Command and control New 457 shows off CommandPlus cab

JCB Your Own BossJCB initiative to help drive your business

Designing the futureProject 120 looks for backhoe of 2073

ISSUE ONE

earth

2 < JCB EARTH

MOVING EARTH

W elcome to the first issue of a totally new JCB

magazine – earth. JCB is a global leader in

the design and engineering of earthmoving,

construction and agricultural equipment, dedicated to

providing innovative engineering solutions, exceeding

your expectations and working in partnership with our

dealers and customers around the world.

In this magazine you’ll see how our machinery is

designed, engineered, manufactured and presented to

the market. From the design thinking behind our latest

wheeled loader cab, to a training initiative in Brazil to

support the construction sector, show displays in North

America and the ways in which JCB is playing a role in

reducing emissions and preserving our environment.

The JCB story goes far beyond the machinery.

JCB’s success is about people, from the owner-operator

setting out in business with their first backhoe loader,

to the many companies that have built their ongoing

success using the full range of JCB machinery.

JCB is a company that has, quite literally, helped to

shape the world in which we live. We hope you enjoy

sharing the experience with us and thank you for playing

a major role in the ongoing success of our company.

A WELCOME TO JCB EARTH FROM OUR CHAIRMAN LORD BAMFORD

ISSUE ONE > 3

EARTH / THIS ISSUE

ISSUE ONE > 3

Order your catalogue from your local dealer now. www.jcbshop.comPOWER PRODUCTS

The complete JCB merchandise range: from workwear, footwear and luggage to gifts, kids clothing, scale models and toys.

Experience more with the AR App! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

JCB earth magazine is produced by JCB DesignWorks on behalf of JCB Sales Ltd, Rocester, Staffordshire ST14 5JP. Printed by Wood Mitchell Printers, Staffordshire. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed are those of the author and not JCB. While every care is taken compiling the contents of JCB earth magazine, specifications, features and equipment shown in this magazine are subject to change and may vary by country, information was correct at time of going to press. For additional machine information, please contact your authorised JCB dealer. All necessary permissions were obtained for film and photography in restricted access areas. This magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, and cannot accept any responsibility for them.

CONTENT: ooh-AR

ART DIRECTOR: Steve Brazier

DESIGN: Nathan Winter and Nick Averill

ACCOUNT MANAGER: Cathy Lawrence

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Tom Rowley and Dan Gilkes

VIDEO: ooh-AR, Peter Marsland and James Butler

THANKS TO JCB COLLEAGUES WORLDWIDE

By downloading a free app on to your smartphone

or tablet (Apple or Android) you can bring photographs

to life using the power of a new technology called

Augmented Reality (AR). To access bonus content

simply follow the easy 1-2-3 steps:

Download the JCB AR app from the App Store

(Apple) or Google Play (Android).

Open the app with a simple tap.

1

2

3 Point your device at the photos where you see

the AR content logo pictured here – and wait for

the surprise. Double tap for a full-screen image.

JCB Workwear – Just Got Tougher New range now available

2 3

2 3

EARTH / THIS ISSUE

ISSUE ONE > 5

JC Balls and SonsA family plant hire business that shares more than

its initials with JCB.

Green logisticsReducing emissions and saving energy within

JCB World Logistics.

An epic machineA desert location for JCB’s latest

wheeled loader.

JCB Your Own BossOwner operators urged to take control with

backhoe loader initiative.

Celebrating a British iconHRH The Countess of Wessex celebrates the

opening of The Story of JCB.

Command & controlCommandPlus shows future cab design direction.

Bringing our machines to lifeComputer Generated Imagery provides an inside

view of our machines and technologies.

Academic excellenceThe JCB Academy delivers new opportunities for

engineering and business studies.

Viva Las VegasJCB’s Dancing Diggers take centre stage at

Conexpo 2014.

Building BrazilJCB machinery plays crucial role in World Cup

infrastructure and development.

Creating with yellowFrom concept to reality, producing JCB’s

award-winning calendars.

Ice moversLoaders keep auto wheels turning.

Designing the futureProject 120 looks to the backhoe of 2073.

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6 < JCB EARTH

F amily ties are everything for a plant hire firm in

Derbyshire, UK, that shares its initials with JCB.

Four generations of the family share a love for the

famous yellow machines that form the backbone of the

company’s business.

Founded by James Christopher Balls in 1963 with

one JCB 3 backhoe loader, the company is now run by

his two sons and employs more than 100 people,

including his four grandchildren.

James, known as Jim, built the business from the

ground up. It celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013 and

continues to prosper. Now aged 86, Jim remains an

important partner in this prestigious local company.

The firm bearing his initials operates a fleet of 60 JCB

machines that are available for plant hire and are used

by the company’s contracting and excavation businesses.

Civil engineering projects include earthworks, drainage,

concreting and construction of everything from walking

trails to major hydro-electric dam projects.

A FAMILY BUSINESS THAT SHARES MORE THAN JUST ITS INITIALS WITH JCB

▲

ISSUE ONE > 7

EARTH / JC BALLS AND SONS

8 < JCB EARTH

ISSUE ONE > 9

LEFT TO RIGHT: OFFICE

MANAGER CARLY NEWMAN,

KAI NEWMAN, AGED SIX,

PARTNER KEVIN BALLS,

PARTNER JIM BALLS, PARTNER

CHRIS BALLS, ACCOUNTS

MANAGER LISA FREESTON,

PLANT AND TRANSPORT

CO-ORDINATOR JAMIE BALLS

AND PLANT/SITE OPERATOR

TOM BALLS.

Jim’s sons Kevin and Christopher look after the day

to day operations from the company’s headquarters in

Ambergate. Ever keen to expand, the company also

operates an aggregate recycling plant and a fleet of road

haulage trucks. JC Balls supplies ready-mixed concrete

and has opened an aggregate washing facility.

Jim’s four children have key roles. Tom is an excavator

operator, Carly Newman is the office manager, James

Christopher Jnr runs the plant and transport office and

Lisa Freeston overseas the accounts. Carly’s six year old

son Kai is already showing a keen interest in diggers,

ensuring continuity for another generation to come.

