INDEPENDENT EVALUATION PROVES THAT SMALLER CAN BE BETTER (PR Number 7016)

When CASE Construction launched the 21 tonne, CX210B tracked excavator earlier this year, they made many claims about the superior performance, higher productivity, lower sound levels and improved fuel efficiency

Some people questioned the performance, reliability and durability of a 4-cylinder common-rail Tier III engine operating at just 1,600 rpm against the previous 6-cylinder engine at 2,000 rpm. Although smaller, the Isuzu 4-cylinder engine is as heavy as the larger engine. “To cope with the high power output and to aid cooling, the new engine has thicker cylinder walls and heavier duty components”, says Thomas Elberskirch, Product Specialist for CASE.

To prove their claim, CASE gave independent evaluators access to two identical machines – a CX210 and the new CX210B.

The ground conditions at the evaluation site where extremely heavy and the material a very sticky, waterlogged clay. The machines were operated in the same work mode to ensure consistency.

Set the task of digging a 40 m long trench, 2 meters deep to the width of the bucket, the CX210B took 23.25 minutes and used 9.13 litres of fuel. The CX210 took 29.75 minutes and used 12.10 litres of fuel.

The newer model was almost 22% faster and used 24.5% less fuel - positive proof that smaller can be better.

CASE says that the increase in performance efficiency is not down simply to the new common rail engine technology. “The new Tier III engines are a significant step forward in the use of electronic technology to better manage engine performance, however, CASE has maximised this by fully integrating the engine, transmission and hydraulic system. The CX210B shares only 30% of the components of the earlier model,” says Kevan Dowse, CASE Marketing. “It was the first in what can be considered an almost totally new generation of excavators. The same philosophy is now being applied across the excavator range as well as in wheel loaders, backhoe-loaders and other product lines where Tier III engine technology is being introduced.”

Apart from improved performance characteristics, CASE has also designed in other features to reduce the cost of ownership. Greasing intervals on most points is only required every 1,000 hours. Routine service checks can be carried out from ground level and onboard diagnostics provide for faster servicing which means more uptime.

Customers are also noticing the benefits of CASE advanced engineering. The operator of a CX210B equipped with hydraulic breaker at work for C. Crook & Son Ltd in a Portland stone quarry said “This is the first new generation excavator I've operated and it takes a little getting used to but once you do, you certainly notice a difference. It responds to the demand for more power without any noticeable increase in sound level. All movements are faster and the machine is only using half a tank of fuel a day. The work here is very demanding and very dusty but the machine has worked well without any problems.”

In Demand Around the World

Customers have quickly recognized the value of the new B Series excavators from CASE and all models from the 16 tonne CX160B up to the 80 t. CX800, are in demand around the world.

Faiz Ahmed, Vice President, Case Europe comments

“The sales of the new series of tracked excavators have exceeded all expectations. This is a clear indication that the philosophy adopted by CASE total product range is the right one. This is one of the key strengths that has made CASE Construction equipment a world leader – our commitment to innovative engineering and use of technology has proven to be a benefit to the customer.”