Executive Hire News › Archives › November 2009 › Executive Report : Added value
Executive Report : Added value
Nick Johnson reports from the Wacker Neuson factory in Germany where the manufacturer showed its latest compact plant.
The name Wacker still conjures up the picture of a rammer or plate in the minds of many hirers. However, since the company’s acquisition of wheel loader maker Weidemann in 2005 and the merger with Neuson Kramer two years later, its product line today contains much more than compaction equipment.
The breadth of product now sold under the Wacker Neuson, Kramer and Weidemann brands was immediately apparent at a comprehensive display recently staged at the Wacker Neuson light equipment factory in Reichertshofen, Germany. Creating interest at this event was the latest Wacker Neuson mini excavator - the 2400kg class 2404 - as well as the factory-fitted cabs now available as an option for the 3000kg, 6000kg, 9000kg and 10010kg payload site dumpers.
As site dumpers have grown in size over the years, these machines have retained the tradition of open operator compartments. Only a few cabs have been supplied as an (often expensive) option by some dumper makers in the past and their use, in the main, was invariably limited to machines used for filter bed cleaning by water supply companies.
Back in 2006, Neuson introduced the option of fully enclosed cabs for its bigger site dumpers. But these cabs were not ROPS/FOPS structures and they had to be fitted under the folding ROPS bar. Compared to what is now available, the former cabs were much more angular in appearance and their doors were somewhat ‘slim’.
The latest Wacker Neuson ‘premium’ dumper cabs have wider doors and are fully ROPS/FOPS Level II certified, so that there is no need for a separate ROPS bar. Providing a heater, more roomy interiors and internal storage compartments, these new generation cabs, like those on the company’s excavators, are made by Lugstein in Austria. The new style dumper cabs feature larger windows than their predecessors and all have flat panes of glass, apart from the slightly curved front screen. There is a door on each side of the cab and they can each be swung back through 180° and safely latched out of harm’s way. Conveniently fitted grab handles aid entry to the cab, but the operator needs to take care to avoid the optional side-mounted rear view mirrors if they are fitted.
There are lockable, hinged panels on either side of the cab which allow access to the air cleaner, electrical isolation switch, brake fluid reservoir and hydraulic oil filler. To get to the top of the engine it is necessary to unbolt and remove the operator’s seat. As an option, the new ‘premium’ cabs can be fitted with a protective grille for the front windscreen.
More attractive to hirers
By developing these purpose-made, factory fitted cabs for its dumpers, Wacker Neuson should be able to secure higher volume sales and, hence, lower pricing for this option. The resulting availability of a much more cost-effective dumper cab should help make the concept more attractive to plant hirers seeking to offer an operational advantage to their customers at a time when demand for ordinary dumpers is very depressed.
Given the wet and cold winter weather that is so common in this country, the ability to provide much better operator comfort (and, thereby, the prospect of more productivity) ought to make these value added dumpers popular. Andrew Howells, MD of Wacker Neuson Ltd in Waltham Cross, considers that the market for dumpers with cabs will grow significantly over the next few years.
Wacker Neuson wheeled site dumpers are now being assembled on a production line at the company’s Linz factory in Austria. This is the source for the company’s complementary ranges of tracked dumpers, compact excavators, skid steer loaders and compact tracked loaders. The decision to bring the design and production of all related Wacker Neuson compact plant machines under one roof made financial and organisational sense. The current factory in Linz, Austria has a production area of 22,300m2 and the company has plans to build a new factory nearby as soon as market conditions improve.
At Wacker Neuson’s recent product display, a 3001 dumper, complete with cab, was prominently posed with the new 2404 mini excavator. This unit is being launched to fill a gap in the company’s range between its existing 2003 (operating weight 1990/2080kg with canopy or cab) and the 2685/2780kg 2503.
Executive Hire Show launch
Set to receive its UK launch next February at the Executive Hire Show, the 2404 utilises a modified superstructure from the 2003 together with a completely redesigned operator’s cab, an optimised hydraulic system and refined hydraulic pipe and hose routing. The machine has a modified version of the 2503 undercarriage to provide a stable base.
The 2404 has an operating weight of 2312kg with canopy and 2410kg with cab. Described as the ‘Pacesetter’ by its maker, the well-balanced 1400mm wide mini has a tail radius of 1159mm, which results in a 459mm overhang beyond the outer edge of its tracks. Maximum digging depth is 2520mm with the short dipper and 2720mm when the long arm is fitted.
The easily removable cab on the 2404 has a new windscreen raising mechanism. This allows either just the main pane of glass to be stowed in the roof, or the lower section to also be carried up with it for safe stowage out of the way. A particular feature of the cab is that, as an option, it can be supplied with a door on each side. This arrangement is unusual on this size of mini, but it does allow greater operational flexibility when working in confined spaces alongside obstructions.
The fuel efficient 2404 mini is powered by a 3-cylinder Yanmar engine rated at 24.3hp. The machine’s hydraulic system has a double variable piston pump and two gear pumps and there are two travel speeds - up to 2.25 km/h and up to 3.8 km/h. An interesting option for the 2404 is that it can be supplied with Wacker Neuson’s Vertical Digging System (VDS). Neuson first introduced this ability to level up the slewing superstructure when the undercarriage is on sloping ground back in 1988. Now the company is more actively marketing this feature that can add more value to a mini excavator by allowing it to operate safely on slopes too steep for standard machines.
One use for VDS equipped minis ought to be on the steep embankments beside some UK motorways where an increasing number of trenches are being dug to carry the cables for the expanding network of enhanced matrix information signs. At present the somewhat alarming sight of a conventional mini being operated whilst perched precariously up on a steep slope beside live traffic lanes is all too common.
Wacker Neuson’s greater promotion of its VDS option comes at a time when the Off-Highway Plant and Research Centre (OPERC) has been researching the issue of mini excavator stability. VDS allows the superstructure and slew ring of a mini to be angled at up to 15° in relation to its undercarriage. As well as restoring a comfortable ‘upright’ operating position, this system is claimed to be able to make savings of up to 25% in time and excess material movement when digging on slopes.
A rather different Wacker Neuson machine seen in Germany was the recently introduced E700M trailer-mounted hydronic surface heater from one of the company’s American factories. Developed for defrosting surfaces and enabling concrete finishing at sub-zero temperatures, this interesting heater runs on diesel and warms a mixture of water and glycol to over 80°C. This warm liquid is then pumped through a 700m hose laid on the area that needs heating. The unit has potential in this country for drying out buildings after flood damage and for drying out underground tanks prior to internal painting.
The extensive Wacker Neuson product portfolio, (including the Kramer and Weidemann brands), together with the company’s greater determination to maximise the sales potential of its different lines to a wider spectrum of customers, should help the business counter the challenging economic climate. CEO Dr Georg Sick says, “we will not go into heavy equipment,” but he confirms that the group continues to consider other strategic alliances and acquisitions. •
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