by Jon M. Casey
At a plant tour of JCB North America in Savannah, GA, attendees learned that JCB North America experienced a record year in 2014, including the single largest sales year in its history. This growth coincides with JCB’s 70th year in business worldwide, its 45th year doing business in North America as well as its 15th year of manufacturing in Savannah. Machines destined for use at recycling facilities made up a portion of those sales.
According to Arjun Mirdha, President and CEO of JCB North America, JCB North America achieved a 23 percent increase in sales over 2013, marking its fifth consecutive year of growth. “JCB’s global sales were helped by a strong North American construction equipment market that grew by 13 percent in 2014.”
Telescopic Handlers
One of the more important equipment items that a recyclers might add to their material handling fleet is the JCB 560-80 telescopic handler. The 560-80 has been designed as a telehandler with wheel loader performance and built to lift to a maximum height of 25’11. Its two-stage boom carries a heavy-duty implement carriage, with a broader boom nose to cope with demanding industrial and waste handling applications. The boom is equipped with a Z-bar linkage, similar to a wheel loader. This delivers added digging capacity and the high capacity 560-80 is a heavy-duty machine engineered for arduous industrial applications like moving scrap steel in auto salvage facilities or when moving waste material when outfitted with a bucket. The 560-80 is a heavyweight machine with 12,000 lbs maximum lift breakout forces that can increase to 14,950 lbs when used with a bucket.
With that in mind, JCB Attachments is offering a new 6.53 cubic yard bucket specifically for use in low-density bulk handling duties. A full Wastemaster refuse industry specification is also available, with additional cab and underside protection, reversing cooling fan and added guards, for waste handling customers.
The 560-80 is powered by the JCB Ecomax Tier 4 Final engine, which meets the latest emissions regulations without requiring a costly diesel particulate filter (DPF) or Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). This minimizes operating costs and maintains a low engine cover and short wheelbase for maximum visibility and maneuverability. Its engine delivers a powerful 145 hp, making the 560-80 one of the most powerful telehandlers in JCB’s line-up.
As well as working at height, the telehandler offers a 3,750 lb load capacity at its full forward reach of 14’9”, particularly useful when loading across trucks. The machine can be ordered with an optional Auto Smooth Ride system, to prevent bounce in the boom which delivers improved load retention in load and carry tasks.
The 560-80 has optional seat-mounted servo controls for maximum comfort and ease of use. The machine has regenerative hydraulics that recoup energy when the boom is lowered or retracted. The machine is also equipped with a bucket control system, which automates the ability to rapidly vibrate the bucket to aid tipping of sticky materials. All cylinders are equipped with end damping, to prevent shock loads as the hydraulic rams are extended or retracted. In addition there is an auxiliary circuit venting control that allows the operator to release pressure in the auxiliary lines, making it easier to rapidly swap between buckets and other specialty attachments. LED work lights deliver near daylight conditions when working at night.
JCB’s 457 Wheel Loader
As we attended a variety of equipment demonstrations during our Savannah manufacturing plant tour, product specialist, Pete Gallagher, introduced us to the new 457 wheel loader that featured the company’s new CommandPlus cab. He said the 457 is the first machine to show off the completely new cab structure, engine cover and rear counterweight design, all of which contribute to improved visibility, lower noise levels, increased internal space and an enhanced working environment for the operator. These improvements help make the 457 an ideal addition to the recycler’s fleet.
He said the 457 is the first large JCB wheel loader to meet Tier 4 Final emissions standards. With the adoption of a powerful MTU diesel engine that is perfectly matched to the machine’s operating duties, the combination contributes to a massive fuel savings of around 16% compared to the previous model. As with other JCB machines, the engine in the 457 meets Tier 4 Final without the need for a costly diesel particulate filter (DPF). That is because the engine is designed to rely upon on an efficient combustion process that works together with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and an exhaust fluid additive to meet the regulations.
New JCB CommandPlus cab
The 457 is the first machine from JCB featuring the company’s next generation JCB CommandPlus cab, offering operators the ultimate in comfort. This totally new ROPS structure has A pillars that have been moved out to the same width as the rear of the cab, providing a larger interior with a panoramic front windscreen. The machine features JCB’s Command Driving Position, with revised pedals, a new adjustable steering column and seat-mounted hydraulic controls.
All switches and auxiliary controls have been repositioned on the right hand A pillar, providing the operator with a simplified interior and easy access to all machine controls. The 457 has two full color LCD screens, one in the central console and a second at the top of the right hand A pillar. This second screen incorporates access to the loader’s operating menus and acts as a monitor for the machine’s rear view camera.
The JCB CommandPlus cab delivers increased internal space as the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system has been repositioned outside the main cab structure. This provides additional storage for the operator, both behind the seat and in pockets in the front and side consoles. The new cab, in combination with the MTU engine, a hydraulically-driven on-demand cooling fan and the repositioned air conditioning system, contributes to a huge reduction in internal noise levels, from 71dB(A) to 68dB(A), subject to final production tests.
Operators also benefit from LED lighting all around and the option of electrically adjustable and heated mirrors, for maximum visibility in all operating conditions. The rear view mirrors are now mounted in front of the repositioned A pillars, making it easier for the operator to see all around the machine. The cab door is hinged at the front, allowing easier access and exit from the machine for the operator from the steps. This also makes it easier for technicians to access the engine for regular maintenance and service work.
The most visible change to the 457, aside from the new cab, is the adoption of a sloping one-piece engine canopy. This engine cover can be electrically raised away from the cab to provide improved access to the engine and drive train for regular maintenance. The rear section can also be hinged away from the machine to provide access to the cooling pack, which now features a swing-out hydraulically-driven, on-demand cooling fan situated at the rear of the machine.
A Wastemaster package is available with robust guards, a front chassis guard and a reversible cooling fan with a swing-out option to minimize downtime in dusty environments. Quarry-specific options can also be ordered from the factory, including blue reversing lights, green operator presence beacons, reversing cameras, red and white chevrons and rear object detection systems.
The 457 is available with four loader arm options, to suit a range of industry applications. These include four-ram parallel lift geometry HT arms that provide high torque throughout the full working range. HT arms are ideal for tool carrying applications such as forks and grapples. The HT design comes in both standard and super high lift configurations, allowing the machine to load high sided bulk trailers and to stockpile materials.
Traditional Z-bar linkage arms are designed to provide maximum breakout forces, ideal for extraction applications. Again, the Z-bar set-up is available in standard or high lift for truck or hopper loading. All loader arm options can be ordered with 2, 3 or 4-spool hydraulic valve options to work up to two auxiliary controls simultaneously. Flow rates can also be fine-tuned through the in-cab display using the rotary control to meet attachment demand. Quick-hitches are available for both Z-bar and HT loader arms.
As with most of today’s heavy equipment choices, a number of other optional features are available. The Tier 4 JCB 457 will come as standard with JCB’s LiveLink telematic system. This provides fleet managers and owners with remote access to real-time fuel consumption and machine working data, including operating hours and fault codes.
JCB LiveLink also allows customers to set working hour curfews, outside of which the machine will not function, along with geofencing. This permits the owner to set a geographical area in which the machine can work. If the loader is taken out of this area it will not start, preventing theft from the jobsite.
The 457 is available with three axle options and a range of tire combinations. There are standard, limited slip and automatic locking differentials which deliver optimum performance on all types of ground. The choice of tires, axles and the four or five-speed transmissions (the five-speed transmission comes with torque lock) allow customers to tailor the machine to their individual application. For more information on JCB equipment visit www.jcbna.com.
Brockett Creative Group, Inc.
