to maintain uptime, but also work with customers to detect issues before they become troubles that might cause downtime or other issues in the future.”

“I have good knowledge across all industries and, for me, thinking outside the box, will be helpful to all customers – extending from solving mechanical problems, to highlighting potential safety issues on their equipment.

“This kind of in-depth mutual understanding needs to be done in a mutually respectful way, drawing on the customer’s expertise and combining this with your knowledge to work with them to get an ideal outcome.

Ryan says the idea of joining the Hydraulink family of franchises appealed to him and his wife Tania “because of the interest and variety of work we get to do day-to-day and the opportunity to advance and really get out what you put in. This is a great incentive, as it keeps me driven and focused,” he said.

Hydraulink – which operates under the market signature “Best Under Pressure” – delivers essential hydraulic hose, fittings and safetycompliant and traceable service expertise to industries requiring prompt, quality 24/7 service either on or off site.

Ryan’s new franchise involves Canning City and adjacent areas, to which he seeks to bring more competition benefitting customers, giving them good service, competitive pricing and outstanding reliability. “It is important that customers know when they call me, they can continue on with their own work while

knowing I am taking care of their Hydraulink job totally and leaving it 100 per cent completed.”

Hydraulink WA Business Development Manager, Greg Henderson says customers will welcome Ryan’s franchise because the quality of his work is already widely known. “He has built up a following as a professional who appreciates the needs of WA industry, including prompt and thorough service to optimise reliability and expedite maintenance and repairs, with all work performed to the same uniformly high standards wherever it is done, over one or multiple sites.

“Like other members of our expanding WA franchise family, Ryan is strongly aware of the mandatory safety, compliance and traceability performance required in world-class businesses,” he said. “It is also very reassuring to customers that the Hydraulink people serving their needs are already familiar with the specialised requirements of their machinery and worksites.

“This is such a time saver, because customers are not having to use their time to train different people time and time again on sophisticated and specialised machinery found in the Welshpool marketplace.”

Hydraulink Welshpool: 0448 740 349

Hydraulink Australia: 1300 36 37 34

Hydraulink New Zealand: 0800 80 66 66

Hydraulink Welshpool’s industrial base includes companies focused on mining, civil engineering, materials handling and waste management machinery.

AUSTRALIA’S SOIL SCREENING DARLING

An Australian-made attachment that has seen a rapid rise in the landscaping and construction industries… is the Flipscreen!

Manufactured in the Australian city of Wagga Wagga – a vibrant regional centre on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River in the heart of the Riverina – and shipped throughout the world. A screening bucket with the ability to screen any material, it also comes with a range of screens, a brush kit, and a mixing plate to solve all on-site needs in a fast and efficient manner.

Any material which can be scooped up can be screened with the Flipscreen soil screener bucket. In the case of dirt, whether the material is sand, loam or clay – if it can be passed through a screen mesh, the Flipscreen screener bucket will successfully size it. FlipScreen provides a patented soil screener that is unmatched in quality and performance.

Grass and vegetation are easily separated along with rocks and other contaminants. What starts as piles of weed-infested dirt can be transformed into valuable topsoil. If the material being screened is particularly sticky a purpose-built roller brush can be fitted to the Flipscreen.

BRUSHES

Many people worry about screening sticky soil such as clay. Or what happens if they are screening, and it starts to rain?

Well, Flipscreen has a unique brush that clears the mesh on every rotation. This keeps the mesh clear and the material screening out as you rotate the attachment. Flipscreen has customers worldwide who screen in areas with very sticky material or in places such as the UK where it rains often. They are all very happy with how Flipscreen sorts their material in these conditions.

MESH SIZES

When purchasing a Flipscreen soil screener, you will have many choices on what size mesh

you want. You can screen with a mesh as small as 6mm or as large as 300mm. And what is even better is changing mesh size. You can do this on-site, with one operator, no tools, and in under 5 minutes.

MIXING PLATE

Flipscreen also have a compact mixing plate, which is a solid screen that allows materials to be mixed.

The mixer removes the need for multiple attachments and equipment. Just roll the mesh off the bucket and roll the mixer plate on.

The mixer top can also be used for dry mix, wet mix, fertiliser, topsoil, batching, seed mix, etc.

This is used by some of their customers to make saleable garden mixes from native materials!

BENEFITS

• You can screen while you move, which will help if you are laying topsoil.

• You can screen into a truck. Fines in one truck, and rocks or whatever leftover material there is into another truck. Or wherever you need the material.

• One carrier machine with a Flipscreen and your site is operational.

• You can dig the fresh ground.

• You can screen corrosive material like fertiliser.

