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LiuGong highlights battery-electric vehicles and 5G connected tech at BICES 2019

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LiuGong has used the backdrop of the 15th Beijing International Construction Machinery Exhibition & Seminar (BICES 2019) in China to launch a new range of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as well as remote controlled ‘intelligent’ wheel loaders based on 5G technology.

At BICES 2019, LiuGong is showing three BEVs, including two excavators – the 906E-EV and 922F-EV – and the company’s star wheel loader, the 856H-EV (pictured).

While not all these machines will be big enough to have mining applications, LiuGong explained that the units were very much the start of a platform that could see bigger machines manufactured.

Edward Wagner, Executive Director of LiuGong New Technology, said the total operating cost of a battery powered earthmover is, or soon will be, “depending on the exact vehicle design and customer application, lower than that of a diesel-powered machine”.

LiuGong’s new BEVs are designed for the new electric economy, it said, with a state-of- art, but well proven, lithium-ion battery system for energy storage.

“That power is directed into super high efficiency permanent magnet electric motors to create the motion necessary to drive the machines,” it said. “The machine’s mechanical and hydraulic systems have been optimised for high efficiency: a typical BEV will have peak power output that is two times a conventional diesel power machine. This enables the battery electric earthmovers to accelerate faster and perform more coordinated movements.”

These movements will also be more precise given the full electronic vehicle control, according to LiuGong. “More powerful, quicker and more precise all add up to more productivity, which is raised more than 10% compared to that of a diesel machine,” the company said.

These lithium-ion batteries are designed to last the full life of the machine and eliminate the daily maintenance and regular service routine that comes with diesel engines.

The first generation of LiuGong’s BEVs batteries are equipped with fast charging technology and innovative energy-saving technologies, according to the company. This sees them need only one hour to charge the battery to 80% capacity.

Zeng Guang’an, Chairman of LiuGong Group, at the launch ceremony for LiuGong’s BEVs, said: “We are committed to creating more value for our customers. And that is why LiuGong will never stop independent innovation.”

The LiuGong’s 906E-EV excavator is an example of how quickly and easily a diesel machine can be converted to battery electric, the company said. This machine uses most of the diesel excavator’s hydraulic system allowing for a very rapid conversion time. It is equipped with a battery large enough for a full working day, according to the company.

The new 922F-EV excavator is driven purely by electric power, with the battery pack located centrally in the rear for optimum mass balance. The electric motor and hydraulic system have been optimally packaged to maximise operator visibility, LiuGong says. “The result is industry leading operator visibility which will further enhance performance and efficiency.”

A feature of the new 856H-EV wheel loader is a pure electric driveline with regeneration. This improves operating performance and reduces the energy consumption.

LiuGong explained: “The hydraulic system is electrically driven while using proven off the shelf components. Performance is incredible given the 300-plus-kW peak power capability.”

All three machines are designed using a new platform strategy, which means a very high degree of commonality of parts and systems across all LiuGong’s new energy machines. “This simplification of parts will further lower the total cost of ownership,” it said.

LiuGong introduced the company’s first intelligent shovel remote control wheel loader at its 60th anniversary celebration last year and, at BICES, it has presented its new 5G-based remote-control intelligent wheel loader, co-developed and supported by China Telecom and Huawei technology.

According to Cai Dengsheng, Deputy Chief Engineer of LiuGong’s Intelligent Technology Institution, the model can be remotely controlled from over 2,000 km away, compared with 2 km as of last year, realising real-time response and accurate control through the 5G network.

This 5G network is the most advanced network communication technology in the world with only 30 millisecond data transition from Beijing to Liuzhou, according to LiuGong. “Meanwhile, the transmission quality or stability are not influenced by either a complex environment or long transition time,” the company said. “It is the best technical solution for timely, efficient and high-quality transmissions of large amounts of data.”

The company added: “It provides a high-quality network environment and network technology support for LiuGong’s remote control driving research and provides strong support for the combination of edge calculation and cloud computing in intelligent control under remote control conditions.