Jim lives just two miles from the office and is present

most days, while all family members live close by.

“My dad is proud of it all and he still comes in for a

cup of tea,” said Kevin, who started driving JCBs when

he was 13. “He likes to see what’s happening and make

sure we’re all working hard. We love JCBs and have a

fleet of vintage machines including a JCB 1, which dad

bought second hand when he was building the business.

“But, like JCB, we never stand still. We have opened

an aggregate washing plant with the support of JCB

Finance. Our business has changed massively over the

years, but the constant has been JCB machines. We’re

loyal to JCB and they’re loyal to us.”

That loyalty is evident particularly in the fleet of vintage

machines which are in pristine condition and are lovingly

displayed. The collection includes a JCB Mk1 built in 1954

(the 103rd machine built), a 1964 JCB 1 Gravedigger and

a JCB 7 excavator from 1966.

With the family central to the business, JC Balls is

well-grounded, professional and friendly. The company

even has its own team of highly skilled Dancing Digger

drivers, performing perfectly choreographed routines to

music with both modern and vintage machines at live

shows and events.

Even the music that plays if you are holding on the

telephone to JC Balls has a connection to the business,

it’s the well known Bernard Cribbens number Hole in

the Ground from 1962. ●

“We love JCBs and have a fleet of 10 vintage machines including a JCB 1.”> JIM BALLS, DIRECTOR, JC BALLS

EARTH / JC BALLS AND SONS

>

10 < JCB EARTH

GREEN LOGISTICSTHE WORLD LOGISTICS CENTRE IS CUTTING ITS CARBON FOOTPRINT AND REDUCING JCB’S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

ISSUE ONE > 11

EARTH / GREEN LOGISTICS

E verything about JCB’s World Logistics hub says

hi-tech and, more importantly, environmentally-

friendly. The paint on the walls is made from

beeswax and the double glazing is filled with argon gas

to increase energy efficiency. Part of the roof area in the

warehouse has an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene “bubble”

surface, which draws comparisons with the UK’s iconic

Eden Centre, reducing the building’s requirement for

artificial lighting and heating.

It is the world’s first “Outstanding”-rated Building

Research Establishment Environmental Assessment

Method (BREEAM) logistics building, and it’s ensuring

JCB continues to reduce its carbon footprint.

It’s here, in a space roughly the size of five football

pitches, where around 9,000 pallets of supplier-bought

components that arrive weekly from home and abroad

are stored, cross-docked and then despatched to JCB’s

global manufacturing locations.

JCB’s 36,046m² World Logistics hub sits on a

13.8ha site, has an eaves height of up to 18.7m, benefits

from 38 dock levellers and currently caters for 33,700

racked locations for pallets and 14,000 smaller locations

in the mezzanine.

A biomass wood pellet boiler was installed to heat

the water that feeds the underfloor heating system in

the hub, reducing CO² usage by 97 per cent. And light-

absorbing wall panels supplement the main heating

system, whilst providing frost protection.

A highly-efficient fluorescent lighting system has

been installed that incorporates daylight-saving controls

and sensors. Furthermore, 100 per cent of the heating is

supplied by renewable sources whilst photo voltaic panels

power the inflatable roof lights, and the solar panels feed

back to the National Grid.

“These eco-features make for a cost-effective and

carbon-efficient operational environment, providing an

enjoyable working environment for our employees,” said

Joannes Van Osta, General Manager Group Transport

and Logistics.

With its array of sustainable features, including the

optimised use of natural light, rainwater harvesting, and

recyclable construction materials, it’s no surprise that the

World Logistics hub has been described as “the greenest

logistics building in Europe”. ●

LEFT: JOANNES VAN OSTA,

GENERAL MANAGER GROUP

TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS.

RIGHT: THE JCB WORLD

LOGISTICS CENTRE IN

STAFFORDSHIRE COVERS

AN AREA OF 36,046M² .

Renewable energy in the form of light-absorbing wall panels supplements

the main heating system.

>

12 < JCB EARTH

AN EPIC MACHINE... W ith the morning sun edging over California’s

San Bernadino mountains, the desert floor

is splashed with light, taking on a golden

sheen. Deep in the heart of the Johnson Valley nothing

is stirring, at least at first glance. But in the centre of this

beautiful, desolate landscape, a small team is preparing

to capture the moment.

12 < JCB EARTH

NEEDS AN EPIC LOCATION FOR A PHOTO SHOOT

▲

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AN EPIC MACHINE...

ISSUE ONE > 13

14 < JCB EARTH

JCB is as famous for its incredible photography and

marketing innovation as it is for its innovative and highly

productive machinery. However few of the company’s

machines can have been shipped to such an extravagant

location for a photo shoot.

“We wanted a really epic location for an epic

machine,” said Lee Appleby, the JCB Wheeled Loader

Marketing Manager co-ordinating the shoot.

“The JCB 457 had been brought over to the USA

for the Conexpo exhibition in Las Vegas, so we decided

sunrise shots in the Johnson Valley would be ideal to

showcase this new machine.”

The location is just 120 miles from Hollywood, the

spiritual home of film-making and the 457 is certainly the

star of the show. Silhouetted against the glowing early

morning sky, the film crew and photographers work

swiftly to catch the moment and to make the most of the

rapidly changing light.

The JCB 457 is a totally new wheeled loader design,

the first to feature JCB’s CommandPlus cab. This state-

of-the-art ROPS structure offers improved comfort and

visibility for the operator, with a panoramic windscreen

and JCB’s Command Driving Position, incorporating an

adjustable steering column and seat-mounted controls.

Taking centre stage at the Conexpo exhibition, the

wheeled loader is aggressively styled, its robust structure

demonstrating both strength and power. Beneath that

distinctively styled single-piece sloping bonnet a Tier 4

Final low-emission engine provides the beating heart for

this highly productive machine, its twin pump hydraulic

system delivering the power to perform in all quarry,

construction and earthmoving applications.