• You can screen underwater, which adds the ability to wash gabion rocks or gravel on-site rather than wasting fuel to travel to treat it somewhere else.

• Unlike with a shaker bucket. You are not shortening the life span of your carrier machine.

• Unlike with a grizzly screen, you are handling the material one time. Once again, a great saving on fuel.

MODELS FOR SALE

Flipscreen offers a large range of soil screeners for sale. No carrier is a problem, from skid steers to loaders and excavators. They even make attachments for tractors.

They also often engineer attachments for specific client demands.

SOIL SCREENING HAZARDS

With most common soil screeners. People worry about what is in the soil that they don’t know about. Their screener may not be robust enough if there is concrete or steel in the soil. This is not the case with a Flipscreen. The screeners are used in industries such as scrap metal and demolition, which means they have no problem sorting even engine blocks from the soil. With a Flipscreen, you never have to worry about what you are scooping up to screen.

If you are interested in finding out more information about Flipscreen, you can phone the National Sales Manager, Josh Hartley, on 0435 318 065 or visit: https://www.flipscreen.net/soil-screener/.

XCMG MACHINERY DESIGNED TO PERFORM, BUILT TO LAST

As the world’s third largest construction equipment manufacturer with more than 40 years of industry experience, XCMG has built a global reputation for innovation, reliability and performance throughout its entire range of construction, agriculture and industrial machinery.

MINI EXCAVATORS

XCMG’s mini excavator range is one of Australia’s newest and most impressive line-ups of high-performance, value-for-money diggers. Starting with the compact yet powerful XE17U 1.7 tonner purpose-built for tight access work, up to the robust and powerful XE80U designed to dominate virtually any construction project, XCMG has you covered.

With premium engines from renowned manufacturers including Kubota and Yanmar, plus top quality componentry by Kawasaki, Bosch-Rexroth, Eaton and Miller, XCMG mini excavators are built tough to perform, and durable to last.

ROAD COMPACTION ROLLERS AND GRADERS

Already favourites with various major mine sites throughout Australia, XCMG road graders and compaction rollers are competitively priced and offer high power, heavy duty work capability, impressive operator comfort and overall renowned satisfaction.

LARGE EXCAVATORS

XCMG heavy excavators are renowned worldwide for their exceptionally high power, excellent lifting capability, extensive reach, impressive operator comfort and overall maximum operator satisfaction.

Available in various excavator sizes from 10 to 50 tonne to cater for virtually any requirement or project, the entire range offers exceptional hydraulic performance, cycle times and breakout force. With premium Cummins and Isuzu engines, plus exceptional componentry by Kawasaki, Nabco and Miller, XCMG heavy excavators offer unmatched value for money.

In addition, cabins are spacious and comfortable for even the longest days on the job, including sound dampening and state of the art controls. In addition, XCMG excavators are designed for efficient serviceability and minimal downtime, using only the most reliable components for premium longevity.

Simply, XCMG heavy excavators are a must-have for any owner who requires comfort, versatility and performance at a competitive price.

Offering excellent manoeuvrability and controllability, XCMG road machinery also offer premium reliability and heavy-duty work capability using only the finest componentry. Furthermore, XCMG machines are designed with safety and comfort of operation at the absolute forefront, with a spacious ROPS/ FOPS cab, double emergency stops, reverse cameras, spacious cabins, ergonomic controls and so much more.

ACCESS EQUIPMENT

XCMG elevated work platforms feature compact designs, easy transport, simple and smooth controls, tight turning radiuses and reliable performance.

Australian Standards compliant, all models offer exceptional lift heights, working capacities and platform sizes, plus minimal maintenance or servicing requirements.

Select models are also available in your choice of electric or hydraulic lift functionality, giving maximum flexibility and versatility to suit the requirements and preferences of owners and operators.

NATIONWIDE BACKUP AND SUPPORT

With dealerships and service agents throughout Australia, your investment in XCMG machinery not only delivers a premium machine, but also the peace of mind and minimal downtime that comes with unmatched after-sales support.

XCMG’s primary focus is to ensure your complete satisfaction throughout your machine’s lifetime and beyond, by providing the best equipment, parts, service and assistance available.

For more information about XCMG’s diverse range of construction, mining and agriculture equipment, visit www.xcmgmachinery.com.au.

GATES® AUSTRALIA POWER TRANSMISSION TOOLS

DRAFTGUARD™, EZ ALIGN™ AND THE BIRD™

Some of Gates most popular power transmission tools include:

GATES EZ ALIGN LASER ALIGNMENT TOOL

Gates EZ Align Laser Alignment Tool allows a single person to align a belt quickly and easily. The EZ Align uses a powerful green laser line to achieve maximum angular accuracy on belt drives up to 7.6 metres in centre distance.

