Komatsu Micro Excavator Features Swappable Batteries

by Gabrielle DeSantis

If cars and trucks can clean up with electrification, why not construction machinery? And why not? The same type of particulates are released with traditional internal combustion engine machinery. 

While it won’t be easy to create electric heavy equipment, the industry is starting with micro excavators. Komatsu has battery-powered equipment that was first released last year. Now it has added a unique feature that will add versatility and efficiency to its PC01e excavator. 

Honda and Komatsu have engineered swappable batteries for construction equipment

Komatsu electric excavator with Honda battery pack | Komatsu

It has engineered swappable batteries into the PC01e. The micro excavator will use the Honda Mobile Power Pack to make swapping out batteries easy. Teaming up with Honda eliminates the need to develop its own battery technology. 

Honda’s Mobile Power Pack already powers some two- and three-wheel scooters. Now it will begin powering equipment like this cool Komatsu machine. These excavators are used mostly for pipe-laying, landscaping, plus agricultural and livestock work. 

Komatsu and Honda want a “battery-sharing system for the civil engineering and construction industry.”

Komatsu electric excavator showing the Honda battery pack
Komatsu electric excavator with Honda battery pack | Komatsu

Maybe the larger picture in anticipation of machinery going the same way as cars and trucks is what Honda and Komatsu have planned. The two companies want to begin a “battery-sharing system for the civil engineering and construction industry.” So they see this change to electrification as they put plans into place to provide this battery service.

It also could be an indication that at least for its initial foray into electric construction equipment, that they anticipate short cycles for these batteries. Just as the range has slowly ramped up with vehicles, we can expect that early electrification won’t have the duration between charges.

So, having an easily replaceable battery queued up doesn’t waste time. It also lessens the “range anxiety” of early electric machinery. Just as we saw with the GM EV-1 and Nissan Leaf, the equipment industry has to start somewhere. This is the beginning of another change to electrification, this time in the construction industry.

RELATED: What Makes Cummins Diesel Engines so Good?

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Honda S2000 vs S2000 CR: Which One Is Faster Around Laguna Seca?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Honda S2000 was built for cutting up corners on a race track as opposed to providing straight-line speed. For those that wanted to kick things up a notch, Honda upped the ante on its rear-drive roadster back in 2008 by producing the S2000 CR, which had a tighter suspension and more was more aerodynamic.

For many Honda S2000 enthusiasts, the question always remained: Is the S2000 CR really faster around a track than the regular one? Fortunately, two YouTubers put their cars to the test by lapping the famed Laguna Seca Raceway together and filming it so we can go along for the ride.

Both Honda S2000s were nearly stock

2008 Honda S2000 CR | Honda

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The friendly lap battle included a silver 2008 Honda S2000 and a 2008 Honda S2000 CR. According to the video, the regular S2000 – driven by a YouTuber named “W33lhop” – was mostly stock with the exception of a set of Ohlin coil-overs (14 kg front, 12 kg rear), a set of Nankang CR1 tires, and a set of Project Mu 999 brake pads.

On the other hand, the black 2008 S2000 CR – driven by YouTuber “DIY Guys” – was mostly stock as well. The modification list for the S2000 CR includes a set of super-sticky Yokohama A052 tires, a set of Raybestos brake pads with help of brake air ducts, as well as a Hondata ECU reflash that slightly alters the car’s fuel mapping for a little more power.

Overall, the cars look pretty even in their stats considering neither of them has any extensive engine modifications or weight reduction.

The lap battle was a close one

Now, for the fun part. The video provides a lot of fun commentary and even an overlay of the S2000’s telemetry data while on the track. Both drivers showed their driving talent with the silver S2000 getting a little sideways at some points. During the silver S2000’s “best lap,” we can see that the black S2000 CR was able to maintain a steady pace through the corners and down the straightaway while keeping the lead the whole time.

In the end, the black S2000 CR came out on top, but only by a small margin. The silver S2000’s best lap time ended up being 1:42.46, while the S2000 CR pulled off a slightly faster time of 1:42.06. It’s a super small difference, and of course, we have to factor in driver skill into the mix. But as far as the car setups go, we’re not too surprised to see the S2000 CR take home the win.

Do the different suspension setups play a factor?

2008 Honda S2000 on a racetrack
2008 Honda S2000 | Honda

Maybe. While the silver S2000 did have a set of aftermarket coil overs on it, we doubt that it made a huge difference between the two cars. If anything, the modified suspension might have helped the car keep up with the S2000 CR, but the sticky tires could have played a larger factor as well.

All of the variables aside, it’s nice to see some video proof of the differences between the regular S2000 and the S2000 CR on an actual racetrack, which is where they are meant to be. Apparently, the slight tweaks that Honda made to the S2000 CR actually paid off. Although, not by much.       

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Pixelpaint is What the Future of Car Painting Looks Like

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Painting cars today is about waste. A waste of materials, because almost one-third of them never get on the vehicle. For graphics and stripes, it is a waste of time because of having to tape them off. And both of those lead to a waste of money. But here’s what the future of car paint and painting looks like, and it is here now. 