As the sun climbs higher and the shadows shrink

back, the shoot is completed. The results are stunning,

photographs more suited to a coffee table art catalogue

than a highly technical construction machinery brochure,

photographs that deliver a glimpse of the future direction

of JCB’s growing wheeled loader line. As they like to say

in Hollywood, it’s a wrap! ●

CREATING AWARD-WINNING

PHOTOGRAPHY CALLS FOR A

DEDICATED TEAM AND A VERY

SPECIAL LOCATION.

Silhouetted against the glowing early morning sky, the film crew and photographers work swiftly to catch the moment and to make the most of the rapidly changing light.

>

ISSUE ONE > 15

EARTH / AN EPIC MACHINE

Our objective was the creation of heroic, iconic JCB machine images as part of our mission to build excitement and interest in the JCB brand and its products, worldwide.> STEVE BRAZIER, HEAD OF CREATIVE, JCB

18 < JCB EARTH

ISSUE ONE > 19

EARTH / JCB YOUR OWN BOSS

W ant to be your own boss? You’ll need the right

tools for the job. With JCB’s help you could

change your life, take control of your own

destiny and build a secure future as an owner operator

of the world’s favourite backhoe loader. You could also

benefit from free training (UK), as part of the JCB Your

Own Boss backhoe loader owner operator programme.

Former site labourer David Boffey has become a

business entrepreneur and boss of his own plant hire

company, thanks to the JCB Your Own Boss initiative.

“I work on prestigious building sites for either the

homeowner, the contractor or the sub-contractor. They

understand that having a new, modern machine looks

good on their site,” he said.

Zakary Birgen, from Damatek Building Contractors,

commented: “I started as an owner/operator taking on

contracted projects with my first JCB backhoe loader.

The income and knowledge gained from my first machine

allowed me to invest in a second machine, then to take

on larger contracts. I’m now looking to invest in my third

JCB backhoe.”

As the world’s leading backhoe loader manufacturer

JCB has been working in partnership with owners and

operators for more than 60 years. No one knows more

about helping those customers to turn a business idea

into operating, profitable reality.

“Our backhoe is all you need to set up in business.

You can drive it from site to site and it is two machines in

one, an excavator and a loader. More than that, with a

host of JCB attachments available, the backhoe loader is

JCB’S LATEST BUSINESS INITIATIVE HELPS NEW COMPANY OWNERS TO GET UP AND RUNNING, IN A TURBOCHARGED OFFICE OF THEIR OWN.

▲

DAVID BOFFEY, OWNER

OF HIS OWN UK PLANT

HIRE COMPANY.

20 < JCB EARTH

ISSUE ONE > 21

EARTH / JCB YOUR OWN BOSS

the Swiss army knife of machines. It’s your office, it gets

you to work and it gets the job done when you get there,”

said Backhoe Marketing Strategist Michael Plummer.

The machine is capable of excavating, loading, grading,

carrying and powering work tools. As the most versatile

machine on site, a 3CX is always in demand, leading to

increased utilisation and profitability for owner operators.

The machines are universally popular across the world,

with tailored JCB programmes aiding owner operators

across Europe, Africa and India.

Kenyan business owner Najib Rashid, from Mattan

Contractors, believes buying his first JCB was the best

business decision he ever made. “Within two years of

purchase my JCB backhoe had paid for itself and I was

able to buy my second machine,” he said.

JCB offers an unrivalled range of backhoe loaders,

designed to meet the needs of customers around the

world, each delivering market-leading fuel consumption

and reduced emissions, combined with high productivity

and performance.

Total ownership and operating costs are kept to a

minimum and JCB’s experienced dealer network can

offer a range of repair and maintenance contracts to suit

your individual needs, ensuring that you keep working

with maximum availability. ●

“Within 2 years of purchase my JCB backhoe paid for itself and I was able to

purchase my second JCB machine.” > NAJIB RASHID, MATTAN CONTRACTORS

RIGHT: ZAKARY BIRGEN

OF DAMATEK BUILDING

CONTRACTORS.

LEFT: NAJIB RASHID OF

MATTAN CONTRACTORS.

>

22 < JCB EARTH

T he Story of JCB is an extraordinary exhibition

that is housed within JCB’s head office building.

This exciting exhibition chronicles the history of

the Bamford family business, from agricultural machinery

roots in its original workshop setting in 1945 through to

the global market leader that we know today.

Visitors can fully experience the development of JCB,

sharing in the innovation and engineering excellence that

has contributed to JCB’s success in markets around the

world. The development of JCB is a fascinating story of

determination, design flair and engineering integrity and

never fails to amaze visitors old and new.

The Story of JCB is a fascinating £5 million visitor

experience, that has been created to form an integral part

of a customer visit to JCB’s biggest factory. It features a

replica of the original rented workshop in Uttoxeter,

Staffordshire in which talented young engineer Joseph

Cyril Bamford – Mr JCB – started his business.

CELEBRATING A BRITISH ICON

TOP: A JCB 3C MK 3 IN

DANCING DIGGER POSE.

BELOW: A COMMISSIONED

WIREFRAME SCULPTURE OF A

JS220 EXCAVATOR.

>

ISSUE ONE > 23

EARTH / THIS ISSUE

There are 14 distinct zones that take the visitor from

humble beginnings, through the subsequent decades of

innovation and growth. Ten landmark JCB machines

have been installed within the exhibition, including the

first hydraulic tipping trailer and a fully restored JCB 3

backhoe loader. They sit alongside numerous displays

of the company’s market-leading service and parts supply

operations, its military products, the ground-breaking

JCB DIESELMAX engine and the incredible, world land

speed record-breaking JCB DIESELMAX car.

There is a luminous walkover display built into the

floor, that protects the many historic JCB patents that

have helped to shape the company and world in which

we live. There is even one of the original Lambretta

scooters, complete with personalised number plates,

that Joe Bamford purchased for his sales team in the

early days of the company. All 10 of the original JCB

number plates are displayed alongside.

The exhibition isn’t just a feast for the eyes, as

visitors can sit inside the cab of a JCB machine and try

their hand at the controls. It is also possible to see the

inner workings of JCB’s revolutionary engines in action.