The laser line technology is more accurate than any other laser tool or method and is suitable for both horizontal and vertical mounted drives.

Features and benefits:

• Fast and easy.

• Shows parallel and angular misalignment simultaneously.

• Reduces vibration and belt noise.

• Prolongs belt and pulley life.

• Suitable for both V-belt and synchronous belt drives.

• Alignment can be adjusted by one operator.

• New design includes stronger magnetic brackets to hold the tool more firmly in place.

• LED torch now included in the end of the Laser unit of this new design.

Learn more at: https://www.gatesaustralia.com.au/ EZAlign

GATES THE BIRD – BELT INSTALLATION + ROTATION DEVICE

The BIRD was developed to minimise finger and hand injuries. Hands can get caught in pinch points during routine installation and maintenance. The BIRD facilitates a rotational inspection of the drive while the drive is shut down and locked out.

The BIRD consists of two powerful permanent magnets that you apply directly to the shiver sprocket for same belt rotation and inspection rather than manually rotating the belt with your hand which may result in injury.

Features and benefits:

• Keeps hands and fingers away from pinch points, reducing the potential for injury.

• Provides a more ergonomic way to rotate belt drives.

• Switchable on/off magnets allow for easy installation and removal of the BIRD.

• Durable case to protect the BIRD when not in use.

Learn more at: www.GatesAustralia.com.au/BIRD

GATES DRAFTGUARD ANTI-ROTATION DEVICE

The Gates DraftGuard anti-rotation device is designed to improve the safety of workers who are performing maintenance on fan drives. The DraftGuard anti-rotation device secures the fan drive to ensure it doesn’t spin backwards when maintenance is being performed while protecting the entire system from extreme shock loads during start up, causing unnecessary wear of the motor components.

Features and benefits:

• Maintenance-free bearings greased-forlife assembly.

• Small investment to mitigate risk to employees and equipment.

• Designed with mounting holes for bushings including QD™ (E,F and J) and Taper-Lock™ (3020, 3535, 4030 or more) commonly found on ACHE belt drive systems.

• Applications: include Air Cooled Heat Exchangers (ACHE), Cooling tower fans, Air-cooled condensers.

Learn more at: https://www.gatesaustralia.com.au/ draftguard

These are just some of the innovative power transmission tools offered by Gates Australia in Australia and New Zealan.

For more information about these and more go to www.gatesaustralia.com.au/ PTMaintenance or contact Gates Australia directly on +61 3 9797 9688 or at salesAUS@gates.com.

STRONG PERFORMERS

LIEBHERR PRESENTS NEW MID-SIZED WHEEL LOADER SERIES

Liebherr has redeveloped and fundamentally revised its range of mid-sized wheel loaders.

The newly-designed lift arm ensures maximum breakout, holding and lowering forces. It has optimised z-bar kinematics and improved working hydraulics. Increases in engine power and tipping loads prepare the wheel loaders for demanding operations in various sectors, such as excavation, recycling or log handling. The new development of the mid-sized wheel loader series from Liebherr is also characterised by a powerful design and intelligent assistance systems. These include, for example, active personnel detection with brake assistant or the fully automatic LIKUFIX quick-coupler system. The three models, L 526, L 538 and L 546, in the latest Generation 8 have bucket sizes between 2.2 and 3.0 m³ in the standard version and are characterised by a significant increase in performance compared to the previous generation. The new L 526, for example, has around 20 per cent more engine power and

over 20 per cent higher breakout forces than its predecessor. The L 538 and L 546 models also impress with performance increases in all areas.

POWERFUL AND VERSATILE: NEWLYDEVELOPED LIFT ARMS WITH OPTIMISED Z-BAR

KINEMATICS

Liebherr has reinforced the steel construction of the front section of the new wheel loaders in order to prepare the machines for handling heavy loads. Structural reinforcements on the new lift arms, for example on the lift arms or the cross tube, increase robustness. The optimised z-bar kinematics with electro-hydraulic pilot controls has larger hydraulic cylinders and more powerful working pumps. The combination of these innovations enables faster cycle times and dynamic and powerful work movements – even with heavy attachments such as high dump buckets or log grapples. With the increased performance providing a strong basis, Liebherr offers numerous equipment options for the lift arms for industryspecific challenges: High Lift lift arms, for example, are an extended variant of the z-bar kinematics, and ensure greater range and efficient loading processes at all heights. For wheel loader applications that regularly require different attachments, there is a view-optimised quick coupler and the fully automatic LIKUFIX quick-coupler system. This allows the machine operator to change between mechanical and hydraulic working tools from the cab quickly and safely at the touch of a button. This saves time and reduces the risk of accidents. Well thought-out details make day-to-day work with the wheel loaders easier. For example, you can activate the parallel guidance of the lift arms

