April 20, 2015 – LiuGong is preparing to launch its
innovative new Global Research and Development Centre in June of this year – a
facility in Liuzhou, China, that will help to accelerate the technological proficiency
in its machines.
April 20, 2015 – LiuGong is preparing to launch its
innovative new Global Research and Development Centre in June of this year – a
facility in Liuzhou, China, that will help to accelerate the technological proficiency
in its machines.
With R&D and continual product improvement considered
fundamental to its business activity, LiuGong is confident the new Development
Centre will help establish it as one of the world’s leading companies in the
construction equipment industry. LiuGong currently inputs close to five per
cent of its total sales revenue into R&D year-on-year, with an investment
of over €61 million in 2014 alone.
“For LiuGong to continue our growth path, we need facilities
that enable our gifted design and engineering teams to innovate and utilize the
technologies that will drive the future of our machines,” said David
Beatenbough, Vice President of LiuGong and project lead for the new Development
Centre. “We are excited that the new Global Research and Development Centre
will provide us with all the tools to realize our technological ambitions.”
Based in Liuzhou – which is also home to the company’s
Global Headquarters – the complex will be the new hub that influences LiuGong’s
three other R&D facilities in India, Poland and the United Kingdom. Its
initial focus will be to undertake major research, development and testing for
LiuGong’s lines of wheel loaders, excavators and graders. One of the first
projects will be the completion of research and development, as well as testing
the second phase models of H Series wheel loaders.
Alongside this, its comprehensive range of laboratories will
develop sophisticated measures to test and optimize all aspects of machine
performance, such as structural design, materials science, electronic and
hydraulic efficiency, cooling, vibration and noise. The laboratories will allow
accelerated endurance testing as well as a wide variety of performance testing.
One benefit the new 1200 seat office brings to LiuGong is
the ability to bring expert minds from different fields together, under one
roof. The new center will be the focal point for technical training within
LiuGong. Development of engineers’ talent is a key target at LiuGong, and the
new Global R&D Center has several specialized training laboratories. Better
training facilities lead to more efficient and complete learning. Co-locating
experts from many disciplines allows better exchange of ideas, and helps with
one of the new design center’s primary missions – that of evaluating future
technologies, and future trends within the industry thus setting the technical
direction for LiuGong’s future.
In furthering the globalization of the organization, the
Development Centre project has been at the forefront of LiuGong’s strategy.
Development began in Liuzhou in 2013 and the accumulated investment in the
project since then has reached €40 million. The modern facility spans 110,000m²
and includes an office complex, a test centre, a prototype centre, seven
laboratories, and three design studios. The facility is further enhanced with
state-of-the-art technological equipment and a virtual reality studio.
“By virtue of the world-class hardware that the LiuGong
Global Research and Development Centre is equipped with, there will be a
fundamental change for the better in how we approach R&D,” said Zeng
Guang’an, Chairman of the LiuGong. “There is no doubt that once the facility is
operational, it will improve our experimental and research abilities, while
enabling us to incorporate key technological advancements into our products.”
“One of the biggest objectives of the new Development Centre
will be to encourage greater interaction between our R&D facilities
worldwide: expert teams exchanging information and better utilising resources,
and a more efficient process in turning technological development into
application,” added Guang’an. “I am positive this will increase our leverage in
becoming a world-class construction equipment manufacturer.”
Speaking about the expectations for the research centre,
Beatenbough added, “First and foremost, we want to ensure we do things
right. We always focus on building a
strong foundation, driving forward step-by-step The stronger that foundation
becomes, the faster we can move forward with advanced and even, in some cases,
revolutionary technologies. Having a research facility that is able to meet the
demands our scientists and engineers place on it allows us to focus on
advancing our capabilities. Within just
a few months of moving into the new center our customers will begin to feel the
impact of optimized R&D, and I can confidently say that within a very few
years there will be technologies and products from LiuGong that will advance
the industry.”
“From a personal point-of-view, it is the most complete
facility that I have had the opportunity to work in,” continued Beatenbough.
“It gives us the platform to be competitive with any construction equipment
manufacturer in the world.”
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