Mr JCB’s office, which he used from 1970, has been

lovingly recreated in the same condition as it was when

he retired in 1975. It was from this office that he watched

over the factory floor, which is still visible from that

same window today. The office also looks onto the area

where his designers and draughtsmen worked on their

revolutionary designs and patented machinery.

CELEBRATING A BRITISH ICON

▲

The growth of JCB is a fascinating story of determination, design flair and engineering integrity and never fails to amaze visitors.

A PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE FINAL ZONES LEADING TO

THE JCB SHOP.

24 < JCB EARTH

ISSUE ONE > 25

EARTH / CELEBRATING A BRITISH ICON

The exhibition also puts the spotlight on the role of

Mr Bamford’s son Anthony, now Lord Bamford, who has

driven the expansion and development of the company,

achieving its current leading position in the marketplace,

with 22 production facilities across four continents.

Lord Bamford has spoken of his own pride in the

new customer experience and its pivotal role in winning

new business, particularly in emerging markets. He said:

“It is a showcase of our unique story and something we

can all be very proud of.”

The grand opening of the 2,500m² exhibition was

celebrated in style, with HRH The Countess of Wessex

– wife of Prince Edward – paying a visit to mark this

special occasion and give her royal seal of approval.

There was even a military guard of honour to welcome

the Countess to JCB World Headquarters. What better

way to celebrate a Great British icon?

“We are honoured HRH The Countess of Wessex

was able to officiate at the opening,” said Matt McClurg,

JCB’s Worldwide Marketing Director.

“It’s a testament to the ongoing and increasing success

of British brands and manufacturing around the world,

which are undergoing a much needed renaissance.”

JCB has played an integral role in British engineering

history and continues to be at the forefront of design and

innovation. The Story of JCB is a fitting tribute to this

ongoing success story, that has been built through the

hard work and solid family values of the company and its

employees. An example of this loyalty to the business is

a bronze bust of Mr Bamford, which is displayed on the

desk in his old office. The bust was a gift from the JCB

workforce in 1964, the year that Mr Bamford presented

staff with more than £250,000 in productivity bonuses.

The Story of JCB welcomes up to 20,000 business

visitors from around the world every year. ●

“It is a showcase of our unique story and something we can all be very proud of.”

> LORD BAMFORD

LEFT: HRH THE COUNTESS OF

WESSEX AND LORD BAMFORD

VISIT THE EXHIBITION.

RIGHT: THE COUNTESS ALSO

MET WITH JO BAMFORD, LADY

BAMFORD AND ALICE BAMFORD.

>

26 < JCB EARTH

COMMAND & CONTROL

W hen tasked with designing our best cab

to date, a cab that will set a new standard

across JCB’s wheeled loader range, JCB’s

design team tore up the rulebook and went back to basics.

The result was a new cab structure that offers panoramic

visibility, unparalleled comfort and enhanced productivity.

Unveiled to the public at the Conexpo exhibition in

Las Vegas, the revolutionary CommandPlus cab made

its debut on JCB’s 457 wheeled loader, itself indicating a

bold new direction for JCB in an increasingly competitive

market sector.

CommandPlus delivers improved visibility by moving

the cab’s A pillars out to the same width as the rear of

the cab. This increases the internal volume of the cab,

providing additional space for the operator, while creating

a panoramic windscreen for exceptional visibility to the

front of the machine.

The result of a cross-functional design team from

JCB Cab Systems, Industrial Design, Group Electrical

and Electronic Systems, the loader Business Unit and

the test department, the new cab incorporates JCB’s

Command Driving Position. This includes revised pedals,

a new adjustable steering column and seat-mounted

controls, all of which contribute to reduced fatigue for

the operator and increased productivity.

JCB TAKES CAB DESIGN TO A NEW LEVEL WITH COMMANDPLUS

▲

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28 < JCB EARTH

“The brief was, go back to first principles, question

everything. We had to define the best possible solution

for the needs of the end user, develop JCB’s best ever

cab,” said Mike Turner, Head of Industrial Design.

Main switches and secondary controls have been

repositioned on the right hand A pillar, providing the

operator with a simplified interior and easy access to

all machine controls. The 457 has two full colour LED

screens, one in the central console and a second at

the top of the right hand A pillar. This second screen

incorporates access to the loader’s operating menus and

acts as a monitor for the machine’s rear view camera.

The decision to relocate the heating, ventilation and

air conditioning system outside the main cab structure

made room for additional internal space. This, together

with the adoption of a powerful new MTU engine results

in an incredible reduction in internal noise levels, making

this the quietest cab in its class.

“There are a massive amount of improved Human

Machine Interface (HMI) components in the 457 cab,

developed to suit the needs of the operator. Ease of use

and operator comfort were key drivers and we worked

hard on the ergonomics to ensure we had optimised

control layout. The aim was to deliver a truly compelling

solution,” said Turner.

By going back to basics, finding new and innovative

solutions, the CommandPlus cab has rewritten the rules

to ensure the operator is always in command.. ●

LEFT: SINGLE OR

MULTI-LEVER ELECTRO-

HYDRAULIC CONTROLS

ARE AVAILABLE.

BELOW: A ROTARY DIAL

PROVIDES RAPID ACCESS

TO CONTROL MENUS.

>

ISSUE ONE > 29

EARTH / COMMAND & CONTROL

COMMANDPLUS

30 < JCB EARTH

AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOW COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGERY IS CHANGING THE WAY JCB PROMOTES ITS PRODUCTS

BRINGING OUR MACHINES TO LIFE

T hey say “a picture is worth a thousands words”.

But Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) can be

worth a thousand more. A flat image can give

you an impression of how a machine looks. But with

the power of CGI, you can bring that same machine to

life and see exactly how it works. You can even see the

inner workings of the machine, without peeking under

the bonnet.

JCB was quick to pick up on the benefits of using

CGI for demonstrating our own machines. We have a

dedicated, in-house CGI team, that utilises CAD data

provided to them by engineers. In a very labour intensive

process, each element, including literally every nut and

bolt has to be manually selected and allocated a surface

such as JCB yellow, gloss black, or chrome for example.