at the push of a button and thus work efficiently and safely with forks. The new bucket-tilt assist helps when working with sticky materials, such as damp soil or compost, and ensures accurate loading by shaking out the bucket. In the course of redesigning the lift arms, Liebherr has also revised the bucket design of the new mid-sized wheel loaders. Consequently, customers can now more accurately tailor the individual elements and wear parts of the buckets to their needs at the time of ordering.

POWERFUL AND MODERN: OPTIMISED TRAVEL DRIVE AND INTELLIGENT EQUIPMENT

In addition to the new lift arms, the optimisation of the hydrostatic travel drive in particular contributes to the increased productivity of the wheel loaders. The new, more powerful engines are characterised by a higher maximum torque at a lower nominal speed. In this way, performance and efficiency can be increased with the same low fuel consumption. More powerful hydraulic components, such as larger travel motors and travel pumps, ensure greater traction in all three models and thus rapid loading cycles. For a high degree of robustness, Liebherr has reinforced the axles, as well as travel drive components; depending on the model, all three wheel loaders have larger front or rear axles than their predecessors.

A modern design, which is reflected in the engine bonnet designed for optimised visibility as well as the comfortable operator’s cab, and intelligent equipment are also part of the overall package of the new mid-sized Liebherr wheel loaders.

For more information, please visit www.liebherr.com.au or contact (02) 9852 1800

MILAS GROUP NO SLOWING DOWN WITH BULLETPROOF KOBELCO MACHINES

Milas Group is a brother duo based in Arncliffe, NSW who are busy putting their mark on Sydney, one house at a time.

Started in 1999 by Ali and Jimmy Salim, the company has already built well over 25 homes in the suburb alone. From a young age, the brothers got a taste for the trade while working for separate companies in their respective fields, Ali as a builder, and Jimmy as a plumber. But it wasn’t until they finished building their first home together for their family back in 2001 that they decided this was the way to go, by joining forces to create the Milas Group.

“We still do some work for other civil companies but usually we work for most of our own development projects in-house. We are happy to go out and see where the work takes us, but the Sydney area is our bread and butter,” tells Jimmy.

The Kobelco team visited the guys out on site while they were getting the foundation work underway on one of their latest protects in Turrella, another new house for a family member. To help with the work coming in, the brothers brought on a new operator to join them, who was busy operating the new Kobelco 5.5 tonne excavator.

“We used to hire out a 5.5 tonne Kobelco but we thought it was about time we got our own. We have had a long history with the brand – back in 1999 we bought our first machine, which happened to be a Kobelco, the SK008. Since then, we got ourselves a 3.5 tonne Kobelco, and we have never had any issues with either machine. That made the choice easy when it came to buying more gear. I didn’t want to muck about and just went straight for the Kobelco when the time came. We believe the Kobelcos are bulletproof; they are that reliable,” Jimmy states.

“We used to deal with Melroad Equipment in Campbelltown back when we first started the business, but now our local Kobelco Dealer is STM Trucks & Machinery. Over the years of dealing with them, they really are now like family. Plus, they provide A1 servicing, which is what

you need when you are constantly moving from one job to the next and can’t allow for any downtime. Like with everything you have your ups and downs as you are dealing with machinery, but I haven’t had a bad experience yet.”

The company’s latest new Series 7 machine also had Jimmy impressed, in particular with its next-level comforts and spacious cabin.

“The SK55 has plenty of elbow and leg room, and the seat was awesome. Power wise, Kobelcos are just far superior to anything else, and the machines operate so smoothly. Having used other brands over the years, I just couldn’t settle for anything other than a Kobelco. Nothing else seems to measure up. You feel like a king when you’re in one, it’s very hard to go back to other brands once you’ve been in one,” confesses Jimmy.

The Milas Group have no plans of slowing down any time soon. “We have a couple of young fellas moving through the ranks and they eventually will be part of the business once they finish school, which they are very excited for. The sky’s the limit, and we are looking forward to what comes next,” Jimmy concludes.

QUEENSLAND’S BEST OPERATOR CROWNED AT FARMFEST 2022

Competing over 3 days at the FarmFest Field days, 27 operators took up the 3-event challenge to find the best operator in Queensland.

The Cat® Global Operator Challenge tests an operator’s agility, speed, and accuracy in a series of skills-based tests on a custom designed course.

