One of the latest additions to the Hitachi mini excavator range is working on the restoration of a residential building that belongs to the Vatican Church in Rome. The short-tail ZX33U-3 was introduced to the European market last year and was designed to deliver enhanced performance, improved efficiency and increased productivity compared to the previous model.

Owned by Schiavi S.R.L., a company that specialises in general construction, the ZX33U-3 is removing earth and waste material from the lower ground floor of the three-storey structure. A total of 30,000m³ of soil needs to be removed from the site before it can be transformed into a hotel for pilgrims visiting the nearby Vatican.

Schiavi will be responsible for the turn-key delivery of the building, including electricity, water and the air conditioning system installations. Work started in June 2010 and the company expects to complete the project in three years.

Alessandro Schiavi, who owns the company with his brother, Andrea, says, “First, we will remove earth and waste material and reinforce the structure with concrete. Pillars of 20-25m will be inserted into the ground to improve the building’s stability. The excavation on the lower ground floor will help to allow the air to circulate and help to avoid damp and humidity.

“The ZX33U-3 removes earth and unloads it out of the windows. In a couple of days it will have completed the earthmoving on this floor; then air vents will be created at this level and concrete will eventually be laid over the floor’s surface.”

Source: http://www.hcme.com/en/content/view/full/4530

TOKYO - Kobelco Cranes Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kobe Steel, Ltd., plans to manufacture crawler cranes in China.

Kobelco will form a joint venture with Chinese partner Sichuan Chengdu Chenggong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (or CG) in October. The joint venture, to be called Chengdu Kobelco Cranes Co., Ltd., will make and sell the cranes. A total of 2 billion yen will be invested in the new plant and production is to start in August 2012. By 2015, Kobelco aims to produce 80 crawler cranes a year to meet around 7% of the total demand in China.

Crawler crane production in China will enable Kobelco to strengthen its involvement in the world’s largest market for this variety of construction machinery. The Chinese market comprises 700 units of the world’s total demand of 2,500 crawler cranes.

The Kobe Steel Group will become the world’s first construction equipment maker to manufacture both hydraulic excavators and crawler cranes in China and India. The Group intends to supply machines for use in construction, civil engineering and new energy investments, further expanding its business.

Kobelco Cranes has a 50% share of the Japanese market for crawler cranes, its main product. In the world, Kobelco estimates that it has a 17% market share. Kobelco’s plant in China will be its second overseas manufacturing location after India. The China plant will be the first facility of a Japanese manufacturer to make crawler cranes.

CG has been a partner with Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. for many years and has a deep understanding of Kobelco’s manufacturing methods. To make a full-scale entry in China, where Chinese construction equipment makers are rising, Kobelco Cranes came to the conclusion that teaming up with CG was essential to keep investment costs down and to quickly enter the market.

Kobelco’s new plant will be located in the Chengdu Economic & Technological Zone in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The plant will be adjacent to CG’s new plant to which it will move in 2011. Kobelco Construction Machinery’s joint venture, Chengdu Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (or CKCM), is also located next door. By situating Kobelco Cranes’ new plant near CG and CKCM, Kobelco will be able to share distribution and information, which will improve the efficiency of group management.

Source: http://www.kobelco.co.jp/english/topics/2010/09/1183666_10783.html

Tokyo - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) will establish MHI Industrial Engineering & Services Private Ltd. (MIES) in Singapore effective October 1, which will handle the company’s machinery and steel structures business. MIES is aimed to function as a marketing and service base for environmental and chemical plant projects in the Southeast Asia and Middle East regions, where market expansion is expected over the long term. The new company will also serve to execute part of EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) projects, such as procurement activities. Future plans call for MIES to broaden its business scope from environmental and chemical plants to other product areas and become a regional business base for other operations in machinery and steel structures.

MIES will undertake a variety of engineering projects, including gas and oil production facilities, flue-gas desulfurization systems and carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery systems, in addition to its primary focus on chemical plant projects. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Singapore Private Ltd. (MHISP), a wholly owned subsidiary of MHI, will hold 100% of MIES’s capital, which will be S$2.4 million (approximately \150 million) upon establishment but is subject to future increases in step with business expansion. MIES will initially launch operations with 11 employees, with plans envisioning an increase to about 50 within four years. Takato Nishizawa, Deputy General Manager of MHI’s Machinery & Steel Structures Headquarters, will concurrently serve as Managing Director of MIES.

The markets for environmental and chemical plants are basically in expansionary trends along with economic growth and population increases in the emerging countries. Competition in these markets is intensifying, however, due to the significant ascendancy of Korean companies - with Chinese companies expected to catch up in the future - and rivalry among engineering companies in Japan, Europe and the U.S. To respond to these market conditions, MHI has been faced with the urgent task of maintaining and enhancing its ability to deal promptly, dynamically and locally with customers in areas ranging from project development to construction and completion of plants. It was against this backdrop that MHI opted to establish the new company in Singapore.