All of the machine parts have to be assembled together

to facilitate the correct movement of the machine. The

resulting data then has to be expertly rendered and lit

using photographic techniques to ensure ultimate realism.

CGI allows us to showcase a machine before a single

unit has been built, and strip away the layers to reveal

the precision and quality of the engineering. Our CGI

demonstrations create a real buzz at trade stands around

the world and often take delegates’ breath away.

“CGI is revolutionising the way JCB showcases its

products and it opens up infinite possibilities. We have

the ability to transcend conventional film and photography

with dramatic effects, such as cut-aways, see-throughs

and exploded animations of machine parts, which are all

very engaging for our customers,” said CGI Manager,

Andrew Otter.

“By leveraging our CAD data, CGI can demonstrate

our innovative and cutting-edge design. It allows us to

illustrate our technological advances and engineering

prowess. This is something that has been at the core of

JCB and has become increasingly in demand across the

business globally.”

The company’s sales team already makes use of

CGI resources from a specially-created data hub to

demonstrate a wide range of JCB equipment at trade

shows, in product launches and press events, theatre

presentations and through the use of the latest mobile

technologies. As CGI develops even further, JCB will

continue to lead the way with advanced graphics and

interactive functions. You could say our CGI creations

have taken on a life of their own.

Use the JCB AR app to see the power of JCB CGI

in our exclusive showreel. ●

BRINGING OUR MACHINES TO LIFE

CGI PROVIDES A PREVIOUSLY

UNSEEN GLIMPSE INSIDE

OUR MACHINES.

EARTH / BRINGING OUR MACHINES TO LIFE

“CGI is revolutionising the way JCB showcases its products and it opens

up infinite possibilities.”> ANDREW OTTER, CGI MANAGER

ISSUE ONE > 31

32 < JCB EARTHComing soon from JCB. Contact your local dealer for further information or call +44 (0)1889 561422. www.jcb.com

...style, visibility, power, speed, strength, efficiency and quality. A machine designed and built to be

everything you’re looking for in a wheeled loader. A machine designed and built to be a great business decision.

NEW 457|WHEELED LOADING SHOVEL

epic...

ISSUE ONE > 33

epic...

34 < JCB EARTH

JCB ACADEMY

T he company is inspiring the next generation of

engineers and potential business leaders to take

the industry forward, through the 21st Century

and beyond. The JCB Academy is the first school and

sixth form college of its kind in the UK, offering students

a specialist education in engineering and business that

they won’t find anywhere else.

The Academy teaches students aged 14-19 years

old, with a sixth form college to prepare them for further

education or work-based training. The curriculum is more

focused than a traditional school, in preparation for future

careers. So the time is structured around business hours

with very little, if any, homework in years 10 and 11.

One parent commented: “We attended an open

evening earlier this year and from that moment on we

saw this as an excellent opportunity. With JCB and

other major companies like Rolls Royce on board, there

seems to be more chance for my daughter to succeed

here than in a mainstream school.”

The JCB Academy is the brainchild of Lord Bamford

who, during his many years as Chairman of JCB, has

championed the cause of British manufacturing. He has

long voiced his concern over its decline and the lack of

young people with engineering skills emerging from the

education system.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCETHE JCB ACADEMY OFFERS A UNIQUE TECHNICAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGINEERING AND BUSINESS STUDIES

PRINCIPAL JIM WADE AND

LORD BAMFORD WITH

STUDENTS AT THE ACADEMY.

“We need the right calibre of young people to ensure that we continue to be a nation that makes things in an innovative way.”> LORD BAMFORD

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JCB ACADEMY

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He said: “I am passionate about engineering and

committed to British manufacturing. But we need the

right calibre of young people to ensure that we continue

to be a nation that makes things in an innovative way.

“The JCB Academy is one small step to helping

achieve that aim. The facilities here are second-to-none

and offer the students the opportunity to learn about

manufacturing and engineering in a way that is exciting,

practical and aligned to the needs of employers when

they qualify in a few years’ time.”

The main building is a beautiful renovated mill, which,

appropriately, was built by the famous industrial engineer

and entrepreneur, Richard Arkwright, in the late 18th

Century. The mill has been carefully adapted to function

as a modern educational complex. It has a purpose-built

glass fronted learning wing along with 12 fully equipped

workshops. The site is equipped with over £1 million

worth of modern engineering equipment, including the

only plasma cutter to be based in a UK school. These

high-tech facilities will help to transform the students’

ideas into a reality.

The college is also heavily influenced by a number of

local and national employers, who provide support and

work experience for the students. Practical engineering

tasks are set by JCB Academy’s partners, who include

JCB, Rolls Royce, Toyota, Network Rail, Bombardier,

Bentley, Rexroth Bosch Group, National Grid, Zytek

Automotive, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers,

IET, Harper Adams University College, Parker Vansco

and The Royal Academy of Engineering. The students

complete these tasks alongside Maths, English, Science

and German GCSEs.

The state-of-the-art facility provides a world-class

educational experience, which is the springboard for

many a promising career. The JCB Academy is actively

supported by Cambridge, Staffordshire, Loughborough

and Derby Universities along with Harper Adams

University College.

Principal Jim Wade said: “We have the very best of

facilities here geared to educating our young people to a

level that gives them the employability skills they – and

British manufacturing – need when they leave.”

So who knows, the next big name in engineering

could be a JCB Academy former graduate. ●

The college is also heavily influenced by local and national employers who provide support and work experience for students.

BUILT IN A RENOVATED MILL,

THE JCB ACADEMY HOUSES 12

FULLY-EQUIPPED WORKSHOPS.

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W hen one of the world’s leading construction

industry events came to Las Vegas earlier this

year, JCB stole the show, with a performance

to remember. Our state-of-the-art machines danced and

performed live to music, at the Conexpo extravaganza,

with anthems like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”,

Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” and Journey’s “Don’t

Stop Believing” to set the mood. The machines wowed

the crowds with carefully choreographed moves, including

“The Star” and “Nellie the Elephant”, demonstrating the

expert handling of the JCB machines to dramatic effect.

