Korean showcase

Conex Korea, being held at the end of the month at the brand new Korean InternationalExhibition Centre (Kintex) in Goyang, just outside Seoul, is South Korea's leading construction equipment exhibition. Organised by the Korean Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (KOCEMA), with support from by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry &Energy, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Construction &Transportation and the Gyeonggi provincial government, the show is set to be a major national and international industry event.

The bulk of the 155 exhibitors are of course Korean, but in addition tothese 97 companies there will be 13 Japanese exhibitors, 10 each from the US and Germany, six from Italy, four from China and 15 others from various countries.

Doosan debut

Like any exhibition, Conex Korea provides an opportunity for manufacturers to unveil new products and services. But it won't just be new machines making the headlines atthe show.

It will be a significant for one of Korea's best known construction equipment brands, Daewoo Heavy Industries. As iC went to print, the company was due to be taken over by Doosan Heavy Industries, after a lengthy acquisition process.

Conex Korea will be the first outing for the company under its new ownership structure, and the former Daewoo machines are due to be exhibited under their new name of Doosan Infracore.

The company will be exhibiting a range of equipment types, including mini, medium and large excavators, wheeled loaders, fork lift trucks, a concrete pump and two electronically controlled engines. The company will also be emphasising its product and support network with a display of service vehicles and parts.

In terms of new machines, the company will be exhibiting its 32.2 tonne DX 300 crawler excavator. The machine is fitted with a 200kW engine which provides high productivity at low fuel consumption. Other key features include new exterior styling and improved operator comfort in the cab.

New machines

Hyundai Construction Equipment's stand will feature 20 machines, with its recently introduced skid steer loaders and mini excavators displayed alongside the more familiar wheeled loaders and larger excavators.

New models on display will include the company's 5 tonne class mini excavator, the R55-7, which is powered by a low emission Yanmar engine. This is designed to conform to Korea's forthcoming exhaust emission laws, which come into force in 2007, and the modern engine also helps reduce noise and vibration.

Also on display will be Hyundai's three new skid steer loaders, the HSL500T, HSL680T, and HSL960T. With rated capacities of 454, 680 and 932 kg respectively, these machines are a representative sample of 11 new Kubota-powered models that Hyundai officially launched in March.

Attachment specialist Daemo will exhibit seven 'Demo’brand hydraulic work tools on its stand, and two of the four hydraulic breakers will be shown mounted on Hyundai excavators. In addition to the breakers, two of which are silenced models, the company's attachment range includes excavator-mounted crushers, shears and its DMP multi-processors.

In addition to these familiar tools, Daemo will also be exhibiting its DMC 10 compactor and DQC 50M-7 quick coupler.

Jun Jin Heavy Industry's stand will feature its JJ-H5217 and JX-H3717 concrete pumps. The JJ-H5217 is a truck-mounted concrete placing boom with a vertical reach of 52 m with swing-out style outriggers. The JX-H3717 meanwhile has X-pattern outriggers and offers a vertical reach of 37 m.

Those that have followed the company closely since it began business in 1991 will remember 2001 being a significant year thanks to the launch of its 55 m truck-mounted concrete placing boom. It seems that 2005 could also be a significant year, with Jun Jin planning the launch of a 62 m boom. While this machine is not expected to be at Conex Korea, the show provides a great opportunity to meet specialists from Jun Jin and get an idea of the unit's capabilities.

Wider capabilities

Hanwoo will be showing off the range of its capabilities at Conex Korea. While the company is probably best known outside Korea for its hydraulic breakers and other demolition attachments, it also builds truck-mounted concrete pumps, tower cranes and components, and has a division that reconditions used construction equipment.

The company's stand at Conex Korea will feature Hanwoo's RHB 350 RHC 440 and RHP 830 demolition tools, its HCP 52, HCP 42X and HCP 37.15XZ truck-mounted concrete placing booms as well as demonstrations of the key technology in its KH310 and KH100L tower cranes. The latter is of particular note, as Hanwoo says the KH100L, which was launched last year, is Korea's first luffing jib tower crane.iC