Cranes and loaders manufactured by XCMG, the world's leading construction machinery manufacturer, are being used in the construction of Brazil's Antarctic research station, Comandante Ferraz (EACF), and have been delivering superior, consistent performance in the extremely cold Antarctic.
A highlight of growing Sino-Brazil cooperation, the job of building the 2-year EACF project is the first non-Chinese Antarctic research station construction contract to be won by a Chinese company. All materials, equipment and personnel on the construction crew hail from China. Four XCMG cranes and loaders, including a custom-designed LW600KN model, are being used to transport EACF's prebuilt modules and insulation boards to the Antarctic for assembly - a task that requires all onsite construction equipment to operate within very strict tolerances.
"Because of the severe environment on the planet's coldest continent, there is only a four-month window to complete the EACF build, so it was crucial for project managers to choose the right equipment," says Wang Min, the Chairman of XCMG. "With a manufacturing plant in Pouso Alegre, deep roots in Brazil, and exceedingly stable products that are cold-resistant, and in light of the deepening ties between China and Brazil, XCMG was an obvious choice to supply the equipment that would assemble Brazil's groundbreaking research facility."
XCMG has solved the difficult technological problems inherent in operating in extremely cold environments by conducting in-depth research in frigid locations such as Siberia, north of the Arctic Circle. This work allowed XCMG's team of world-class engineers to design dynamic hydraulic and electrical systems, as well as a driving cab that can operate smoothly in temperatures lower than -40 C. The preheating systems for the engine, battery, fuel and hydraulic fluid works properly in temperatures exceeding -50 C.
Work on the EACF contract, with its requirement to not only design equipment that can withstand extreme temperatures, but that also meets the specific needs of the client, has driven XCMG's research and development team to create an industry-leading standard in developing products suitable to operate in extremely cold climates.
"Designing equipment that can perform in extremely cold environments has always been a challenge in the field, and as a leader in the Chinese construction equipment industry, it's our responsibility to solve these problems and craft the standard in the market," Min says.