Plant & Equipment News

How Heavy Equipment Mechanics Organize Their Toolboxes

How Heavy Equipment Mechanics Organize Their Toolboxes A dozer with a blown hydraulic line doesn’t care that the 1-1/4” wrench is buried under a pile of pry bars. The crew is waiting, the paving schedule is slipping, and every minute spent digging through a drawer is a minute the machine isn’t working. That’s why heavy … Read more…

Trimble Expands AI Construction Platform with Scheduling and Machine Control

Trimble Expands AI Construction Platform with Scheduling and Machine Control Trimble has unveiled a substantial expansion of its construction technology portfolio at the 2026 Trimble Dimensions User Conference in Las Vegas, introducing AI-assisted scheduling, new machine positioning hardware, design software enhancements and automated workflows built around its Trimble Connect platform. Announced… Read more…

Cree LED Reduces Optical Size with New XLamp X21 Multi-Colour Platform

Cree LED Reduces Optical Size with New XLamp X21 Multi-Colour Platform Cree LED has introduced a four-colour lighting component measuring just 2.1 × 2.1 mm, with comparative testing showing that it can produce a narrower, more intense beam using a smaller lens than the company’s established XP-L Color platform. Announced on 10 November 2026, the … Read more…

Matco Tools Upgrades REX Impact Wrench for Professional Workshop

Matco Tools Upgrades REX Impact Wrench for Professional Workshop Matco Tools has introduced its REX 2.0 pneumatic impact wrench, increasing the claimed breakaway torque of its half-inch drive platform to 1,900 ft-lb (approximately 2,576 Nm), alongside improvements to the grip, housing and internal drive components. The new model, designated MT4779B, succeeds the original REX impact … Read more…

John Deere Doubles Parts Warranty as Repair Choice Expands

John Deere Doubles Parts Warranty as Repair Choice Expands John Deere has doubled the warranty period for eligible original equipment service and repair parts in the United States and Canada, extending coverage from 12 to 24 months or 4,000 machine hours, whichever comes first. The revised terms took effect on 1 November 2026, giving equipment … Read more…

Mips and Koroyd Expand Impact Protection from Motorcycle Helmets to Industrial Safety

Mips and Koroyd Expand Impact Protection from Motorcycle Helmets to Industrial Safety When Swedish safety technology company Mips acquired Koroyd for an initial €40 million in December 2025, it brought two complementary approaches to impact protection under common ownership. One manages rotational motion during angled impacts, while the other uses engineered structures that deform to … Read more…

Foton Tunland Targets UK Pick-Up Market with Mild-Hybrid Diesel Powertrain

Foton Tunland Targets UK Pick-Up Market with Mild-Hybrid Diesel Powertrain Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Foton is preparing to enter the British pick-up market in early 2027 with the Tunland, a double-cab model combining diesel mild-hybrid power with suspension and interior equipment designed for more comfortable everyday driving. Distributed through International Motors Ltd (IML), the T… Read more…

Japan’s Nittetsu Mining Targets Autonomous Quarry Haulage by 2033

Japan’s Nittetsu Mining Targets Autonomous Quarry Haulage by 2033 Japan’s Nittetsu Mining is working towards autonomous operation of large dump trucks at its Torigatayama Quarry Complex in Kochi Prefecture by 2033, as the country’s mining industry confronts a growing shortage of experienced equipment operators. The programme builds on unmanned truck trials already undertaken at o… Read more…

Hitachi Construction Machinery Prepares LANDCROS Brand for Global Launch in 2027

Hitachi Construction Machinery Prepares LANDCROS Brand for Global Launch in 2027 Hitachi Construction Machinery will become LANDCROS Corporation on 1 April 2027, completing a corporate transition that has been taking shape since the Japanese manufacturer began separating from the wider Hitachi Group in 2022. The new identity will replace one of the construction equipment industry’s … Read more…

RSP UK Celebrates 10 Years of Specialist Excavation Equipment

RSP UK Celebrates 10 Years of Specialist Excavation Equipment RSP UK Suction Excavators has marked its tenth anniversary with the retirement of industry veteran Nigel Gardener and a change in board involvement for Jens Graber, a founding member of the German RSP Group. The milestone brings a period of transition for the Bedfordshire-based specialist machinery … Read more…

