The industry that designs, manufactures and sells heavy duty vehicles built to carry out construction tasks, most often earthwork, known variously as heavy equipment, heavy machinery, earthmovers or construction vehicles. Such equipment typically combines five systems, an implement, a traction system, a structure, a power train and a control system, using the mechanical advantage of simple machines to multiply force and complete work that would otherwise take hundreds of workers weeks to finish. The use of powered lifting and earthmoving equipment traces back at least to the 1st century BC, when the Roman engineer Vitruvius described a human or animal powered crane.
Facts
FAQs
What are the two main kinds of cost in owning and running heavy equipment?
Ownership cost and operating cost.
The two main categories of equipment cost are ownership cost and operating cost. An expense counts as an ownership cost when it is incurred whether or not the equipment is used, while an operating cost is an expense incurred through use of the equipment. Because construction projects run on small profit margins, firms keep accurate records of equipment utilization, repairs and maintenance. How a repair is classified matters, since a major repair can extend service life and so change the depreciable value of the equipment, while a minor repair is normal maintenance.
How is telematics used to manage heavy equipment fleets?
It reports location and machine data so owners can track use and schedule maintenance.
Fleet telematics systems manage heavy equipment through a ruggedized telematic control unit installed on each machine, which uses GPS tracking to report location. The system also transmits telemetry such as engine hours, fuel consumption, idle time and diagnostic fault codes. This data is used to track asset utilization, schedule predictive maintenance and manage fuel. A primary function of these platforms is to bring data from a mixed fleet of machines from various manufacturers into a single interface.
What advantages do electric and hybrid heavy equipment offer?
They remove on-site emissions and reduce noise.
Several manufacturers, including Caterpillar, Volvo and Liebherr, have produced electric or hybrid-electric prototypes and commercial models. Electric powertrains offer operational advantages such as eliminating on-site emissions, lower noise for work in urban areas, and potentially lower maintenance and energy costs. Technical challenges related to battery capacity and charging infrastructure persist for the largest classes of equipment.
Connections
Associated With
Heavy equipment for construction and mining is a segment of the broader machinery industry.
Source Wikipedia, Heavy equipment
Companies In Industry
Source Wikipedia, Caterpillar Inc. Encyclopedia Article
Source Wikipedia, Cummins Inc.
Source IHI Corporation (Wikipedia)
Source Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia, Komatsu Limited
Source Wikipedia, Kubota
In Sector
Additional Source Wikipedia: Global Industry Classification StandardGICS: Construction Machinery & Heavy Trucks
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Heavy equipment
Wikipedialead section
Heavy equipment, heavy machinery, earthmovers, construction vehicles, or construction equipment, refers to heavy-duty vehicles specially designed to execute construction tasks, most frequently involving earthwork operations or other large construction tasks.
- Associated With: Machinery Industry
View the Source Wikipedia, Caterpillar Inc. Encyclopedia Article
WikipediaCompanies In Industry: Caterpillar Inc., Lead section, first sentenceQuote, Companies In Industry: Caterpillar Inc., Lead section, first sentence
Caterpillar Inc. (often shortened to CAT) is an American construction, mining, and other engineering equipment manufacturer.
Wikipedia: Global Industry Classification Standard
WikipediaIn Sector: Industrials, GICS: Construction Machinery & Heavy TrucksView the Source Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Infobox: industryQuote, Companies In Industry: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Infobox: industry
Heavy equipment Automotive Defense
IHI Corporation (Wikipedia)
Companies In Industry: IHI Corporation, Infobox: industryQuote, Companies In Industry: IHI Corporation, Infobox: industry
Heavy equipment
Wikipedia, Cummins Inc.
WikipediaCompanies In Industry: Cummins Inc., Infobox: industryQuote, Companies In Industry: Cummins Inc., Infobox: industry
Heavy equipment, automotive
Wikipedia, Komatsu Limited
WikipediaCompanies In Industry: Komatsu Ltd., Infobox: industryQuote, Companies In Industry: Komatsu Ltd., Infobox: industry
Heavy equipment (construction, mining and forestry), Defense technology
Wikipedia, Kubota
WikipediaCompanies In Industry: Kubota Corporation, Infobox: industryQuote, Companies In Industry: Kubota Corporation, Infobox: industry
Agricultural machinery Heavy equipment Machine industry
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