Aiden Lee will now move on to the regional finals in Chichibu, Japan in October 2022 to compete against the best operators in the APAC Region.

The challengers were required to showcase their skills in a Next Generation 320 Excavator, a 259D3 Compact Track Loader and a 301.7 Mini Excavator with the following challenges:

• “The Big Dig” - Dig a trench to a precise depth using Cat Grade Assist™ technology

• “The Track, Load & Go”

• “Mini Masters” - play the course, tee off and get a hole-in-one.

With the chance to win a trip to Japan to represent Queensland and Hastings Deering at the Regional finals, regional titles, from there winners will head to the Cat Global Operator Challenge finals at CONEXPO-CON/ AGG 2023 in Las Vegas, where Caterpillar will crown one operator world champion.

More than 10,000 operators from 30 countries competed in the first-ever Global Operator Challenge in 2019-2020 — with Canadian Jaus Neigum taking home the title “best in the world” at the finals held at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020.

With the chance to hold the title of “best in the world” and a trip for two to any Caterpillar facility worldwide on the line, the Hastings

Aiden Lee from Queensland Electrical Solutions has claimed the win at Hastings Deering’s Cat® Global Operator Challenge held at FarmFest Toowoomba.

Deering challenge attracted competitors from across the state, some travelling from as far as Townsville to take part.

With FarmFest being well known in the industry for its dedication to Queensland Farming, combining the interest with the Cat Global Operator Challenge was a huge success for Hastings Deering.

With over 2000 individual companies and organisations on a purpose-built site, the field days delivered an exceptional field day experience for Queensland’s farming professionals and families.

About Hastings Deering (Australia) Ltd. Headquartered in Brisbane, Hastings Deering is the market leader in construction and mining equipment, having exclusive distribution rights for the sale and rental of Cat heavy equipment, parts and service support in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands. Employing approximately 3500 people, Hastings Deering operates through a network of 23 business centres.

For more information visit: www.HastingsDeering.com.au

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE 2023 DIESEL DIRT & TURF EXPO

Industry expositions provide a key connection between equipment manufacturers, importers and dealers with their end-user customers. Representing a major segment of Australia’s earthmoving and construction industry, Diesel Dirt & Turf was established in 2015 and continues to lead the way.

Now in its seventh year, this major event is Australia’s largest civil and public infrastructure expo that brings the industry together. As well as a great networking opportunity, it enables suppliers to showcase and demonstrate the latest and greatest in equipment, siteworks technology, employment, financial services and much more.

REPEAT BOOKINGS

Organisers say a large number of exhibitors from previous years have booked their 2023 sites, many looking for larger areas to accommodate more ambitious exhibits, information and facilities for visitors.

For any industry suppliers who have not yet exhibited at this major event, bookings are open so sites may be reserved to ensure no one misses out on fantastic opportunity to engage and meet potential new customers.

Exhibitors have often commented that participation in Diesel Dirt & Turf is an essential part of their marketing activity if a business is involved in earthmoving and associated activities such as structural earthworks, infrastructure projects and building development, road trucks, special application vehicles, tracking technology, environmental engineering, public space and grounds construction and maintenance.

A PRIME EXPO SITE

The expo site at the Sydney Dragway has recently undergone a major upgrade, which has transformed it with expansive parking and easy pedestrian access to Expo areas, excellent security and traffic flow arrangements. The site has all the exhibitor and visitor facilities you would expect for an outstanding Expo venue.

INDUSTRY-WIDE SUPPORT

Expo manager Marti Zivkovich said, “Evidence of the success of Diesel Dirt & Turf is the large number of regular exhibitors who return year after year, reporting success in gathering a huge number of sales enquiries they receive after each Expo. Every year more and more exhibitors start booking their sites immediately once the Expo has concluded and start making plans for the following year.

“As well as all major brands being represented, each year we see new products and technologies being represented, drawn to the opportunity presented by such large numbers of industry visitors in attendance,” Marti said.

All the major brands will be there. April 2023 is perfect timing for the industry to show off its best, while providing great networking opportunities for everyone to check out the latest in equipment advances, systems and services, ranging from digital technologies to finance and insurance.

INDUSTRY SPONSORS

The 2022 gold sponsor Komatsu will be returning as Gold Sponsor for 2023. Komatsu took this opportunity to introduce their latest technology and also sponsorship of the demonstration site where business owners and operators were able to test drive the latest equipment in the very challenging wet conditions.

Gold Media sponsor of the 2023 Expo is Prime Creative Media, publishers of Earthmovers & Excavators, TradeEarthmovers.com.au and other transport, agricultural equipment and industry media.