PACCAR Profits Rise 44% as Parts Revenue Hits Record High

PACCAR Profits Rise 44% as Parts Revenue Hits Record High PACCAR reported a 44% increase in net income for the third quarter of 2026, with stronger truck margins, record aftermarket parts revenue and improved financial services profitability contributing to a substantial recovery in earnings. The American manufacturer, whose brands include Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF, generated … Read more…

EBRD Backs €99m Mining Equipment Modernisation in West Africa

EBRD Backs €99m Mining Equipment Modernisation in West Africa Mining contractor Mota-Engil Africa is set to modernise operations at three mines in Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal following a €99.1 million financing agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The investment will support new machinery purchases, working capital and the refinancing of recent … Read more…

Beyond Heavy Iron – Reinventing the Construction Machine

Beyond Heavy Iron – Reinventing the Construction Machine Electric powertrains, hydrogen engines, fuel cells, robotics and machine intelligence are opening up new possibilities for construction equipment. The next generation may change far more than the fuel in the tank or the person sitting in the cab. Beneath the engine covers of a modern hydraulic excavator … Read more…

Heavy-Duty Tool Storage for Modern Equipment Maintenance Workshops

Heavy-Duty Tool Storage for Modern Equipment Maintenance Workshops A fully equipped maintenance toolbox can weigh hundreds of kilograms before a technician has picked up a single spanner. In commercial vehicle depots, construction equipment workshops and industrial maintenance facilities, storing and moving that equipment presents practical challenges involving weight, access, stability and tool a… Read more…

ESAB Introduces ROBBI AI for Adaptive Robotic Welding

ESAB Introduces ROBBI AI for Adaptive Robotic Welding ESAB has introduced a collaborative robotic welding system that can identify weld joints, generate welding paths and adjust its movements as conditions change. Known as ROBBI AI, the system is designed to automate MIG and TIG welding operations that have traditionally required extensive programming or experienced manual … Read more…

Trailers, the Hidden Workhorses of Construction

Trailers, the Hidden Workhorses of Construction A compact excavator might spend eight hours digging trenches, but its profitability can depend on what happens before the first bucket touches the ground. If the machine cannot reach the jobsite on time, its capabilities become irrelevant. Across the construction industry, equipment trailers perform an essential but frequently overlooked … Read more…

Trimble Expands 3D Excavator Grade Control with Dual DA2 GNSS Receivers

Trimble Expands 3D Excavator Grade Control with Dual DA2 GNSS Receivers Trimble is introducing a lower-cost configuration of its Earthworks 3D grade control system for excavators, using two DA2 GNSS receivers to make machine control more accessible to small and medium-sized construction contractors. Scheduled for availability in mid-Q4 2026, the new configuration combines Trimble’s ProPoint… Read more…

The Economics of Moving Earth

The Economics of Moving Earth Why Construction Machinery Productivity Depends on Much More Than the Machine Two identical hydraulic excavators are working on separate earthmoving projects. Both have the same engine power, operating weight and bucket capacity. Both are mechanically sound and operated by experienced personnel. Yet by the end of a ten-hour shift, one … Read more…

Caterpillar Introduces Three Compact Excavators Built for Different Demands

Caterpillar Introduces Three Compact Excavators Built for Different Demands Caterpillar has introduced three compact hydraulic excavators designed around the different demands of restricted access, machine stability and lifting performance. The new Cat 301 CR, 302.4 CR and 302.6 cover the one-tonne to 2.6-tonne classes, offering contractors a choice between retractable undercarriages, compact-radi… Read more…

John Deere Expands Compact Grading with SmartGrade Box Blades

John Deere Expands Compact Grading with SmartGrade Box Blades John Deere has introduced two SmartGrade box blade attachments for its 333 and 335 P-Tier compact track loaders, bringing integrated grade control to finish grading applications without requiring a dedicated grading machine. The BX07 and BX08 combine hydraulically controlled blade hardware with the loaders’ onboard systems, &#8230… Read more…

