Roads & Bridges visited the massive Case Construction Equipment footprint in the North Hall, following the Infrastructure Insider live event with our own Editorial Director Bill Wilson, to find out what the company has coming down the pike and what it has recently launched.
Here’s what we learned:
For openers, Case unveiled its DL450, also known as Project Minotaur, the industry’s first ever fully integrated compact dozer loader. The core feature of the DL450 is a C-Frame dozer interface that pins directly into the chassis of the machine. This provides the stability and smooth operating plane of a CTL, and ensures that all operating power and stresses are channeled through the machine’s chassis and not its loader arms. The C-Frame can then be unpinned from the chassis and disconnected like any other attachment, allowing the machine to perform like a standard CTL.
In the area of mini excavators, the company dropped not one but six new models: the CX17C, CX26C, CX33C, CX37C, CX57C and CX60C. The new machines feature a zero tail swing, short-radius or conventional design, adjustable boom offset for improved maneuverability in congested areas and an auto-shift travel system for operator convenience in varying terrain. An auxiliary hydraulic system with standard proportional controls, shut-off valve and easy-to-select joystick control patterns offer increased productivity, and a spacious and comfortable operator environment with excellent visibility, ergonomic controls, adjustable seating and line-of-sight digital displays minimizes operator fatigue.
Excavation was a “big” topic for Case as well this year—literally. The CX500D mass excavator and the so-big-it-had-its-own-lot-across-the-street CX750D are streamlined replacements for the CX700B and CX800B. Operating at a best-in-class 512 horsepower, the CX750D is available in standard and “mass excavation” configurations. The mass excavation configuration features a shorter boom and arm that allow for greater breakout forces and faster cycle times, and is capable of handling larger buckets for added capacity. An electronically controlled hydraulic pump and larger control and solenoid valves boost breakout forces, increase lifting strength and improve responsiveness.
And finally, the Team Rubicon Disaster Response SV340 was on display. It features a robust guarding package that includes a heavy duty bumper, rear grille guard, sweeps with a center screen, front light guards, side window guards and intake screens (available from CASE on all large-frame skid steers). An additional 10 LED lights have been added (four rear, four forward and two lower, side-facing) for extreme visibility and work zone awareness, and a four-corner strobe kit has been integrated into a custom roof rack. That custom roof rack is built to hold a shovel and a demolition axe, a Stihl chainsaw, and features recovery straps and rigging. The machine also includes a sleek grey finish and high-visibility safety paint accents – and it rides along on extra heavy-duty pneumatic tires.
Team Rubicon is a nonprofit organization offering veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves. Programs and services are made possible by the support of individual donors, corporate partners, and the dedication of volunteers across the country. Case has partnered with them to aid their mission.
