A-Plant has added 400 new items of equipment to its fleet, including products manufactured by Bobcat and Thwaites. Machines worth almost £0.8m have been purchased from Bobcat, including E85 reduced tail swing excavators and skid steer loaders. An order has also been placed with Thwaites for site dumpers with capacities of 1, 3 and 6 tonnes.  

Japanese plant manufacturer Komatsu has acquired Lehnhoff Hartstahl, German producer of automatic quick coupler systems for excavator attachments. The Lehnoff family that owns the Variolock coupler business, headed by company chief executive Peter Lehnhoff, said they decided that selling to Komatsu was the best way to secure the future of the business and its 180 employees. “To evaluate an early and best possible succession plan for the company and its workforce was very important to my family and me,” said Peter Lehnhoff. “We are very fortunate for this important decision with Komatsu, with whom we have been cooperating excellently for 30 years. We are convinced that Lehnhoff Hartstahl will continue to grow from its location in Baden-Baden and will sustainably access the international markets.” He added: “This strategic decision will ensure Lehnhoff Hartstahl are best positioned for the future.” The price was not disclosed. Sean Heron, managing director of Lehnhoff’s UK distributor Worsley Plant, welcomed the takeover. “We see this as a positive step for the future of Lehnhoff’s products, allowing us to further penetrate the UK market with this market leading technology.”    

Liebherr has begun delivery of the largest single order in the history of its tower cranes division. The first of the 58 cranes are now on the site of the new Istanbul airport. The new İstanbul Yeni Havalimanı airport will be the largest in the world, capable of handling about 150 million passengers a year from 2020. Delivery of the first of the total of 58 EC-H series cranes took place recently and the cranes will remain installed at the airport until 2018. The airport is being built on a 9,000ha site 35km to the north of the centre of Istanbul. A total of six runways and 165 passenger bridges will be built at the new transport hub. The airport building itself will have a roof that stretches over the halls like a gigantic tent. Skylights at various points will provide daylight to the interior. The Liebherr order was placed by the project’s Turkish contractor, İGA Havalimanı İœletmesi. The order is made up of 32 cranes of the 280 EC-H 12 Litronic type, 16 of the 200 EC-H 10 Litronic type and a further ten 154 EC-H 6 Litronic models. “The Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions department has specialised in these complex construction projects and was able to score heavily with a low cost solution for this order,” said Rüdiger Boeck, regional sales manager for Eastern Europe and the Bosporus at Liebherr-Werk Biberach. The short delivery times that Liebherr was able to guarantee and the service provided by its local partner, Attila Dural Trading, were among the main reasons for winning the order, he added. “We can guarantee 24/7 service for our cranes in cooperation with our partner. That is extremely important for these construction projects where every day is vital.”

Caterpillar has refreshed its offering in the 25-tonne crawler excavator segment with the new short-tailswing Cat 325F. Compared to its 321D L CR predecessor, the 325F provides the same productivity while offering increased lifting capacities (up to 7% over-the-front, and up to 9% over-the-side), and a 12% fuel consumption improvement, the manufacturer says. The Variable Adjustable boom and stick allow working closer to the tracks in confined areas and provide increased lifting capacity. For long-term durability, the 325F uses a modified X-frame design to withstand digging and lifting forces. The heavy-duty undercarriage also uses massive track frames, heavy-duty track rollers, forged carrier rollers, and grease-lubricated track chains that significantly extend chain life and reduce sound when the machine travels, Caterpillar says The Stage IV-compliant C4.4 ACERT engine, which is up to B20 biodiesel capable, uses a variable-speed fan to further reduce energy consumption. A high-pressure fuel system has a newly designed pump and injectors for optimum combustion, and a high-efficiency filtration system protects components from wear and deposits that can result in over-fueling. Electrically controlled boom- and stick-regeneration systems recycle oil in cylinders instead of exhausting it to the reservoir, resulting in reduced loads on the main pumps for increased fuel economy and faster response. Quick-couplers and tool-control systems work with available auxiliary-hydraulic circuits to support a range of attachments. On-board technology includes Cat Grade Control, delivering 2D bucket-tip-elevation guidance to assist operators in forming precise planes and slopes, eliminating much of the staking and grade checking typically required. The AccuGrade system provides 3D guidance for making complex cuts and contours.

Having a backup generator in your office is an essential part of emergency procedures should you face a power cut or blackout. If you are not adequately prepared for such a scenario, you will find you and your workforce unable to work and thus at a loss, both professionally and financially. As per MarketWatch according to analysts at Technavio the global diesel portable market is to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% between 2014-2019. Proving that diesel generators are becoming more and more popular. Imagine you have a client visiting and you are faced with the embarrassing situation of having to halt your meeting as you have no back up power? It certainly would not reflect well on your brand or business. What kind of generator should I have? Generators come in various shapes and sizes based on their kVA output and engine size. These qualities are objective and therefore best decided upon by consulting an expert who can properly determine the right model for you. The more subjective differentiating quality is what kind of fuel the engine runs off. Similar to a car, the most popular fuels are petrol and diesel. Petrol Large selection available Cheaper to purchase but not as efficient as diesel Diesel Fuel efficient Cost-effective Operate for longer periods of time Long-lasting if maintained correctly All businesses should have a backup generator and it’s clear that the advantages of a diesel powered generator far outweigh the advantages of a petrol one. Whilst a petrol fuelled generator might be tempting due to its low initial price, you will likely end up paying more in the long term than you would have done should you have paid slightly more for a diesel version. If you want to ensure your business can operate regardless of any power outages, make sure you invest in a good backup generator for your office. Tarplett Generator Services supply a range of diesel generators, everything from SDMO T22k, to LSA 432 models.