Associate Sponsorships are available to support returning sponsors Cappro Pacific, Norm Engineering and Earthmoving Equipment Magazine.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The dates for the 2023 National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo are Friday 21st April to Sunday 23rd April at the Sydney Dragway, Ferrers Road, Eastern Creek, New South Wales. Entry for Expo visitors is $10.00 per adult.

This outstanding venue is conveniently located in the centre of Western Sydney and there’s plenty of free parking and plenty of choices for accommodation for those wishing to stay in the area.

You can check out all the details of the 2023 National Diesel Dirt &Turf Expo by visiting www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au

FIVE EXCAVATOR TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE YOUR BOTTOM LINE

While

We talked with leading manufacturers to get their take on those innovations that provide the typical construction company with the best bang for the buck—innovations that allow excavator operators to:

• Dig and grade faster

• Eliminate guesswork

• Reduce fuel consumption

• Enhance operator comfort

• Improve safety

1. GET TO GRADE IN CONSIDERABLY LESS TIME

Ryan Neal, Market Professional and Product Application Specialist for Large Excavators at Caterpillar, says 2D grade control has been a game-changer. The operator simply selects target depth and slope, and sensors and onboard processors provide real-time guidance on the distance to grade. That eliminates all of that in and out of the cab to set up stakes and lasers, oftentimes slicing an operator’s productivity in half.

Matthew McLean, Product Manager for GPE Products at Volvo Construction Equipment, says interest in 2D indicate systems has exploded over the past two years. Demand was initially driven by the typical contractor’s desire to save time. More recently, it is all about the industry-wide challenge of finding skilled workers.

2. SEMI-AUTONOMOUS DIGGING AND GRADING

Volvo calls its system Active Control and offers it as standard equipment on five excavator models: the EC220E, ECR235E, EC250E, EC300E, and ECR355E.

At the basic level, Active Control controls the boom to prevent operators from over-digging. But it can also be set up to control bucket angle and can even control a tiltrotator. Operators can allow the system to control back grading and can also specify if they need to achieve a finer or rougher (normal) grade. Finally, functionality such as swing control and swing fence help operators dig and load more efficiently while avoiding side obstacles.

On that note, Caterpillar has made its swingcontrol technology, 2D E-Fence, standard on its excavators. This safety system uses data from position sensors to automatically stop motion when the front linkage reaches the operatordefined boundaries.

3. CALCULATING MATERIAL WEIGHT

Caterpillar’s Neal points to one other gamechanging technology that has come to excavators in recent years. Cat Payload uses cylinder pressure data and machine sensors to continuously calculate material weight while the excavator works.

Neal recalls visiting a contractor in the Boston area recently. The contractor was using a Cat 395 Excavator to dig a massive foundation. “The contractor was using both the 2D grade control and the payload system—just as we’d intended for them to be used,” Neal says. “The contractor said they loaded 136 trucks and were within 2% accuracy on all of them. That almost brought a tear to my eye.”

4. HIGHER PRODUCTION, LOWER FUEL CONSUMPTION

With the right equipment and technologies, improved productivity can also result in reduced fuel costs. Doosan excavators feature two innovations that can reduce machine fuel consumption.

The D-ECOPOWER system, an option on select models, features an electronically controlled pump, a closed-center main control valve, and nine sensors that electronically detect and control the precise amount of hydraulic oil required to perform a task.

A second innovation from Doosan is its Smart Power Control. Controlled by the ECU (engine control unit), this technology is implemented through two systems, variable speed control, and pump torque control, that work together to improve efficiency while maintaining productivity.

5. CAMERA SYSTEMS

Cameras are also taking excavator productivity and safety to another level. For instance, Caterpillar excavators come standard with two cameras, one on the right side and one at the rear. A four-camera system is also an option for contractors who want to maintain a 360° view around the excavator.

Over the past five years, Doosan’s Kleingartner says technological innovation has accelerated with respect to cameras. Doosan offers a standard rearview camera and an optional side view camera. Operators can view one or both (side-by-side) on the LCD screen in the operator’s cab.

“At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020, Doosan previewed its newest camera system, an all-around view monitoring system (AVM), that gives operators a 360° view of their surroundings,” Kleingartner says. Five unique perspectives can be seen from the separate AVM monitor: top view, rear view, top-right view, rear-corner view, and 3D view.

ABOUT CONEXPO-CON/AGG Held every three years, CONEXPO-CON/ AGG is the must-attend event for construction industry professionals. The show features the latest equipment, products, services and technologies for the construction industry, as well as industry-leading education. The next CONEXPO-CON/AGG will be held March 14-18, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For more information on CONEXPO-CON/AGG, visit https://www.conexpoconagg.com. Learn more about excavator tech here.

technology has been enhancing excavator performance for more than a decade, end-user demand for certain features has accelerated in the past few years.

