Compact Equipment

Photo provided by Caterpillar. Caterpillar‘s Black Hills Engineering Design Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, is offering a firsthand look at how virtual reality and advanced visualization are transforming equipment development and training. Inside the 17,000-sq-ft facility, company engineers can design, test and refine machines without physically building them.

Photo provided by Equip Exposition. International landscaping, outdoor living, and equipment trade show Equip Exposition has unveiled a set of new events for this year’s show, set to take place in Louisville Oct. 20-23. The updated schedule of events now includes a new education offering known as Equip Academy, the show says, as well as the long-awaited comeback of the Wednesday morning Dealer Breakfast and a new Dealer Boot Camp for attendees.

Tire, wheel, and track solutions firm OTR Engineered Solutions has expanded its brand of SolidBoss smooth skid-loader tire lineup with a new assembly size. Coming in at the size of 31×10-20 (10-16.5), the new tire assembly greatly extends the reach of the wider SolidBoss family, the company says. Officials add that equipment owners and fleet managers will have access to a “durable, low-maintenance tire option” for their skid steers, including those operating in harsh environments.

Photo provided by John Deere. Equipment firm John Deere has announced its three finalists for its ‘Building America’ contest, with representatives from Kentucky, Tennessee, and California taking the top three spots. Celebrating contractors, operators, and construction businesses across the U.S., the contest was inspired by America’s 250th anniversary celebration and kicked off during the CONEXPO-CON/AGG trade show earlier this year.

Photo provided by Loftness. Minnesota-based manufacturer Loftness Specialized Equipment has announced compatibility between its Cool Flow brand of auxiliary hydraulic cooler and the new Kubota SVL110-3 compact track loader. Designed with hydraulic temperatures in mind, the Cool Flow aims to help machine operators maximize their on-site productivity.

Photos provided by Ditch Witch. Underground utility, irrigation and fiber installation work rarely happens under perfect conditions. Contractors often deal with shrinking jobsites, changing soil conditions, varying trench depth requirements and tight deadlines — sometimes all on the same project. That’s one reason ride-on trenchers remain popular rental machines.

Photo provided by John Deere. The construction industry has been slower to adopt automation than other sectors — but it’s catching up. Labor shortages, rising materials costs and other factors are pushing the need for safer, more efficient operation. The integration of awareness technologies into compact equipment is creating a more unified in-cab experience, helping operators better understand their surroundings and the conditions around the machine in real time.

Photo provided by FAE USA. FAE USA has announced that Dobbs Equipment is now its exclusive dealer for PT tracked carriers across Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. As the latest step in a partnership between the two firms, Dobbs will also provide additional distribution of FAE USA’s equipment in Alabama.

Photo provided by Caterpillar. Construction giant Caterpillar is making an investment in the future of the Lone Star State’s construction industry, allocating up to $5 million to prepare workers across Texas for the manufacturing industry of both today and tomorrow. The investment marks the latest step in Caterpillar’s Building the Future Workforce Initiative, a five year, $100 million plan to help solve the industry’s youth workforce shortage.