Volvo VNX Brings Heavy-Haul Capability to North America’s Construction Fleets

Volvo VNX Brings Heavy-Haul Capability to North America’s Construction Fleets Volvo Trucks has introduced the all-new Volvo VNX for North American construction, vocational and heavy-haul operations, with gross combination weight ratings reaching 200,000 lb (90.7 tonnes), a range of specialist chassis configurations and technology designed for manoeuvring heavy vehicles in demanding operating… Read more…

Ritchie Bros. Expands Orlando Heavy Equipment Auction to Six Days for 2027

Ritchie Bros. Expands Orlando Heavy Equipment Auction to Six Days for 2027 Ritchie Bros. will extend its annual February Orlando heavy equipment auction from five to six days in 2027, following an event that attracted more than 19,500 registered bidders from over 80 countries. The expanded programme will run from 15–20 February, with five days … Read more…

Why Construction Machines Look the Way They Do

Why Construction Machines Look the Way They Do In 1885, an American road inspector named J.D. Adams developed an improvement to the horse-drawn grader that remains recognisable on modern machines. Rather than keeping the front wheels rigidly upright, Adams devised a mechanism that allowed them to lean sideways, helping the grader resist the forces generated … Read more…

RB Global Expects Stronger Marketplace Trading as Equipment Sales Grow

RB Global Expects Stronger Marketplace Trading as Equipment Sales Grow Billions of dollars’ worth of construction machinery, commercial vehicles and industrial assets change hands through RB Global’s marketplaces every year, providing a substantial secondary market for equipment that may have many years of working life remaining. The business is expecting another year of growth in &#82… Read more…

From Horsepower to Kilowatts – The Evolution of Construction Machinery

From Horsepower to Kilowatts – The Evolution of Construction Machinery In 1895, the British Army’s statutory allowance for each horse placed in civilian quarters was 10 lb of oats, 12 lb of hay and 8 lb of straw every day. A large working stable therefore consumed tonnes of forage before any useful work was done. … Read more…

High Voltage Takes Hyundai Electric Forklifts to 18 Tonnes

High Voltage Takes Hyundai Electric Forklifts to 18 Tonnes An 18-tonne forklift working around a steel yard, port or precast concrete plant presents a rather different electrification problem from a warehouse truck moving pallets between racking. Hyundai Material Handling is now targeting precisely that territory. The completion of its B-X range extends the manufacturer’s high-voltage &#8230… Read more…

Flannery Adds 97 Kubota Excavators in Major Fleet Investment

Flannery Adds 97 Kubota Excavators in Major Fleet Investment Utility work places different demands on construction equipment from a conventional building or major infrastructure site. Machines may move repeatedly between small excavations, roadside interventions and emergency repairs, making transport speed and attachment availability almost as important as digging capacity. Flannery Plant Hire ha… Read more…

Keeping Connected Construction Machinery Online Across Borders

Keeping Connected Construction Machinery Online Across Borders A Komatsu excavator working in Saudi Arabia presents few unusual mechanical challenges simply because it was built for an international market. Its diesel engine, hydraulic system and undercarriage do not particularly care which side of a national border they occupy. The communications equipment transmitting operating data from that &#… Read more…

John Deere Targets the Transport Sweet Spot with New 40 P-Tier Excavator

John Deere Targets the Transport Sweet Spot with New 40 P-Tier Excavator John Deere is adding a new machine between its 35 P-Tier and 50 P-Tier compact excavators, targeting a particularly useful part of the market where digging performance, attachment capability and transport weight have to coexist. The new 40 P-Tier Compact Excavator is scheduled … Read more…

Miller Plant Invests in Smarter Cat Earthmoving Fleet

Miller Plant Invests in Smarter Cat Earthmoving Fleet Miller Plant Ltd has committed £1.7 million to a seven-machine Caterpillar fleet for civil engineering and infrastructure work across north-east Scotland, combining additional earthmoving capacity with onboard safety, grading and fleet-management technology. The Inverurie-based contractor’s order from Finning UK & Ireland includes a Cat 966… Read more…

