Features Heavy Equipment Pits & Quarries Roads & Paving
More CONEXPO coverage!

In the March/April issue of Rock to Road, we looked at several new technologies and OEM initiatives announced during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023. The most well-attended edition of the triennial show of all time, this year’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG drew 139,000 to the Las Vegas Convention Centre to check out more than 3 million square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibit space. Here is the continuation of our coverage.

Keep It Moving

PPI field applications engineer Dallas Houchins showcases his company’s theme for
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, “How we keep it moving.”

For PPI (Precision Pulley & Idler), the theme of CONEXPO-CON/AGG was “How we keep it moving.” 

“Part of that is we’ve increased the inventory in our different locations. We have over one million square feet of manufacturing capability,” says Dallas Houchins, field applications engineer for PPI. 

PPI has a significant Canadian footprint with a manufacturing facility in Surrey, B.C., as well as a dedicated field engineer and sales team covering Canada.

“Our sales force is very seasoned, they’ve got a lot of knowledge. We also have a dedicated field engineering team, which I’m a part of. We assist our sales guys with different issues such as belt tracking, or suggest components that will help solve carryback issues, and increasing the life of the conveyor system. So that’s how we keep it moving with conveyors,” Houchins says. 

Staying Connected

Kleemann’s MOBISCREEN MSS 802i EVO features a continuous feed system that optimizes the uniform loading of the machine by allowing components to communicate with each other.

During a tour of the John Deere/Wirtgen Group booth, trade press got a chance to check out Kleemann’s MOBISCREEN MSS 802i EVO. The mobile screening plant features the Spective touchscreen display, which acts as a centralized control system that controls all functions and diagnostics of the machine. This system provides customers with an overview of the complete plant, making it very easy to monitor each component with the touch of a screen, a Kleemann representative told the crowd. They added that the continuous feed system (CFS) optimizes the uniform loading of the machine by allowing the components on board to communicate with each other, which reduces fuel consumption and reduces abnormal wear while increasing overall throughput.

Kleemann also introduced Spective Connect, an extension of the Spective technology, which offers the operator an extension of the Spective screen via an app on their smartphone. Operators can essentially view the same screen while inside the cab of a wheel loader or excavator. Spective Connect also allows operators to send reports of productivity throughout the day, providing customers with a much more sustainable and eco-friendly operation. 

Seismic Solutions

Dynapac marketing and digital solutions manager Dormie Roberts discusses features of the D17C commercial paver.

During CONEXPO-CON/AGG, Dynapac introduced its SEISMIC technology, already successfully used for its soil compaction equipment, on the company’s new line of tandem asphalt rollers.  

“We’ve had very good success on the soil side, so we wanted to bring that into the asphalt field as well,” explains Dynapac marketing and digital solutions manager Dormie Roberts. 

The intelligent SEISMIC system improves compaction performance significantly compared to conventional compaction carried out at fixed frequency. SEISMIC automatically detects the optimum compaction frequency and continuously adjusts accordingly.

For tandem asphalt rollers, since the drum and the asphalt act as one dynamic system, several benefits can be found from the system’s natural frequency. At the natural frequency, the drum amplitude is enhanced significantly, since energy is automatically fed to the system at exactly the right time. This, in turn, maximizes the contact force between the drum and the surface layer, yielding maximized compaction and energy efficiency. The best compaction parameters guarantee an optimal output.

Heavy Hauling

Chris Rhodes, vice-president for BKT,
discusses the EARTHMAX SR 45 H2 OTR tire.

BKT showcased its EARTHMAX SR 45 H2 OTR tires for standard haul trucks for quarries.

“It’s a new product for us. It’s got the sight down the centre that allows for better heat dissipation,” explains Chris Rhodes, vice-president for BKT.

EARTHMAX SR 45 H2 is an All Steel radial tire specifically designed for rigid haul trucks. The E-4 tread depth and the unique tread pattern ensure excellent wear minimizing vibration and noise. EARTHMAX SR 45 H2 is ideal for all operations requiring traction and stability. The All Steel casing provides excellent resistance to snags and punctures and a long service life. Available in standard, heat-resistant and cut-resistant compounds.

Screen Time

Polydeck’s Demi Agresta discusses the company’s new RUBBERDEX ULTRAMAX and
METALDEX ULTRACLEAN screening options.

On display at the Polydeck booth was the screen manufacturer’s new RUBBERDEX ULTRAMAX synthetic media and METALDEX ULTRACLEAN.

Polydeck’s Demi Agresta says the ULTRACLEAN product was reconfigured and redesigned.  

“We found that doing this design makes it way better in the field,” she says.

ULTRACLEAN is built with an easy pin-style fastening and 30-mm panel thickness. The modular screen media is available in 3/32”; 1/8”; 3/16”; 1/4”; 5/16”; 3/8”; 1/2”; 9/16”; and 5/8” aperture sizes. The screen features a zigzag wire design oriented across the flow of the screen to enable smaller apertures while providing secondary movement that prevents entrapment of material to eliminate blinding and plugging. 

The ULTRAMAX is how Polydeck directly competes with wire cloth, Agresta says. 

“It has up to 57.6 per cent open area, whereas, wire cloth sits in that 40- to 45-per-cent range most of the time,” she says. “So, a lot more throughput going through.”

