Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2024 - 25

ORIGINAL
EQUIPMENT
Yanmar CE adds to growing compact track loader segment
The market for compact construction
equipment is growing in North America,
driven in part by high demand for compact
track loaders (CTLs), according to
a new Research and Markets report
that offers a strategic assessment and
forecast from 2023-2029. CTLs and
compact excavators have the highest
demand, together generating nearly
68% of compact-equipment sales in the
market, the report said.
The versatility of CTLs and their ability
to operate on rough and muddy surfaces
with great accuracy and less
ground disturbance than skid steers, for
example, are attractive characteristics
to construction end users. Equipment
manufacturers are responding by increasing
their offerings - or becoming
first-time entrants - in this segment.
Caterpillar, for example, revealed its
new 255 and 265 machines in late 2023
at its Edwards Demonstration and
Learning Center in Peoria, Illinois (www.
sae.org/news/2024/02/cat-compactloaders).
Develon is previewing its first
entry into the CTL segment for North
America at trade shows prior to its
launch later in 2024 (www.sae.org/
news/2024/02/develon-new-machines).
Yanmar Compact Equipment is the latest
OEM to enter the fray, with what it
bills as its " largest releases in North
American history. "
Yanmar announced in February that
production of the first of four CTL models,
the TL100VS, has commenced. First
revealed at CONEXPO 2023 in Las
Vegas, the TL100VS is designed specifically
for the construction, utility and
rental industries.
" The tracks give the edge over skid
steers' wheels, in that they can work more
days a year, even in very damp conditions,
thanks to the tracks' much lower
ground pressure, " Buck Storlie, Yanmar
CE product manager for North America,
said of CTLs' rising popularity on jobsites.
" With their much greater traction, they
are also more stable and have a higher
ability to push into a pile. And they are
extremely versatile tool carriers, which
give them the flexibility to do a wide
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
Compact track loaders round out Yanmar's compact-equipment portfolio that already consists of
mini excavators, compact wheel loaders and tracked carriers.
range of jobs with minimal tool changeover
times. And, at the end of the day,
you can put it on a trailer and tow it home
behind an average pickup [truck]. "
Four years in the making
This expansion of Yanmar's compactequipment
offerings is the culmination of
a four-year process, the company noted,
following its acquisition of a U.S. manufacturing
facility and engineering team focused
on compact track loaders. The
company broke ground on a
32,000-square-foot (2,973-square-meter)
expansion to its Grand Rapids, Minnesota,
facility in June 2023 to increase capacity
and allow its new CTLs to be manufactured
alongside ASV-branded machines.
" It's immensely satisfying to see these
first machines roll off the line, " said Matt
Deloglos, VP of Commercial, Yanmar CE
North America. " Our team has worked
tirelessly towards this goal for the last
four years with designing, testing and
manufacturing these machines as well as
getting the plant and our team ready to
launch these products. "
The TL100VS is the first product in
Yanmar's new line of CTLs, which also
includes the TL65RS, TL75VS and
TL80VS. Weighing 10,555 lbs (4,788 kg)
and offering a rated operating capacity
(ROC) of 3,780 lbs (1,715 kg), the TL100VS
is at the top of the line's performance
range. It features Yanmar's 3.1-L Tier 4
Final intercooled turbo-diesel engine that
generates 103.5 hp (77.2 kW) and peak
torque of 291 lb-ft (395 Nm). Travel
speeds can reach 8 mph (13 km/h).
The remaining three models, which
are set for production later in 2024, will
be lighter and offer 67 or 74 hp (50 or
55 kW) and a ROC ranging from 2,100
to 2,900 lbs (952 to 1,315 kg). (See
graphic.) The four-model lineup will
cover about 93% of the CTL market in
North America, Storlie said at the time
of their reveal at CONEXPO 2023.
The new loader features a torsion
axle suspended undercarriage with a
pivot link system at the rear axle. This
linkage technology uses a spring load
that reportedly reduces oscillation and
stabilizes the machine to improve material
retention and ride quality.
The steel-embedded rubber-tracked
undercarriage provides a ground contact
area of 2,372 sq. in. (1.53 sq. m), with a
track width of 17.7 inches (450 mm) and
67 inches (1,702 mm) of track length on
the ground. The CTL's ground pressure
of 4.4 psi (0.30 bar) allows smooth performance
on sensitive surfaces, the company
stated. Heavy-duty bar-tread tracks
April 2024 25
YANMAR

http://www.sae.org/news/2024/02/cat-compact-loaders http://www.sae.org/news/2024/02/cat-compact-loaders http://www.sae.org/news/2024/02/cat-compact-loaders http://www.sae.org/news/2024/02/develon-new-machines http://www.sae.org/news/2024/02/develon-new-machines

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - April 2024

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