Mascus at 25 and the Evolution of Used Equipment Sales

Mascus at 25 and the Evolution of Used Equipment Sales Selling a used excavator across borders was a considerably more cumbersome business when Mascus launched its first website in Helsinki in January 2001. Machinery dealers still depended heavily on printed classified advertising, established trading relationships, physical yards and telephone enquiries, while presenting hundreds of thousands &#8… Read more…

Volvo A45 Hauler Makes its Japanese Quarry Debut

Volvo A45 Hauler Makes its Japanese Quarry Debut A one-tonne increase in payload does not sound particularly dramatic on a machine already capable of carrying more than 40 tonnes. Repeated hundreds of times through a quarry haul cycle, however, small changes in payload, loading accuracy and fuel consumption begin to accumulate. That is the operating … Read more…

Autonomous Rollers Move into Production on Puerto Rico Airport Project

Autonomous Rollers Move into Production on Puerto Rico Airport Project Three autonomous compaction rollers are working together on the construction of a new runway at Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, with a single operator supervising all three machines. Ferrovial has adapted the rollers to operate autonomously within predefined working areas, following planned &#8… Read more…

Develon Puts Machine Intervention and Electric Excavation to Work at steinexpo

Develon Puts Machine Intervention and Electric Excavation to Work at steinexpo Construction machinery safety systems are beginning to cross an important boundary. Cameras, radar and object detection have spent years giving operators more information about what is happening around a machine. Develon’s latest excavator technology goes further, allowing the machine itself to respond when a &#82… Read more…

Komatsu Pushes Excavator Development Closer to Asia’s Jobsites

Komatsu Pushes Excavator Development Closer to Asia’s Jobsites Komatsu is expanding its excavator range for Asian growth markets with three machines spanning the 7-tonne and 20-tonne classes, but the more interesting development is taking place behind the specifications. The new PC75-10M0 is the first hydraulic excavator developed under the leadership of Komatsu India Private Limited … Read more…

HD Construction Equipment and Manitou Building a Bigger Compact Machinery Business

HD Construction Equipment and Manitou Building a Bigger Compact Machinery Business HD Construction Equipment and Manitou Group have agreed to exchange compact construction equipment across their respective product portfolios, creating a cross-distribution arrangement that gives both manufacturers a faster route to broaden their machinery ranges. For HD Construction Equipment, the agreement carries… Read more…

From Toilet Paper to Robots – How Road Crack Sealing Has Evolved

From Toilet Paper to Robots – How Road Crack Sealing Has Evolved In November 2016, Highways.Today published one of those stories that sounded too ridiculous to ignore. Road maintenance crews in Littleton, Colorado, were repairing cracks in asphalt and then covering the fresh sealant with toilet paper. There was nothing particularly sophisticated about it. The … Read more…

Xwatch Safety Tech Moves Into Fleet Specification at Select Plant Hire

Xwatch Safety Tech Moves Into Fleet Specification at Select Plant Hire Around 30 new JCB machines entering the Select Plant Hire fleet are passing through an Xwatch installation programme as part of a wider £5 million equipment investment, putting machine safety technology into the specification before much of the new plant reaches its working environment. … Read more…

Ritchie Bros. Lines Up 1,300+ Lots for UK and Ireland Equipment Auction

Ritchie Bros. Lines Up 1,300+ Lots for UK and Ireland Auction More than 1,300 equipment lots are now listed for Ritchie Bros.’ UK and Ireland unreserved auction on 23 and 24 September, bringing excavators, dozers, access equipment, telehandlers, trucks and agricultural machinery together for one of the larger equipment sales of the autumn. The live … Read more…

Palletised Variable Message Sign Removes the Trailer from Urban Roadworks

Palletised Variable Message Sign Removes the Trailer from Urban Roadworks Variable message signs have spent decades travelling with their own trailers. SG has now separated the two, developing a pallet-mounted VMS that can be delivered, positioned and moved using a shared lifting trailer, forklift or lorry-mounted crane rather than carrying a dedicated towable chassis beneath … Read more…