Creative Equipment Solutions
Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, who designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, also designed Deere & Co.’s world headquarters in Moline, Ill. The facility is absolutely fascinating — four buildings located on 1,400 acres, engineered with glass atriums, indoor gardens and a striking, rusty, steel exterior. While Saarinen designed the facilities, it was built according to Deere & Co’s President William Hewitt’s instructions, using COR-TEN weathering steel — the first architectural application of the material — which gives the building its old, earthy, construction look as it’s oxidized and aged (see photo on page 10).
The headquarters was the first thing I saw on a recent June press trip to Moline (dubbed the Coal Valley Rally), and the headquarters’ architecture set the tone for a week focused on the John Deere brand and its history of engineering creative products. The company invited us down to operate three new product lines — it’s E-Series line of skid steers and compact track loaders, its G-Series compact excavators and its 644K hybrid wheel loader. All three, noted John Deere employees throughout the trip, were engineered with big, out-of-the-box ideas. All three were also engineered with a lot of customer input.
“The E-Series skid steers and compact track loaders are one of the finest examples of customer-driven product development the John Deere Commercial Worksite Products group has ever offered,” explained Gregg Zupancic, product marketing manager with John Deere Construction & Forestry. “We asked hundreds of customers how we could make this equipment better. They told us, and we responded.”
John Deere also invited us down to see how we would respond to these new machines. For a few days, the press corps toured a variety of facilities from the John Deere Davenport Works to its Coal Valley operational grounds to downtown Moline’s John Deere Pavilion (which is a public museum and store). First up for analyzing and operation (and most importantly for us) was John Deere’s new E-Series line of skid steer and compact track loaders (CTLs), featuring enhancements that were developed after extensive input from contractors, said Deere. The new line includes five skid steer models and four new compact track loaders, each with Tier 4 Interim or Tier 4 Final engines and several improvements designed to enhance operator and machine productivity.
The mid-frame models boasted new production standards, using a clever optimized boom design that provides best-in-class boom and bucket breakout throughout the lift path, said Deere. It also offers greater reach at truck-bed height and increases lift height to the hinge pin. The large-frame models went with more comfort upgrades, featuring a flat floor design with 25 percent more foot room than previous models, lower noise levels and low-effort electro-hydraulic (EH) controls.
“Customers want smooth operation,” said Zupancic. “They want easy to control, easy to operate and intuitive to operate. They also want big production, but if you boil down what a customer really wants in a skid steer or track loader, the No. 1 thing is reliability. When we really dig deep, the customers just want that uptime, and we’ve provided that.”
Going from loaders to diggers, John Deere just announced the release of the 75G and 85G excavators to its G-Series line of excavators (these are midis). Both models feature reduced tail-swing configurations to maneuver and work around congested jobsites in efficient fashion. But the John Deere 50G and 60G excavators are the newest compact models to join the G-Series line after the introduction of the 35G at World of Concrete 2013. The 50G and 60G units feature a wide variety of improvements, which include a widened and lengthened cab, new door design, Tier 4 Final engine offerings, auto-idle and increased serviceability access.
“The biggest difference between the G- and D-Series mini excavators is really the cab,” said Sam Norwood, manager of John Deere Commercial Worksite Products. “Overall, we have five models of compact excavators from 1.5 to 6 metric tons. My advice: Buy a compact excavator that has a max dig depth 2 ft deeper than you want to dig, and remember, all John Deere machines have an option for a long arm.”
Of course the biggest, brightest idea at the event had to be the new 644K hybrid wheel loader, which is not a compact machine, but a 229-hp behemoth that can pick and load all year long. But hopes are that the innovative electric hybrid technology that 1) avoids using expensive battery technology, 2) boasts 25 percent more fuel savings and 3) makes it easier for novice operators to drive will eventually migrate down to small machinery. The four main components behind the 644K’s electric-drive technology include its generator, inverter, motor and brake resistor.
Here’s the technical side of these four essential systems. First, the generator is brushless and converts the rotational energy from the engine into three-phase alternating current (AC) electrical energy. It can also be driven as a motor to use recycled energy to drive hydraulics and save fuel. Second, the inverter is a solid-state electronic system designed for reliability, durability and long life. The water-cooled inverter delivers electrical energy to the motor as demanded by the operator. Third, the single electric motor is also brushless for added reliability and converts three-phase (AC) back to rotational energy and torque. The motor replaces the job of a torque convertor, but can also work as a generator to recycle energy back into the system. And lastly, the water-cooled brake resistor passively consumes energy whenever the power electronics actively control its circuit and is only needed to consume excess recycled energy.
“John Deere is committed to delivering the right hybrid solutions to meet our customer needs today, tomorrow and well into the future,” said Andrew Kahler, engine and driveline product marketing manager at John Deere Construction & Forestry. “The 644K hybrid is a result of our dedication to integrating the best technology available to better the industry and provide our customers superior uptime and productivity, while lowering daily operating costs.
Also of note, the 644K hybrid delivers optimal performance for novice and experienced operators alike. Its engine’s constant operating speed maintains continuous hydraulic flow at all times, which delivers crisp hydraulic responsiveness and reduces cycle times, making for fluid operation and a smoother ride regardless of your operating level (proven in my time behind the wheel at Coal Valley).
It’s safe to say the 644K hybrid has definitely developed John Deere’s spirit of innovation. The company’s skid steer, track loader and compact excavator lines follow suit. My week in Moline opened my eyes even wider to the unique products of John Deere, and also the culture and characters behind the John Deere Construction & Forestry team. It’s the architecture I mentioned earlier, exploring engineering with imagination. It’s evidenced in these products, all over Moline and in all the Quad City facilities run by Deere & Co.
Keith Gribbins is managing editor of Compact Equipment, based in Brecksville, Ohio.