“As one of the few Chinese construction machinery companies that has mastered the 5G technology, LiuGong is expected to realise remote-control driving from even longer distances under this platform.”

In addition, LiuGong’s intelligent shovelling wheel loader can sense material penetration; has one bottom loading and dumping function, along with auto levelling and controllable placement of the bucket. It also features an intelligent throttle control system, the company said.

Under remote-control driving mode, all operations can be observed from the videos that are sent back by the machines’ cameras. It also applies the intelligent protection technology to realise automatic identification and auto emergency stop.

As a result, the machine can not only be used in its normal applications, but also can be applied in dangerous and unsafe environments such as rescue and disaster relief.

F-Series excavators

In addition to the BEV and 5G releases, LiuGong used the event to launch four new excavators in its F-Series range that have mining applications.

The 922F is a new-generation 22-ton hydraulic excavator. It and the other F-Series vehicles come with a fully electronically controlled hydraulic system and intelligent heat dissipation technology, with the excavator boasting high operating efficiency, low oil consumption and low noise.

It has “unique engine matching technology and new P/S/E mode ensure higher efficiency and low oil consumption”, the company said.

The company also launched the 926F 25-ton hydraulic excavator, the 936F 36-ton excavator with 1.7 cu.m bucket and the 92-ton 990F excavator which comes with a heavy-duty structure and optimised crushing design.

LiuGong enhances ties with lubricant specialist Valvoline

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LiuGong and Valvoline Inc have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will see Valvoline become the Chinese equipment maker’s preferred provider of lubricants for markets outside of China.

Zeng Guang’an, Chairman of Guangxi LiuGong Group and Guangxi LiuGong Machinery, and Kevin Thieneman, LiuGong Vice President of Strategy and Aftermarket, were present at the signing ceremony for the strategic global alliance, held in Houston, Texas.

“Today’s announcement with industry leader Valvoline is another step in our mission to provide complete solutions to our customers,” Zeng said. “And Valvoline is the perfect partner to help us realise this long-term ambition.”

Thieneman added: “Construction equipment customers consistently tell us that they want the lowest total cost of ownership. LiuGong already offers a very competitive machine acquisition cost. The Valvoline partnership enhances the ability of LiuGong and our dealers to keep machines running as well as extend the useful life.”

Craig Moughler, Valvoline Senior Vice President of Product Supply and OEM, said the company had established a strong relationship with LiuGong in many markets and the company was looking forward to expanding this and delivering solutions to LiuGong and its customers.

United Overseas Bank to extend machinery finance options for LiuGong customers

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Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Co Ltd and United Overseas Bank Ltd have renewed their memorandum of understanding to facilitate machinery financing for LiuGong’s customers as it expands its business across Southeast Asia, the companies said.

LiuGong and UOB have been collaborating since July 2018 to extend machinery financing solutions for LiuGong’s vendors and customers in the region.

Under the terms of the new MoU, UOB will develop an end buyer financing credit framework and offer asset financing and hire purchase or lease financing to LiuGong’s customers in Indonesia and Thailand. The bank will also provide LiuGong’s supply chain with other financial solutions such as cash management, trade finance, working capital loans and hedging facilities, the company said.

“The financing support for LiuGong’s customers will help the company drive the export of its construction equipment to the region, thereby growing its revenue,” LiuGong said.

Zeng Guang’an, Chairman of LiuGong Group, said of the MoU: “LiuGong is excited to continue its partnership with UOB. As LiuGong continues to expand our overseas business, one of our key goals is to provide customers with complete solutions beyond our machinery and financing is a large part of these offerings. UOB gives us this opportunity in Southeast Asia.”

Chen Hao, President of LiuGong Machinery Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, said the consumption rate for LiuGong’s machinery in Southeast Asia has been strong.

“For LiuGong, we are constantly listening to our customers and providing what they need, offering reliable machines with excellent after sales services,” he said. “Our customers told us that they require machinery financing assistance, we are happy to work with UOB to tailor made financing plans to them thus providing a total solution for them.”

Ronny Chng, Head of Corporate Banking Overseas, UOB, said the bank was committed to providing “integrated financial solutions that help companies optimise their business operations and expand across borders”.

