Hitachi introduces SkyAngle Advanced Peripheral Vision Support System at MINExpo INTERNATIONAL

MOLINE, Illinois (January 18, 2010) — Hitachi excavators will feature engines with cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and exhaust filters consisting of a diesel oxidation catalyst/diesel particulate filter to meet the 2011 Interim Tier 4 (IT4)/Stage III B emissions regulations mandated by the EPA and EU for diesel engines 174 to 750 hp.

"Hitachi believes this is the simplest IT4 solution. And it continues to deliver the productivity, fuel efficiency, and reliability that customers expect from Hitachi," said Mark Wall, Product Marketing Manager for Hitachi construction excavators in the Americas.

Hitachi's approach to meeting IT4 regulations is an evolution of the current clean burning and fuel-efficient Tier 3/Stage III A Isuzu engine platform currently used in Hitachi excavators.

The Isuzu cooled EGR engine platform for IT4 compliance is less complex to maintain compared to SCR (selective catalytic reduction) systems. "Unlike SCR, this IT4 solution doesn't require liquid urea to achieve the necessary emissions reduction. There aren't any other fluids to acquire, fill, and store on jobsites," Wall said. "EGR requires just one fluid – diesel fuel."

Many Hitachi excavators featuring Isuzu engines with Tier 3/Stage III A cooled EGR technology are running reliably today, and the Interim Tier 4/Stage III B units will be a natural next step for Hitachi dealers to sell and support. "Hitachi dealers will be ready to service and support these new engines and optimize the overall efficiency of the excavator," Wall said.

Hitachi excavators currently using Isuzu engines range from the ZX75US-3 through the ZX850LC-3.