Case Construction Equipment broke ground last month on its new Product Review Center at the Case Customer Center in Tomahawk, Wis. RER was on hand for the event as Jim Hasler, vice president of Case; Gerry Kole, manager of the Case facility; Jim VanStrydonk, general contractor; and Bob Lee, Tomahawk mayor, started excavation for the footings with three golden shovels and a Case CX210B excavator.
Construction of the 3,000-square-foot building is scheduled to continue through the summer with completion set for November. The new building will provide climate-controlled viewing to the product-demonstration area where up to 100 guests can see the full line of Case construction equipment in operation.
According to Kole, the Product Review Center will be equipped with a state-of-the-art audio-visual system to enable operators running equipment in the outdoor presentation area to communicate with the customers inside the building. “More than that, a helmet camera will provide a big-screen display from the operator's point of view so customers can see the instrument displays and exactly what the operators' hands are doing when they perform different tasks,” Kole said.
The Case Customer Center sits on more than 500 acres and is used year round to host Case customers, prospective customers, students from universities and technical schools, government officials from the United States and other countries considering the use of equipment, and on this occasion, the media, for a preview of the company's newest offerings.
At the event, Case introduced the 570M XT Series 3 loader/tool carrier with a new Tier-3-compliant Case family III turbocharged engine. The new engine delivers 79 net hp, an increase of 8 percent over the previous series. A single-level loader control is designed for easy effort and ergonomic comfort, and push-button differential lock and transmission declutch are located close at hand. An automatic self-leveling feature minimizes bucket spills as the operator raises the loader, and the optional ride control helps cushion the loader arms to prevent spills when carrying full loads over rough terrain.
Case also showcased the extended reach loader linkage configuration on all its full-sized wheel loader models 521E through 1221E. For applications requiring higher dump clearance, such as loading materials into high-sided trucks at transfer stations or feed lots for dairy applications, the optional XR loader linkage configuration delivers extended reach throughout the complete cycle, as well as extended dump clearances.
“The XR loader linkage configuration on these wheel loaders gives the operator the capability for high production, while matching the loading height requirements,” said Dave Wolf, brand marketing manager for Case.
In addition, an optional XT tool carrier linkage configuration is also available on the 521E, 621E and 721E wheel loaders. The XT configuration offers a true parallel lift throughout the complete cycle, so the operator can concentrate on moving materials rather than making adjustments to level the load.
The company also repowered its 3.2-liter Tier-3-certified engine, which now features a cooling package for improved productivity, on Case 21E, 121E, 221E and 321E compact wheel loaders. The new engines deliver between 54 and 82 net hp to move more material per hour.
Located at the back of the loader, the new high-efficiency cooling package provides better service accessibility and greater air flow across the coolers, increasing cooling efficiency, reducing fluid breakdown and extending component life.
And with its Product Review Center now under construction, Case will soon be able to better demonstrate its latest equipment innovations to customers on site at its training facility at Tomahawk.