He added: “Our unrivalled regional network connectivity, deep market insights, industry knowledge and strong expertise in supply chain financing enable us to support LiuGong as it expands its distribution network and increases its market share in Southeast Asia. We hope to work with more manufacturers from China to facilitate their growth plans in the region.”

The MoU was signed at the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor Introduction and Marketing Conference, organised by the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The signing was witnessed by Chinese Communist Party Secretary of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Lu Xinshe, and Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and CEO, UOB.

LiuGong achieves wheel loader milestone as it celebrates 60th anniversary

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LiuGong celebrated its 60th Anniversary at a ceremony in LiuGong International Industrial Park in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China, today, at the same time as heralding the production of its 400,000th wheel loader.

Attendees at the event included domestic and overseas customers, distributors, suppliers, government officials, shareholders, and stakeholders who have worked with LiuGong throughout its 60 years.

LiuGong, in addition, said the milestone wheel loader achievement was made through the “unremitting efforts and proactive technological innovation of all LiuGong people in the past six decades”.

“This is a milestone worthy of celebration in the history of LiuGong,” it said.

At the same time as all of these celebrations, the company debuted at the ceremony six new products including a 990F excavator, B170DL bulldozer, S935 sugarcane harvester, TC800C5 crane, 4180D motor grader and 886H loader.

Six decades of history

Established in 1958, LiuGong not only pioneered the production of loaders, it also laid a solid foundation for the technology, talent cultivation and management for the development of the construction equipment (CE) industry in China, the company said.

In 1958, Shanghai Huadong Steel Factory allocated some employees and pieces of equipment to Liuzhou, Guangxi, to facilitate the economic development in southwest China. In a wilderness on the west bank of Liujiang River, they built a factory from nothing.

In 1966, LiuGong rolled out the first wheel loader accredited by China, which opened a new chapter in the company’s development. In 1993, LiuGong began trading on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and became the first listed company of the CE industry and Guangxi. Since 2000, LiuGong has been looking beyond its loader business and working on cross-regional operations and expansion of its product lines. So far, LiuGong has 32 complete product lines in six categories to meet customer demands of various applications as well as extreme operations.

In April 2002, LiuGong successfully produced 899 loaders in one month, which was known as ‘899 Campaign’, a huge leap of production at that time.

“Taking this opportunity, the company launched its reform towards becoming a modern company. Afterwards, its Board of Directors promoted to build an ‘open and globalised’ LiuGong, boarding the fast lane for the company’s globalisation, which was shown in its fast growth of overseas revenues,” the company said.

“Backed by its historical legacies, LiuGong has developed the core values of “customer oriented, assuring the future by quality; people foremost, create value through cooperation”, striving to build an international brand that leads China’s machinery industry.”

Along with China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation, LiuGong started to build its eastern bases and added multiple product lines into its portfolio. In 2003, LiuGong developed its first overseas distributor in Morocco, north Africa, and started its globalisation. LiuGong has been building its global presence of 10 overseas subsidiaries, nine overseas regional parts distribution centres and more than 300 distributors in over 100 countries. All LiuGong products and customers are supported by five R&D centres worldwide.

In 2012, by the acquisition of civil construction machinery segment of HSW in Poland, the company laid a solid foundation for export of China’s proprietary technology and products to the European Union. Today, LiuGong produces its products in China, India, Poland, and Brazil.

Also, LiuGong India Company and LiuGong Dressta Machinery have been awarded the ‘Best Foreign Investor’, ‘Model Enterprise for China-India Cooperation’, and the ‘Best Employer’ by local governments.

As the “Belt and Road” initiative continues to advance, LiuGong has expanded its footprint to 85% of the countries among the 65 key countries along the route. Its products participated in many major projects along the belt such as the Pakistan PKM Motorway, China-Laos Railway, and Jakarta-Bandung Railway.

In 2008, LiuGong set up SinoEver Financial Leasing Company in Beijing, becoming the “pioneer company in manufacturer leasing” and LiuGong entered the crane business by acquiring Zhengchonganli Engineering Machinery Company in Bengbu.