Breathtaking hourly displays took place throughout

the five memorable days of the show, with thousands of

excited visitors flocking to the JCB stand. Conexpo is

billed as the world’s leading construction industry event

and draws over 125,000 visitors from more than 150

countries. Delegates included contractors and dealers,

distributors, service providers, engineers, manufacturers

and municipalities, amongst others. Conexpo also staged

an education programme with sessions on industry issues

and trends, management and applied technology.

THE DANCING DIGGERS ARE THE STARS AT THE WORLD’S LEADING

CONSTRUCTION EVENT

Viva Las Vegas!▲

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Viva Las Vegas!

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This year JCB unveiled a host of new equipment

including skid steers, forklift trucks, compact excavators,

telescopic handlers, backhoe loaders, wheeled loaders

and tracked excavators, as well as the operator comfort

presented by the all-new CommandPlus cab. We also

reinforced our global commitment to fuel economy.

International Sales Manager George Chaney said:

“Masses of people came to the JCB booth every day

during the show. The response was phenomenal. The

Dancing Diggers put on a tremendous show with a

quartet of electronic musicians, and our visitors saw a

number of new products and services across the entire

JCB range. New machines on display included a new

backhoe loader we’ll be making in Savannah later this

year, and a range of compact excavators and telescopic

handlers with ground-breaking designs.

“Every time we showcase the range at shows like

Conexpo, visitors from North America are amazed at

how big JCB is.”

Fuel efficiency was high on the Conexpo agenda and

JCB’s market-leading EcoMAX Tier 4 Final engine was

another main attraction. George went on to say, “This

year’s show certainly raised our profile as a global force

and a family business. Interest on the stand resulted in

multiple quotations for machines. There was a real buzz

around the whole event.”

JCB also launched its pioneering augmented reality

application, JCB AR, at Conexpo, to give visitors exclusive

additional content and information about our machines.

Downloading the free app for Apple or Android devices,

and pointing a phone or tablet at a machine logo or spec

board, gave access to a whole world of information. Use

of this new technology inspired a special interactive

presentation packed with videos, 360° cab views, web

links, chat forums and much more.

The JCB Dancing Diggers brought the show to an

impressive crescendo with the well known Wedding Arch

manoeuvre, which saw backhoe loaders and telescopic

handlers rise up on their booms, as skid steers drove

through the archway. It was a truly spectacular sight, and

a fitting finale for a successful Las Vegas show. ●

RIGHT: THE JCB STAND

WAS ONE OF THE MAIN

ATTRACTIONS IN THE

CONEXPO GOLD LOT.

ABOVE: VISITORS TO THE

STAND WERE TREATED TO AN

EXCITING SHOW FROM THE

DANCING DIGGERS.

“Masses of people came to the JCB booth every day during the show. The response was phenomenal.”> GEORGE CHANEY, INTERNATIONAL SALES MANAGER

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EARTH / VIVA LAS VEGAS!

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A MAJOR TOURNAMENT REQUIRES SERIOUS CONSTRUCTION WORK AND THAT’S WHY JCB WAS THERE TO LEND A HAND

BUILDING BRAZIL

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W ith the recent arrival of the biggest football

tournament on earth, our services were

called upon to give the Brazilian building

bonanza a much needed boost. JCB has been heavily

involved in preparations for the 2014 World Cup, and

our machines have been used on a number of stadium

construction and renovation projects.

The Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, home to

Sporting Club Internacional, is a prime example. Versatile

3C backhoe loaders were put to work on the 45-year

old stadium, giving it a new lease of life ahead of games

involving Argentina, France, the Netherlands, and many

other international teams.

JCB customers Sul Brasil and Construsinos worked

on the 50,000-seat stadium project, using the machines

to remove material and clear the surrounding area, in

and around the venue. Makena was the company that

supplied the JCB machines for this mammoth project.

Commercial Director, Felipe Silveria Martins, said: “The

3C’s robustness and the reputation of the JCB brand

mean customers feel more confident they are going to

get the job done – this is particularly important when

there is such a crucial deadline to hit.

“It is an honour to be part of the renovation of such

a traditional stadium like Beira-Rio. It is also important to

have the JCB brand linked so closely to the construction

of a World Cup stadium,” Felipe added.

Since opening its first factory in Brazil in 2001, JCB

has gone from strength to strength. In 2011 the company

opened a new $100 million plant in Sorocaba City, Sao

Paulo State, which produces on average 300 machines a

month, and has the production capacity to manufacture

10,000 machines a year.

In 2012 and 2013, the company agreed a landmark

deal with the country’s federal government to provide

more than 2,300 3C backhoes, for the second phase of

a growth acceleration programme called PAC2.

The objective was to accelerate economic growth

throughout Brazil, including many remote regions, to

build or upgrade roads, connect communities and speed

up development. As a result, 3Cs were supplied to more

than 2,000 Brazilian municipalities.

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This massive project had many logistical challenges.

For instance, face-to-face machine training was required

for over 5,000 new operators, in many remote locations.

There was no simple solution, so JCB demonstrators

and their dealer counterparts jumped onto planes and

into their vehicles, to take the training to the operators.

By the time the training programme was completed

the trainers had clocked up more than 125,000km by

plane and driven another 15,000km. “It was a case of

overcoming many obstacles, not just the miles we had

to travel,” Carlos Hernandez, Managing Director, JCB

Brazil explained.

“For instance, several cities had no proper facilities in

which to conduct the training. Some had no drinking

water, others no audiovisual equipment. In one instance

a training session had to take place in a church.”

The dividends from such a massive exercise are

certainly there for all to see, and JCB has now sold

machines to 45 per cent of Brazil’s municipalities.

Regis Lozano, co-owner of plant hire company

Maqterra Limitada, based in Uberlandia, Mina Gerais,

also reflected on the success of the 3C in Brazil. He said:

“I bought my first backhoe in 2011. Today I have three

machines of the same model.

“Our focus is on quality, not quantity. The JCB 3C is

unique in the market. It is robust, powerful, strong and

comfortable to drive and operate. From my experience

customers only want JCB.”

