Bauma 2004

Hall B5 and open-air ground: Komatsu and Volvo


Komatsu large-scale exhibits: PC750LC (left) and dump truck HD605 (righth)

Wheel loader WA700	Withou steering wheel: cockpit of the WA700

Komatsu dozers D155AX (left) and D65PX with GPS-Equipment (right)

Volvo and Komatsu had used hall B5 again almost completely on their own. But this year, Komatsu did without an open-air area and couldn’t (or didn’t want to) join the “competition” for the largest exhibit this way. (In contrast to the last Bauma, where a PC4000 had been shown.)
So the size of all exhibits had to obey to the boundaries of the hall and largest machines at Komatsu “only” were a PC750LC, a HD605 and a WA700. Beside of these, Komatsu had managed to show a good choice of their machinery at their booth. This included medium hydraulic excavators (e.g. PC450LC), wheel loaders (e.g. WA470), tracked dozers (D65PX and D155AX) and compact excavators (e.g. PC09).
Since especially small compact excavators, like the PC09 mentioned before, are often used for demolition work inside of buildings, Komatsu had come up with a smart idea: A hydraulic hammer had been integrated in the stick in oder to change quickly between “crushing” and “removing rubble”. Only the chisel itself must be removed for digging.
Furthermore, some special-purpose machines, that become more and more popular with operators, had been on display. Among others, a PC340NLC with longfront boom, a PC228USLC excavator with minimum tail swing and a tracked dozer equipped with GPS based controlls.

	Komatsu PC09 with integrated hammer (left), PC340NLC with demolition boom (lower left), PC450LC (below), WA470 with log fork (lower right) and minimal swing radius excavator PC228USLC (right)


Volvo motor grader G726B	Volvo L220E “loading” a A30D	Volvo EC180B LC with hydraulically adjustable boom	Volvo EC200B LC with cutter


Almost hidden: wheel loader L330E with stone fork and L180E Highlift	Volvo’s largest excavator: EC460B LC

L120E with log forkr	Volvo’s second-largest articulated dump truck A35D

Volvo had put up a small yet broad mixture of their products in “their” part of the hall. Among others a medium sized motor grader G726B, some smaller and medium sized wheel loaders (e.g. L220E), dump trucks (e.g. A30D) and hydraulic excavators (e.g. L180E LC).
Aside from this, Volvo had set up a large demonstration area outside and presented further machinery packed tightly around this. Among these was Volvo’s largest wheel loader L330E (equipped with a stone fork) that almost seemed to vanish behind a massive boulder. Close by stood a L180E Highlift (A wheel loader with log grapple and special high-reach boom) as well as a L150E with standard bucket and a L120E equipped with a log fork.
Of the many shown hydraulic excavators, only the EC460B LC on the demonstration area and a EC200B LC equipped with a cutter, shall be mentioned here. A cutter like this used, for example, in mining operations or demolition of heavy concrete structures.

Between the boothes of Komatsu and Volvo, several smaller manufacturers could be found. For example Macmoter of Italy that showed this PL200 pipelayer in a rather odd configuration.

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