In 2010, LiuGong acquired Liuzhou OVM, a world leader of pre-stressing products and technology, and started the construction of an eastern manufacturing base for excavators in Changzhou. In 2011, LiuGong bought into the piling foundation industry by holding shares of Jintai, China’s leading brand in piling machinery, and opened a JV with Cummins in Liuzhou.

In 2012, LiuGong opened its hydraulic company and, in 2013, LiuGong and Metso started a joint venture to produce mobile mining crushers and grinding mills, while the company took over an air compressor business in Liuzhou.

In 2016, LiuGong entered the modern agricultural equipment sector when the Luzhai plant, with world-class technologies, was put into operation. And, in 2018, LiuGong started forward with producing intelligent manufacturing systems, mining machinery, forestry machinery, and aerial work platforms.

R&D

“LiuGong has never stopped investing in R&D even during the most difficult years. In 2015, LiuGong launched National Earthmoving Machinery Engineering Research Centre and LiuGong Global R&D Centre, making LiuGong the only national demonstration base for technological innovation and industrialisation of earthmoving machines.

“A total of 19 product lines at LiuGong have been upgraded and 18 new products have hit the market, including a range of machinery for sugarcane planting, heavy-duty mining excavators and loaders, mining trucks, large dual-wheel cutters, smart manufacturing system, and mobile compressors.

“LiuGong has evolved to be a global provider of total solutions. In 2016, LiuGong presented the world’s first vertical lift wheel loader. And, the new generation products of H-series loaders, E-series excavators, D-series rollers and motor graders, and C-series forklifts now are available all over the world and have been contributing more and more in sales revenue.

“A custom designed torque convertor was independently developed and manufactured for LiuGong’s 8128H with many innovative technologies and approaches; and the hydraulic grab by Shanghai Jintai is among the best of its kind globally.”

In the past five years, LiuGong, OVM and Jintai had numerous achievements in R&D, including three National First and Second Prizes for Progress in Science and Technology, and 14 ministerial and provincial-level science and technology awards. LiuGong also participated in drafting of industry standards, both for international and domestic markets, making its own voice heard in the industry.

“Today, with more than 1,000 engineers and a continuous investment in R&D, LiuGong comes up with an outpouring of products with cutting-edge technologies,” the company said.

“Over the past six decades, LiuGong has kept a close bond with its customers, distributors, suppliers, shareholders, and other stakeholders to weather through difficulties and share success together.

“During industry downturns, LiuGong took a series of quick actions like capacity adjustment, organisational reform, team optimisation, cost control, sustained input into technological innovation and product development internally and optimise the marketing channels externally. As a result, distributers, direct subsidiaries and joint ventures have become new drivers of our rapid growth in China.

“As the economy warms up, the excavator business becomes our growth pillar with the highest revenue and profit and LiuGong has significantly improved market competitiveness on a global level.”

Aiming for 100

LiuGong says it is committed to providing extraordinary construction machinery products and services to customers around the world.

“Our endeavour of developing first-class advanced technologies is a valuable asset to LiuGong’s ambition to be a century-old enterprise in the world.

“Sixty years is but a brief moment for LiuGong, who is setting sail on its next journey. Amid the national reforms and industry transformation, LiuGong will adhere to a ‘Total Globalisation, Total Solution, and Total Intelligence’ approach with greater intelligence, courage, and passion.

“Standing at not only a historic stage but as at a turning point for the company, LiuGong will insist on SOE (state-owned enterprises) reform and development; insist on focusing on customer service; insist on innovation and independent R&D; insist on building a dynamic and motivated team to continue to write a new chapter for the company.

“And, in the future, we will continuously provide products and services tailored for local market; we will outdo ourselves in branding, manufacturing, R&D and marketing and strive for continuous progress; we will take on the mission of revitalising the CE industry in China.”

The company concluded: “The one who digs deep will someday leap high and become a legend. Guided by our mission and vision, LiuGong will usher in a new era with much greater confidence and look forward to a centurial business.”