Cleri Camilotti, Mayor of Tres Passos, in the state of

Rio Grande do Sul, took delivery of one of the 3Cs on

behalf of his town. He said: “When we received the

backhoe it was like being gifted a house when you get

married. It is that important to us and the economy. It is

vital to Brazil.” The machine is now helping to construct

a vital new link road.

The Brazil 2014 World Cup turned out to be a huge

international success, with foreign fans from around the

world enjoying all this beautiful country has to offer. And

what’s more, Brazil’s football stadiums and infrastructure

got a much needed boost. ●

“When we received the backhoe it was like being gifted a house when you get married.”> CLERI CAMILOTTI, MAYOR OF TRES PASSOS

LEFT: CARLOS HERNANDEZ,

MANAGING DIRECTOR,

JCB BRAZIL.

FAR LEFT: THE JCB FACTORY

IN SOROCABA CITY.

BELOW: JCB AND DEALER

DEMONSTRATORS TRAVELLED

ACROSS BRAZIL TO TRAIN

5,000 NEW OPERATORS.

BELOW LEFT: LORD BAMFORD

AND THE BRITISH PRIME

MINISTER, DAVID CAMERON,

AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW

FACTORY IN SOROCABA CITY.

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EARTH / CREATING WITH YELLOW

CREATING WITH YELLOW

C reating an inspiring calendar is about far more

than simply shooting an incredible photograph

of a beautiful model, although that certainly

plays a central role in the creative process. To give a

JCB calendar that extra magic, it is as much about what

happens to the photography once it has left the camera’s

memory disc.

Everyone has heard of Photoshop, Adobe’s software

program that has become an essential component of the

retouching industry. Few film stars are prepared to allow

their image to appear in the press without the odd bit of

skin clearing, thigh slimming and chin lifting.

Bringing together specific details from a number of

photographs and combining them with various elements

to meet the creative brief, is not the work of a few

minutes however. Indeed creating the award-winning

2013 JCB Calendar took almost a year, from the original

concept to the finished product.

The results however are undeniably impressive,

regularly winning a host of international design awards

ahead of a number of well-known calendar producers.

The majority of JCB’s most successful calendars

have been shot by professional photographer George

Bamford, one of Lord Bamford’s sons and a grandson of

JCB founder Joseph Cyril Bamford.

AWARD-WINNING CALENDARS BRING JCB DESIGN APPROACH INTO FOCUS

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Having brought together JCB machinery and striking

models in a number of calendars since 2005, the team

decided to take things in a new direction. JCB has such

a large range of construction, agricultural and industrial

equipment these days, that condensing it into 12 monthly

photos is almost impossible.

The one thing that ties all of JCB’s products together

though is the colour, that vibrant golden yellow that gives

every JCB such a distinctive appearance. George Bamford

and JCB’s Head of Creative Steve Brazier, along with

Senior Retoucher Stuart Reeves, decided to use JCB’s

yellow paint as the main focus of the calendar, initially

dripping it across the models’ bodies.

For the 2013 calendar, however, the team decided

to take this effect a stage further, literally to clothe the

models in a dress of dripping paint.

To achieve this effect the models were photographed

in a studio, with separate photos taken of various

locations within JCB’s factories. Each shop floor location

provided the ‘catwalk’ for the models to walk down,

bringing together the glamour of the photo shoot with

the industrial infrastructure of the manufacturing facility.

The one thing that ties all of JCB’s products together though is the colour, that vibrant golden yellow.

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LEFT: STUART REEVES,

GEORGE BAMFORD AND

STEVE BRAZIER CELEBRATE

MORE AWARD WINS.

BELOW: BRINGING

TOGETHER THE MANY

ELEMENTS TO CREATE

THE FINISHED IMAGE.

With the background photograph prepared and the

model’s image integrated into the scene, the painstaking

work of adding a dress of paint could then begin. The

team spent hours throwing pots of paint at a mannequin

to see exactly how it splashes and runs when in contact

with the contours of the human body.

Every drop of yellow paint that you can see had to

be digitally created and then painstakingly applied to the

models in the photographs.

The results are undeniably stunning. What’s more,

though originally intended to raise the profile of JCB as

a cool brand and demonstrate that it is more than simply

a manufacturer of construction machinery, the public

response has been equally impressive.

With magazine coverage from across the world, as

well as plaudits from the Cream Creative Awards and

the Roses Creative Awards, the calendar’s images even

found themselves used as front covers for magazines. The

calendar also surpassed Pirelli at the National Calendar

Awards, winning the much coveted Fred Kendrick Award.

All JCB calendars are created in limited editions and

sold through JCB dealer outlets or given as gifts to

customers. Collectors have even taken to trading the

calendars on internet auction sites, with prices rising

considerably over the years.

The intense focus on every detail along with the

expertise and thought that goes into each element of a

JCB calendar, clearly demonstrates the passion and quality

that can be seen in every aspect of the JCB business. ●

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ICE MOVERS

A rvidsjaur, in Lapland, is one of the coldest, most

inhospitable places on earth. Because of that,

it’s also home to some of the most punishing

vehicle test facilities anywhere in the world, a location that

brings the likes of Ferrari, BMW and Volvo to test their

high-performance cars.

Over the past two decades a highly technical industry

group has quietly developed in this small Swedish town,

bringing the brightest automotive engineers and the finest

test drivers to push their development vehicles to the

limit. This is the only way to guarantee their performance

in the lowest possible temperatures.

The ultimate test comes when the temperature drops

to -40°C, when the roads, runways and test tracks need

to be cleared of ice and snow before work can start.

That’s where the performance of JCB equipment has

proven a match for the harsh environment, with wheeled

loaders in particular out on the roads long before the test

cars have left the warmth of their heated garages.

WHEN TEMPERATURES PLUMMET TO MINUS 40ºC, IT’S JCB THAT KEEPS THE TEST TRACKS CLEAR

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With a wide range of specially designed attachments,

including huge shovels, snow ploughs and blowers, the

JCB machines regularly have to move thousands of

tonnes of snow from the roads. That’s good news, in a

country where as much as 40-120cm of snow can fall

every month throughout the winter.

