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ment and marketing of equipment produced at HSW's facilities. Komatsu's participation in the venture ended in 2005. LiuGong's acquisition of HSW is a strategic step for the Chinese company, which has a stated goal of becoming a top-ten construction equipment manufacturer by 2015. The HSW trans- action, according to LiuGong, opens an avenue to obtain core technologies that will help it advance some of its product designs, supplements LiuGong's product lines, provides a man- ufacturing and logistic footprint in Europe and expands LiuGong's penetration into market and product segments. LiuGong currently offers a full line of construction equip- ment that includes wheel loaders, bulldozers, skid steers, fork- lifts, motor graders, excavators, and mining trucks, among oth- ers. The company sold 75,000 machines in 2011 and has one of the largest global dealer networks of any of its Chinese com- petitors, consisting of nearly 280 dealers in more than 95 coun- tries, supported by nine subsidiary offices and 10 parts depots. HSW was established in 1937 and builds dozers at its plant in southwestern Poland. HSW also produces wheel loaders, loggers, pipe layers, conveyer belt shifters, motor graders and machines customized for landfill applications, also for global markets. David Beatenbough, currently vice president of research and development for LiuGong, has been named chairman of the board of the new entity, LiuGong Machinery (Poland) sp z o.o. Beatenbough commented on how HSW will fit into LiuGong's plans and product lines: "We will acquire proven technology within the bulldozer segment, as we will now own all the tech- nology and designs, including undercarriages and driveline com- ponents," he explained, adding that LiuGong will benefit from HSW's experience with large machines, and from HSW's plant location in central Europe—closer to European customers. LiuGong intends to move rapidly to integrate processes and production. A talent exchange will bring Chinese engineers to Poland, and send Polish engineers to China for training. The first fast-track project will be an investment into production line equipment and retooling at the Podkarpackie plant, enabling it to produce LiuGong excavators and wheel loaders. LiuGong also will quickly leverage the combined distribution network to bring the expanded product line to dealers—HSW products to LiuGong dealers, and LiuGong products to HSW/Dressta deal- ers. Relative to brand names, Beatenbough said, for the near term all three brands will be retained in certain markets. The largest dozer model in the Dressta line is the TD-40E Extra, powered by a Cummins QSK19 Tier 3 engine delivering 515 net hp at 2,000 rpm, linked to a transmission that pro- vides six forward and six reverse speeds. Equipped with a semi- U blade and single-shank ripper, the TD-40E Extra weighs approximately 67.7 metric tons (149,000 lb), which makes it about two tons lighter than a Komatsu D375A and more than a ton heavier than a Cat D10T, according to the company. Capacity when equipped with a full-U blade is 22.8 m3. Dressta said it has engineered the dozer's hydraulic control system with advanced solid-state electronic circuitry to provide an electro-hydraulic system in which all control functions are activated by movement of the joystick or by selecting control buttons on the face of the joystick. The joystick control handles up- and down-shifting of the transmission, low or high range selection of left and right track drives or full-power geared turns. A rear platform located below the fuel tank aids in refueling, air-conditioning filter changes and cab rear window cleaning to
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Dressta TD-40E Extra dozer.
enhance serviceability. Maintenance includes a 500-hour oil change interval. The cab is sealed and has a built-in air-recir- culation system. An air-suspension operator's seat swivels at an angle to provide better visibility of the ripper when necessary. Dressta's largest wheel loader, the 92,000-lb (41 650-kg) 560E Extra, also is powered by a Cummins diesel, in this instance a 427-hp (319-kW) QSX15. Available in both standard boom and high-lift configurations, the loader offers bucket capacity of 7.5 yd3 (5.7 m3) in the standard version and 7 yd3 in high-lift. Depending on bucket style, dump clearance at max- imum height ranges from 10 ft 11 in. to 11 ft 6 in, (3.34 m to 3.59 m); breakout force also varies with bucket style, ranging from 71,149 lb to 78,950 lb (318 kN to 351 kN).
FEBRUARY 2012 • E&MJ; 67