Source: http://www.mhi.co.jp/en/news/story/1009061373.html

Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV (HCME) has signed an agreement with a new dealer in Lithuania. Dominga (Domingos prekyba UAB) will offer customers an extensive range of Hitachi construction machinery, including mini, medium and large excavators, wheel loaders and special application machines.

Dominga was founded in 1998 and initially specialised in the sales and service of forestry machines. Since then, it has developed into one of the leading industry service companies in the Baltic region. Owned by Libra Holding, the company has 38 employees, including 20 sales representatives and a service team of 15 people.

It has two offices in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, and branches in the cities of Kaunas and Siauliai. In addition to convenient locations, Dominga prides itself on a strong sales focus and customer base, and a diverse range of products and services with highly skilled technicians.

As well as a complete range of Hitachi construction machinery, Dominga supplies the Lithuanian market with forestry machinery; offers sales, rental and service of forklifts; and stocks industrial components for heavy road machinery.

Source: http://www.hcme.com/en/content/view/full/4502

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, continues the expansion of its global marine services network with the ground-breaking for a new facility in Hamburg, Germany.

The global marine services network is dedicated to helping customers maximise the operational capability of their vessels and manage their costs most effectively.The network now includes facilities in 29 countries and employs thousands of support staff, engineers and technicians around the world.

The site will be home to a 2,000 square metre Marine Service Centre providing stateof-the-art repair and overhaul expertise to its German customers. Rolls-Royce will invest 6 million euros in the new centre, which will employ up to 70 people when fully operational. The new site benefits from being located within one of Europe’s busiest commercial ports.

Commenting at the ground-breaking ceremony held today, Bernd Wittorf, Country Manager, Rolls-Royce Marine Deutschland GmbH, said: “Germany is a key market for marine activities and Hamburg is at the heart of its marine cluster. This is the first step towards establishing a world-class facility for our German-based operations. The new service centre in Hamburg will strengthen our repair and overhaul services to customers in one of the world’s largest shipping markets. We would like to thank both the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) and the Government of the State of Hamburg for the good collaboration.”

Source: http://www.rolls-royce.com/marine/news/2010/new_service_facility_hamburg.jsp

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has announced that Island Offshore will further expand its fleet of Rolls-Royce UT776 platform supply vessels (PSV) with more of the same type, with one major difference – the newly ordered vessels will use LNG for fuel. These vessels will be the first LNG powered UT vessels designed and powered by Rolls-Royce. The latest order by Island Offshore is for two PSVs . At present they have four of the UT 776 supply vessels in service and two more under construction.

The vessels will be built by STX Offshore Norway at its Brevik yard, which has previously built a number of vessels for the ship-owner.

“We are extremely happy with the performance of these UT vessels, as are our clients,” said Håvard Ulstein, Managing Director of Island Offshore in Ulsteinvik, Norway. “A very important area for Island Offshore is reduction in fuel consumption. With the UT 776, the favourable hull lines contribute to a very low consumption rate over a wide range of operating draughts. We believe that the most significant contribution to reducing emissions is to reduce fuel consumption for a given amount of work done. Going for LNG fuel is a logical step in reducing emissions even further.”

Rolls-Royce has worked for several years developing designs and systems for offshore vessels using LNG as fuel.

“Now that more gas infrastructure is in place, it is realistic for customers to select this fuel and these designs and systems” commented Atle Gaasø, General Manager Sales for Offshore service vessels. “We are very happy to be working with Island Offshore, as they are a very forward-thinking company with a strong focus on efficiency and the environment, as they have already shown with their pioneering Rolls-Royce designed well intervention vessels.”

Source: http://www.rolls-royce.com/marine/news/2010/27_8_2010_ut-design_to_use_lng_fuel.jsp

MOLINE, Illinois — Hitachi rigid-frame trucks set the standard for productivity and comfort. After several months of field testing, the company’s newest model — the electric-drive EH4000ACII — is ready to roll. It combines Hitachi’s time-honored front trailing arm and NEOCON-ETM suspension system with the vertical integration of Hitachi’s own IGBT AC-Drive technology. The result is a smooth-steering, smooth-riding, highly dependable, and long-lasting haul truck that mining operations will appreciate.

Because it utilizes AC-drive technology, the EH4000ACII has lower life-cycle costs and better performance on grade uphill or downhill with superior rimpull and retarding capabilities. The brushless motors of the AC-drive system provide lower maintenance costs while providing increased uptime. Trolley-assist options are available to improve performance on grade by increasing productivity while reducing fuel consumption during the haul cycle.

The EH4000ACII maneuvers easily in tight spaces and comfortably handles the haul road with steady speed on grade. Turning diameter is 30.2 m (99 ft. 1in.).

Source: http://www.hitachiconstruction.com/en_US/cfd/construction/hitachi_const/newsroom/index.html