INAUGURAL DIG DEEP A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

The inaugural Dig Deep event which was held on Sunday 29 May to raise funds for Beyond Blue and awareness for mental health issues in the construction industry has been a great success.

It was a beautiful autumn day which no doubt contributed to the event selling out with a capacity crowd at Gaelic Park, Keysborough.

“We would like to thank our event sponsors, exhibitors, the hard-working crew and most of all the many people who exceeded all our expectations and came out in force to the event.”

“It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the displays, watching the William Adams Cat Global Operator Challenge and importantly helping Beyond Blue help this industry we all work in and love,” said co-founder and CRE Group director Patrick Doheny.

The earthmoving industry came together to put on a display of machinery, earthmoving equipment and attachments with exhibitors ensuring a fun day for everyone who attended. One of the highlights was Hitachi with their new Zaxis-7 excavator on display, the first in Australia.

And families and kids weren’t left out with CJD Equipment Volvo printing names on high vis vests and the Kubota kids area was an absolute hit with a colouring station and go kart track.

UAA had coffee and popcorn machines with all donations going to Beyond Blue and other exhibitors featured barbecues with blue bread, a massage and relaxation zone, mini golf, and simulators.

The William Adams Cat Global Operator Challenge featured the 10 finalists culled from the heats the previous weekend.

The operators competed throughout the day from 10.30am to 3.30pm with Patrick Doheny from CRE Group prevailing and he will be representing William Adams Cat in the Global Operator Challenge regional finals in Japan this October.

All profits from Dig Deep will be donated to

Beyond Blue to help their efforts in raising awareness for mental health in construction.

The final amount raised was an impressive $375,429!

Dig Deep haven’t set a date on another event yet but the event inbox is flooded with positive messages and enquires for the next event.

Tragically 190 construction workers take their own lives per year which equates to one person every two days and the team behind Dig Deep want to stop this needless loss of life.

Construction workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than an accident at work. For young construction workers, the facts are that they are twice as likely to take their own lives than other young Australian men.

According to Beyond Blue, 27 per cent of their calls in the 2020-202 financial year were males aged 15-54.

Based on population, this demographic is underrepresented, and the starting point is educating males around signs and symptoms and helping to break stigma around reaching out for support; exactly what events like Dig Deep are aiming to do.

Follow Dig Deep Event on Instagram: @digdeepevent; Facebook: Dig Deep Event and look out for the hashtag: #keepdiggingkeeptalking

For more information please visit www.digdeepevent.org

CONSTRUCTION AND THE NEW FINANCIAL YEAR

The new financial year is a new dawn for many businesses. A chance to wipe the slate clean, saddle up and go again. We often hope each financial year brings better fortunes than the last. Often though, the prevailing headwinds do not stop at the end of the last financial year, and we hope that market conditions improve for our businesses to improve.

In summary, the next financial year for construction businesses in Queensland will be as challenging as the last. We can rely on a better pipeline of work, however there are covenants on the pipeline.

A review of the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP), as compared to last year, doesn’t bring great news to the bulk of the Transport and Main Roads prequalified contractors.

The main differences are:

• Approximately 59% of the program is allocated to projects under $100M compared to last year at 72%.

• Approximately $1B of QTRIP is allocated to new projects and a small portion of this is allocated for projects under $50M. However, both figures will be adjusted up due to QTRIP allocating funding for preconstruction activities in the prior years and continuing maintenance, reconstruction, local government, and other jointly funded programs, such as the Bruce Highway upgrades which bridge financial years.

We will be advocating that these programs are broken down into packages that the local contractors can easily compete for.

In addition to QTRIP, feedback from some local governments has indicated that the amount of infrastructure and maintenance to be delivered will be reduced based on cost increases. We have seen key councils lift their municipal rates, but it will be difficult for smaller regional councils to raise their revenues to cater for their maintenance and infrastructure requirements in the face of the current cost pressures. Significant grant funding increases will be required for these councils.

I believe the land development market will continue. Interest rates will still be low although the current increases will impact on new mortgagees. Demand will remain high, and the unemployment rate will remain low. There may be some winding back of property values but overall, the factors that underpin the market will be strong. The main handbrake will be the availability of builders and building materials to complete houses in a timely manner. The overall impact this will have on the land development market is yet to be fully realised.

There is a strong pipeline of renewable energy projects as well as rail and water infrastructure.

