Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/894232
November 2017 | EquipmentWorld.com 14 reporter | staff report Kobelco to manufacture 4 more excavator models at SC plant C onstruction companies are now required to re- duce respirable crystalline silica dust on work sites by 80 percent, on average during an eight-hour shift, following new federal regulations that took effect Sept. 23. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Admin- istration gave companies a 30-day grace period to comply with the rules, which are designed to prevent illnesses linked to overexposure to silica, such as lung cancer and silicosis. OSHA said it would focus its attention on "Table 1" of the rules, which sets out required compliance options for specific tasks. B y 2018, Kobelco plans to manufacture a total of 11 exca- vators at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with the addition of four new models, the company announced. The 156,000-square-foot plant opened in June 2016 and has been increasing production rapidly, with the goal of produc- ing 1,800 machines a year by 2018. It currently manufactures the SK210LC-10, SK210LC-10 Long Reach, SK260LC-10 Long Reach, SK300LC-10, SK300LC-10 High & Wide, SK350LC-10 and SK500LC-10. This fall, the plant will add the SK500LC-10 with removable counterweight and the SK210LC-10 High & Wide, the com- pany says. Next year, it will add two more excavators to plant produc- tion: the SK170LC-10 and the SK260LC-10. –Don McLoud A s part of its transition from being a division of Hyundai Heavy Indus- tries to being part of a stand-alone business focused on construction equipment, Hyundai Construction Equipment Americas is unveiling a new look for its North American dealers. The new signage program incorpo- rates what HCEA calls a "more stream- lined version of the company's logo, as well as a new graphic element that uses stylized letters to represent crawl- er tread marks," says the company. These graphic changes, as of now, will not appear on Hyundai machines. The dealer rebranding is aligned with HCEA corporate objectives. "Our upper management is focused on growing its share of the construction equipment market," said Corey Rogers with HCEA. "We have aspirations of being a top five worldwide manufac- turer of construction equipment by 2023, so there's a lot of push for us to grow." HCEA now has 75 dealers and 150 dealer locations in North America. –Marcia Gruver Doyle Hyundai unveils new dealer look New silica dust rules take effect