The ULTRAMAX also features easy pin-style fastening. It is currently available in 19mm (3/4”) and 14mm (9/16”) aperture sizes. It features square apertures for clean cut sizes, and a 40-mm panel thickness. The modular design results in reduced labour costs and maintenance needs.

Intelligent Detection for Enhanced Safety

Brigade’s Jason Davis discussed his company’s AI intelligent detection front and rear-view cameras for heavy equipment.

Safety device leader Brigade Electronics showcased its AI intelligent detection with its new VBV-2220C-AI-D04 front-facing AI camera and its VBV-2230C-AI-D04 rear AI camera for heavy equipment.

“The software is written into it to specifically detect people,” explains Brigade’s Jason Davis. “It differentiates the people from other small objects.” 

Using AI, the cameras detect and recognize the human form within the pre-defined detection zone and reliably warn the driver visually and/or audibly before a possible collision occurs. Image processing is built-in to the cameras.

The cameras’ features include:

• High definition image;
• Recognizes and alerts the driver to people in the front and rear blind-spot;
• Detected people are shown in a coloured box overlaid on the HD camera image on the driver’s monitor;
• Image processing and detected-person-overlay directly from the camera unit;
• Plug and play: AI camera connects directly to the Brigade monitor and/or optional buzzer
• Brigade Select range connectors;
• Compatible with all brigade HD monitors and MDR recorders.

The company also showcased its Brigade Fusion solution.

Brigade Fusion uses sensor fusion technology to combine Brigade’s range of safety devices, including its 360-degree camera, radar obstacle detection and M2M RTLS (Real Time Location System) technology. This allows the system to predict high risk events, providing the operator with appropriate and prompt alerts and, if required, signal the machine to prevent movement, slow down or stop entirely if its operator is unable to react in time.

The new system, which has been trialled by several customers in the U.S. and the U.K., adds EMESRT (Earth Moving Equipment Safety Round Table) Level 8 and Level 9 collision avoidance to its existing Level 7. This delivers the highest standard in worksite safety for off-road construction and mining mobile equipment.

Superior Crushing with New Cone Crushers

Superior Industries had an impressive display of equipment for quarrying applications,
including two brand-new cone crushers: the Endeavor Cone (right) and the Dakota Cone.

Superior Industries debuted its two new cone crushing models at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023: the Endeavor Cone and the Dakota Cone. Both models join the bulk material processing system manufacturer’s overall line of aggregate production solutions, including their previously released Patriot Cone Crusher. 

The Endeavor sports a spider bushing design, which Superior reported are historically known for accepting the largest range of feed sizes and simplified operation and maintenance. The crusher also includes what the company are calling the strongest shaft style the industry has designed to date, supported on a cast top and cast bottom shell.

A top access chamber makes the Endeavor both safer to access and simpler to maintain, the company released in a statement, while a range of multiple strokes and liner configurations adds flexibility when it comes to the model’s applications.

The Dakota features a roller bearing design, which the company reported typically offers the most efficient use of horsepower per ton of crushed rock. 

Additional features include a steel threaded bowl, a single-piece cast mainframe, a tramp relief system designed with fewer accumulators to minimize maintenance, and a hydraulically-operated anti-spin system that aims to eliminate additional labor such as the installation of individual gears.

Both models are designed for high performance in primary, secondary, or tertiary applications. Each model is also suited for both portable and stationary settings. 

Maximum feed opening is up to 18 inches (450mm) with horsepower ranging from 200 to 800 hp (150-600 kW).

Getting Pumped About Urethane Liners

Oliver Nobels, director of engineering at Schurco Slurry, shows off an exploded view of a
6×4 pump that can take replaceable liners and impellers.

Schurco Slurry showcased its range of heavy-duty slurry pumps and had a pump on display in an exploded view at its booth at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023.

“This pump can take replaceable liners and impellers. As the pump wears out, whether it’s pumping sand or any sort of aggregates, it will wear out over time. So, this design allows you to replace the commodity components rather than replacing big metal cast pieces,” explains Oliver Nobels, director of engineering at Schurco Slurry. 

Nobels showed off the company’s urethane liners and explained their advantages.

“Urethane is much more comparable to a natural rubber than a high chrome pump, but the benefits with urethane is it’s a little bit harder. So, it can handle a little bit higher pressures than our natural rubber, but also show some of the main wear characteristics. Whenever we’re talking any sort of sand that has some sort of silica content, it is not good for a metal or a high chrome pump, so we have to look at some sort of elastomer. We have seen that urethane has been a good option, especially in the case where we need to hit a little bit higher pressures where we wouldn’t be able to do that with the natural rubber.” 

The pump also features Schurco Slurry’s Expeller Seal. 

“It’s a dynamic shaft seal that does not require seal water, which for the aggregate industry is ideal, because a lot of the plant water is not very clean. And if you’re using a stuffing box that will require seal water, it will wear out over time. So this is a good option if you don’t have much available seal water or the seal water is not very clean.”

The next edition of CONEXPO-CON/AGG will take place from March 3 to 7, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has appointed Eric Sauvage, president and CEO of Link-Belt Excavator Company, as chair for CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026.