Overall, the project pipeline is strong but not in every sector. What is missing is a strong pipeline of new projects with a value spread that all contractors can compete for.

The headwinds for the industry remain. Low margins, skills and labour shortages, unpredictable supply lines and cost increases, and a possible continuation of La Niña are all under an uncertain industrial relations backdrop.

We are making every endeavor to lobby governments to make policy changes to help alleviate these pressures and we are seeing some support in some sectors of government to address the supply chain and cost issues as well as the labour and skills shortages. The temporary fuel excise cut was welcomed but not at the cost of the negative impact on fuel tax rebates. We hold great concerns of the impending reintroduction of the fuel excise rates to their previous levels in September of this year.

The state government has been very active in wrapping their head around the labour and skills shortages but unfortunately with record levels of unemployment some of the solution will be to transfer labour to the civil construction industry at the expense of other industries.

A key opportunity exists to attract school leavers and skilled international immigration to our industry.

Targeting school leavers is a long strategy as we need to demonstrate to parents and students that when making career pathway decisions at an early age, the civil construction industry provides very good and diverse opportunities for all. This will require input from all stakeholders and particularly the state government to foster engagement with industry at an early age.

Apart from the social issues we are currently solving on behalf of governments there is an issue which will need to be addressed at accelerating pace. Regardless of whether you subscribe to climate change or its affects, the civil construction industry will be required to play its part in decarbonising to achieve net zero by 2050. CCF has been doing a lot of background work to understand the levers which can be pulled to achieve this.

The industry is a heavy consumer of energy, whether onsite or through the supply chain.

Whilst some contractors have taken it upon themselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions these efforts pale into comparison when the full supply chain is considered.

We are cautious that the burden to achieve net zero by 2050 is placed fully on industries such as ours when the real solution is further up the chain. A clear strategy is that governments need to promote and foster through policy and subsequent law a reliable source of clean energy, which can be used in the supply chain. Wind and solar will not be enough.

For a contractor, the coming financial year will not be all that different to any other year. The headwinds change but are ever present as we manage all the risks to etch out a profit.

As always CCF will stand by the industry to help make it possible.

Damian Long, CEO, Civil Contractors Federation Queensland Limited.

ALLIED EARTHMOVERS ASSOCIATION

How often do you use the word “should” in a sentence? It’s usually used in a sentence that is not verbalised, but only said in your head. “I should do that”, or “I should not do that”. Either way, you are wasting headspace just saying those sentences. It’s a word that is a waste of time, full of regret and with not an ounce of positivity.

What would happen if you removed “should” from your vocabulary, completely. Imagine that it was a word you have never heard of and don’t know its meaning. Let’s replace it with the word “will”. “I will do that” or “I will not do that”. That’s better, we’re getting somewhere now. At least you’ve made a decision on the spot. I have written previously about the latest trend sweeping the world – the phenomenon of “decluttering”. We have discussed decluttering your possessions, and also your business. We’ve discussed clearing out costs and systems that do not enhance our business – clearing out anything that is not an asset to our business. But to do this successfully I think we need to declutter our mind. Deferred decisions are clutter in our minds and do not help to realise the vision we have for our business. By removing the word “should” from our lives, we are immediately faced with the moment of truth. You must make a decision now, and not put it off. By saying “I will do that” puts it on our to-do list. By saying “I will not do that” makes us accountable for actions that we actively choose not to do.

We are very grateful that John Mortimer from ITR Pacific did not use the word “should” when he was approached to host an Allied Earthmovers Association Trade Night. He said “Why not? Let’s do this.” And it was a terrific night! Our members met together at ITR Pacific’s premises in St Marys on the longest night of the year in June. They had the opportunity to see what ITR has to offer and members made the most of it. Members were able to network while enjoying a very generous barbecue and making a few purchases. Thanks to John and his team for the effort they put in to make us feel welcome. We also had the opportunity to pay tribute to a member who tragically died in a bus accident in May. Andy Leonello had been a member and supporter of Allied Earthmovers for 30 years. His character and stories will be missed.

Allied Earthmovers members are looking forward to the next Trade Night meeting at Toyota Material Handling. If you are an owner operator and would like to see what our Association is all about, why not come along. Our meetings are relaxed and laid-back, no need to dress up. Members always come away from meetings knowing more than

they did, and that’s the secret to growing a successful business. Don’t say “I should join Allied Earthmovers”, say, “I will join Allied Earthmovers!”.

For any enquiries about Allied Earthmovers Association, email us at office@goldenbucket.com.au, check out our website, or give us a call on 0416 110 024.

Ann Callaghan General Manager Golden Bucket Allied Earthmovers Association

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