Tokyo - Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. lowered its fiscal 2008 forecast for worldwide hydraulic shovel demand, citing a faster-than-expected drop in Japan and Western Europe. The company, which earlier had projected a 6 per cent increase from fiscal 2007, now sees demand climbing just 4 per cent to 229,300 units. The biggest factor in the downward revision was Japan, where sales were expected to dip 4 per cent but are now projected to drop 15 per cent to 28,000 units.

In addition, construction booms in the U.K. and Spain have ended due to ripple effects from the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis, so the demand outlook in Western Europe has been revised from an 8 per cent to a 15 per cent decrease.

On the other hand, the firm upped its forecasts for Russia, Latin America and other emerging markets and resource-rich regions, where demand remains robust. Hitachi Construction Machinery announces its hydraulic shovel outlook each quarter when it releases its earnings report.

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Tokyo - Construction machinery shipments by Japanese manufacturers in fiscal 2008 are expected to increase at a slower pace than originally expected due to a sharp fall in domestic demand, an industry group said.

In the year through March 2009, the shipments are now projected to rise 2 pct from fiscal 2007 to 2,488.8 billion yen, the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association said.

The association previously forecast that shipments by its 76 member companies would total 2,607.7 billion yen in fiscal 2008.

Still, the new forecast would mark the seventh straight year of increase.

For the domestic market, the industry group slashed its shipment forecast to 705.7 billion yen from 806.5 billion yen amid a decrease of public works projects and sluggish housing investment in Japan.

The association lowered its forecast of construction machinery exports by the Japanese makers to 1,783.1 billion yen from 1,801.2 billion yen. While shipments to Asian countries like China are expected to remain brisk, shipments are seen to continue falling in North America and to be weak in Europe.

In fiscal 2009, the association projects the total shipments to reach 2,576.9 billion yen to mark the eighth consecutive year of growth. Domestic shipments are seen totaling 680.2 billion yen and exports, 1,896.7 billion yen.

In a press conference Thursday, Michijiro Kikawa, chairman of the industry group, said demand in industrialized countries, including Japan, is expected to stay sluggish and that market growth in emerging economies is to somewhat slow down.

Hitachi Construction Machinery announces the sale from September 1, 2008, of the EH3500AC II rigid dump truck (Gross Machine Weight 325 tons, 185-ton payload class) for international use in large-scale mining.

The EH3500AC II utilizes AC drive technology from Hitachi, Ltd. using its most recent Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), and based on the inverter technology used in high-speed railway trains.

Power transfer to the road is more efficient using the AC drive system. By eliminating heavy rotating components such as the transmission and differential components found in mechanically driven trucks, more of the power supplied by the diesel engine is transferred to the haul-road, and the maintenance costs for lubricating oil for these devices are reduced. Hitachi ’s brushless AC travel motors along with the latest Hitachi IGBT inverters reduce repair costs and deliver stronger, more controllable electric braking power (retarding) compared to the EH3500AC II’s DC-powered predecessor.

The EH3500AC II is powered by a Cummins QSK 50 engine that is known for extended service life and fuel efficiency. This engine has been certified to the Tier 2 (U.S.) EPA Emission regulation.

The EH3500AC II includes the following features:

1. High Mobility and Productivity a.. The AC drive system, with its load-responsive IGBT inverter, excels in controlling travel motor speed and torque. Whether taking off from a standstill, ascending grades, or performing steering maneuvers, the system delivers an optimal, individual amount of power to each of the travel motors for smooth, quick operation. b.. The powerful electric braking system is manually or automatically applied for stable retardation of the hauler, without any need to apply the service brakes, resulting in decreased repair costs for the service brakes and improved component life. c.. Smooth speed control performance and stable braking performance bring speedy on-site hauling cycles, contributing to high productivity.
2. High Controllability a.. A large color LCD display, similar to that used on the Dash-6 Hitachi excavators, indicate travel speed, engine RPM, payload and fault information for improved operability. b.. The powerful electric drive system reduces operator fatigue as the system is easily controlled using a 3-position shift lever that provides forward, neutral and reverse, along with single accelerator and retarder pedals that are used to control hauler speed.
3. High Reliability and Safety a.. The rugged box-section main frame, water-cooled control panel, and travel reduction gear oil cleaning and cooling unit are all included in the standard truck, ensuring superior reliability. b.. The standard ROPS/FOPS cab complies with the requirement of ISO 3471 and 3449. Four emergency engine stop switches located at various points outside of the operators cab and a 630 mm wide access ladder are provided for safe machine operation, inspection and maintenance. And the cab is equipped with a rear view monitor like that used in Hitachi ultra-large hydraulic excavators. 4.Superior maintainability a.. The front suspension cylinders (replaceable without removing front wheels), automatic lubricating system, and outboard mounted rear service brakes provide easier maintenance. Brief Specifications Brief Specifications Model EH3500AC II Payload class 185 ton Body capacity (heaped 2:1/struck) 111/74 m3 Net machine weight (with standard equipment) 140,000 kg Gross machine weight (with standard tires) 325,000 kg Engine Cummins QSK50 Gross engine power, kW/min-1(PS/rpm) 1,491/1,900 (2,000/1,900) Overall length 13,500 mm Overall width (including mirrors) 8,010 mm Overall height 6,770 mm Max. travel speed 56 km/h Tire size 37.00R57

All units are SI international standards; those in parenthesis are former Japanese standard units.

A research team in Japan has developed a technology to make steel that is strong and flexible at low temperatures with potential for use on ships.

The steel, newly developed by a team led by the head researcher at the Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science, Yuji Kimura, can absorb shocks up to six times as strong as that of conventional steel.

The phenomenon of steel becoming brittle at low temperatures is believed to be the reason why the Titanic sunk after hitting an iceberg.

It is hoped the new technology will pave the way for lighter, more energy-efficient ships and will increase the safety of bolts.

The development was published in the U.S. magazine. This results in a microstructure similar to bamboo that is difficult to break, making the steel highly resistant to shock

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