This paint process won the prestigious 2021 Robotics Award

ABB Pixelpaint | ABB

Robots are mostly used by auto manufacturers, but these aren’t like those robots. These embrace the new technology just now entering into the painting process. And it even won a prestigious Robotics Award for 2021. 

The award went to Pixelpaint, a process developed by a tech company in Switzerland called ABB. Though their process has been around for a couple of years it is only now being recognized for its groundbreaking techniques and results. 

The process starts with two ABB IRB 5500 robots. They squirt the paint into a specified target area. But instead of using typical paint gun spray nozzles, it utilizes high DPI inkjet heads. These do a similar job to the inkjet heads on your printer, except these printing nozzles pinpoint the paint. 

The Pixelpaint process sprays paint through a printing nozzle head

Spray painting has relied on a typical atomizer head forever. The Pixelpaint process eliminates that and instead sprays paint through a printing nozzle head. This method transfers 100 percent of the paint onto the vehicle surface. There is no waste.

Each print head contains over 1,000 nozzles that can be individually programmed. The nozzles don’t use the traditional flow jet process. Instead, they use droplets that can be controlled for size and how much material each droplet contains. So paint thickness and accuracy are increased. 

There is no more overspray, no more taping off windows, or for graphics on body surfaces. Program what you want it to create and it does the rest. Now all of the paint material is used with nothing going out into the environment. ABB says its Pixelpaint process is 50 percent faster than previous paint technology. 

Custom paint and graphics use RobotStudio software

car body inside of Pixelpaint cell
ABB Pixelpaint | ABB

Masking off vehicles is no longer necessary. Now it can be handled through the RobotStudio software. Two-tones or graphics applications are greatly simplified. Highly individualized decorations are programmed right into the painting robots.

On an assembly line, every car can be painted differently from the next without line interruptions. The hand labor it used to take to lay down stripes or graphics is no more. Masking and then de-masking is unnecessary. 

While it sounds like a perfect product for custom paint shops around the world, prices and availability are not indicated. So it is unknown whether the Pixelpaint process would find an application in individual mom and pop-type paint shops. But for manufacturing, the advantages are obvious.

RELATED: The Most Expensive Car Paint is $2,000 a Gallon

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Crash Test Dummies: The Toyota Tundra

by Gabrielle DeSantis

I know what you’re thinking – safety ratings are so boring. Besides, aren’t all pickup trucks safe these days? While it’s true that safety standards have come a long way in the last few decades, that doesn’t mean that every pickup truck is the same. Is the 2021 Toyota Tundra safe? Let’s look at the IIHS crash test ratings.

2021 Toyota Tundra | Toyota

What does the IIHS do?

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducts a variety of tests on cars, vans, trucks and SUVs to determine how crashworthy they are, among other things. Their tests are done independently, so you know that they haven’t been paid to offer awards the way some other organizations are. 

How did the Toyota Tundra do in the IIHS crash tests?

Not great. The 2021 Toyota Tundra only got a marginal in its small overlap front: driver side test. Overlap testing evaluates how well a car does when part of the front strikes a barrier. Crash test ratings vary based on the trim selected.

This score can be broken down further: the Tundra scored a marginal for its structure and safety cage, but good in most of the driver injury measures. Except for the lower leg/foot, that is, which got a poor score. The driver restraints and kinematics were good.

The small overlap tests for the passenger seats weren’t very good, either

The small overlap front: passenger tests were even worse. Oftentimes car manufacturers don’t pay the same attention to the passenger side that they do to the driver, and the 2021 Toyota Tundra is no exception. The overall rating for this was poor.

That poor rating can be further broken down into a poor for structure and safety cage, and a good for the passenger injury measures: head/neck and chest. However, the passenger injury measure: hip/thigh was marginal, and the lower leg/foot was poor. Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics were adequate. 

The moderate overlap front tests were a little better. Overall was good, with every subcategory other than leg/foot, right getting a good score. Only the leg/foot, right got a marginal score. 

How were the Tundra’s side crash tests?

The side crash test ratings were all good. However, the roof strength was just adequate. The 2021 Toyota Tundra had a curb weight of 5,432 pounds, a peak force of 21,384 pounds, and a strength-to-weight ratio of 3.94. The head restraints and seats ratings were all good for the power cloth seat. 

As far as front crash prevention: vehicle to vehicle, the Tundra had a standard pre-collision system and pedestrian detection. It avoided a collision in both the 12 mph and 25 mph IIHS tests. 

The headlights in the Toyota Tundra received a marginal score. The child seat anchors were just adequate. The IIHS found them hard to find and too deep in the seats. This can be a problem because car seat safety is partially dependent on being able to correctly install the car seat. 

Overall, is the 2021 Toyota Tundra safe? The small overlap test scores could be better. When compared to other similarly sized trucks, the Toyota Tundra doesn’t do as well. If you’re looking for a safe pickup truck, there are safer choices out there. 

RELATED: Is the 2021 GMC Sierra 1500 Safe? IIHS Crash Test Ratings

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