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support equipment continued The load sensing hydraulics system on the L350F also were improved, with variable displacement pumps providing exact flow and pressure on demand. Bucket capacity for the L350F ranges from 8.1 to 16.6 yd3 (6.2 to 12.7 m3). Breakout force is rated at 106,290 lb-ft (472.8 kN). The L350F's lift arm features improved geometry that is claimed to provide good rollback angles as well as better attachment visibili- ty. The loader also can be specified with boom options: the long boom gives additional dump height while a Boom Suspension System features heavy duty shock absorbers that reduce bucket spillage and allow faster, more comfortable, work cycles. East Meets West in the Dozer Market LiuGong Machinery Corp., Liuzhou, China, recently finalized an agreement to acquire Polish heavy equipment manufacturer HSW (Huta Stalowa Wola) and its distribution subsidiary, Dressta Ltd. The transaction is LiuGong's first outright acquisition outside its domestic market. HSW manufactures bulldozers, loaders and other crawler machines, and is one of only seven manufacturers worldwide pro- ducing a complete line of bulldozers from 74 hp to 520 hp. The Polish government, which owned HSW, had agreed in principal to sell to LiuGong earlier this year with the signing of a preliminary enterprise acquisition agreement in Beijing, China. The roots of HSW/Dressta earthmover technology can be traced back to 1972, when HSW entered into a licensing agree- ment with the U.S. agricultural equipment builder International Harvester, which had formed a Construction Equipment Division in the mid-1940s and was eager to expand market scope for its dozers and loaders into Eastern Block countries. International Harvester, however, encountered rough economic waters in the Dressta TD-40E Extra dozer. early 1980s and the construction division was acquired by Dresser Industries, which later struck a joint agreement with Komatsu for manufacture of dozers, loaders and other equipment. Komatsu took control of the entity in the mid-1990s and carried on the longstanding arrangement with HSW, eventually establishing Dressta as a joint venture. Komatsu's participation in the venture ended in 2005. LiuGong's acquisition of HSW is a strategic step for the Chinese company, which has a stated goal of becoming a top-10 construc- tion equipment manufacturer by 2015. The HSW transaction, according to LiuGong, opens an avenue to obtain core technologies that will help it advance some of its product designs, supplements LiuGong's product lines, provides a manufacturing and logistic footprint in Europe and expands LiuGong's penetration into market and product segments. 32 www.coalage.com February 2012