Having achieved strong sales across Sweden over

the last 12 months, the JCB range is proving increasingly

successful against its domestic competition. When it

comes to the wheeled loaders that’s hardly surprising,

with Powershift transmissions that boost performance

at speeds up to 50kph.

The 418S wheeled loader, added to the range in 2014

and entering its first year of snow clearing duties, has a

six-speed transmission with lock-up torque converter on

every gear. This eliminates torque converter slippage

and can reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent.

It can also contribute to a 10 per cent reduction in journey

duration, saving time and money.

This is JCB innovation at its best. “The machines’

performance has been as much a winner in the cold

Scandinavian market as it has elsewhere around the

world,” said Will Turner, Product Marketing Manager.

By improving efficiency within the wheeled machines,

boosting performance and productivity for customers,

JCB is helping to keep the wheels of the automotive

industry turning, allowing test engineers to take to the

road and to get the job done, whatever the weather.

“The success we’re achieving is down to the quality of the machines and their abilities.”

> WILL TURNER, PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, WLS.

SPECIALIST SHOVELS AND

ATTACHMENTS ALLOW THE

JCB LOADERS TO MOVE

THOUSANDS OF TONNES OF

SNOW EACH DAY. >

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JCB’s worldwide dealer network has always prided

itself on its specialist knowledge of regional conditions.

Swedish JCB dealers GT Center and Söderberg & Haak

have plenty of experience of working in snowy and icy

conditions. They are able to provide essential input that

can be fed back to the development and design teams

working on the JCB machines of tomorrow.

“It’s a hands-on approach that is really paying off,”

said Turner.

“The guys on the ground know their environment

and give feedback directly to our engineering teams. It’s

invaluable information that drives development.”

Automotive manufacturers head to this frozen part

of Sweden to cold test their vehicles away from the public

eye. For JCB however, these fleets of yellow workhorses

are becoming an increasingly common sight on the roads

of Scandinavia. Wheeled loaders might not be as fast

as the latest sports cars, but by keeping on top of the

weather, and maintaining clear roads and runways, they

are playing a vital role in developing the automotive

technology of tomorrow. ●

KEEPING THE ROADS

CLEAR ALLOWS THE

AUTOMOTIVE TEST TEAMS

TO GET THE JOB DONE.

58 < JCB EARTH

H arnessing the power of social media and the

internet, JCB recently set out to engage with

backhoe loader customers and the potential

designers of the future. JCB produces a wide array of

equipment today, but the company is synonymous with

the versatile backhoe loader and celebrated 60 years of

the machine last year.

As part of the on-going development of this ever

popular model, JCB has been looking forward to the

next 60 years, to imagine what customers might expect

from the backhoe loader of 2073. The company launched

a design competition online called ‘Project 120’. The brief

for participants was to bring together the experience of

the last 60 years with a vision for the next 60. To design

a machine that retained the fundamental versatility and

functionality of the original concept, with both a loading

end and an excavating end. The method of achieving

this was left to the contestants, though the machine had

to evolve to work in harmony with possible changes to

human habitation.

JCB provided contestants with a CAD design kit and

created a space on Facebook for them to demonstrate

their ideas. The 10 finalists were decided by a public vote

through social media. With a substantial cash prize on

offer, 54 contestants shared their design posts, reaching

a total audience of more than 461,000 people as the

competition progressed.

More than 1,000 votes were cast for designs from

contestants around the world, including the USA, the

UK, Europe, India and Japan. The contest generated

incredible interest from a diverse audience, including a

tweet from futurist designer Daniel Simon, creator of

iconic vehicles for Hollywood blockbuster films Tron

and Oblivion. Leading automotive firms Ford Motor

Company and McLaren Automotive also contributed

comments on the contestants’ many submissions.

PROJECT 120 LOOKS 60 YEARS AHEAD TO THE BACKHOE LOADER OF TOMORROW

DESIGNING THE FUTURE

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The 10 finalists were invited to present their work at

JCB’s World Headquarters in the UK, either in person,

by video conference or through an e-mail submission,

depending on their location.

Far more than simply putting together drawings and

3D renderings however, each individual design included

comprehensive detailing, with information relating to the

possible fabrication materials, potential power sources

and means of equipment operation. The breadth of

research, forward-thinking and imagination involved in

creating the three winning designs, was more than even

JCB’s designers and engineers could have envisioned at

the start of Project 120.

“What these three designers have achieved and

their understanding of the industry in which we are

involved, is breathtaking,” said JCB’s Chief Innovation

and Growth Officer Tim Burnhope.

“They have all managed to combine elements of

innovative, futuristic science fiction, with a real practical

understanding of the way in which flexible, versatile JCB

equipment could be powered and operated in 60 years

time. We have been very encouraged by the talent on

show and the interest in JCB design and development

that Project 120 has generated.

“The backhoe loader is not 60 years old, it is 60

years young,” said Mr Burnhope.

“The backhoe loader has rapidly developed into a

powerful and versatile tool carrier and, because of this

versatility, it is more than just an earthmoving machine.

We’re really looking forward to the next 60 years of the

backhoe loader.

“Project 120 has taken the future of this flexible

machine into a new dimension and we have been really

excited by the creativity, ingenuity and design expertise

that contestants have shown. It has been a real success

for JCB, both in terms of engaging with social media

and in creating an interactive forum for future machine

design discussion.” ●

3rd place – Mike Elwell Third place was awarded to Mike Elwell and a team of three others from the University of Notre Dame, in the USA. Their design – JCB3 – runs on four self-stabilising inflatable tracks, that rotate on a primary hub. This design has been created for a specific purpose, to deal with the mountains of landfill waste that could be created by man. Autonomous operation of the digging elements has been used to ensure operator safety and to maximise efficiency on site.

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2nd place – Peter Spriggs Second prize went to British entrant Peter Spriggs, who lives and works in Gothenburg. He created A.C.E.R, an Advanced Construction and Excavation Robot. Resembling a wheeled excavator with a front loader attachment, A.C.E.R also runs on four equal-sized wheels. The front wheels turn through 90 degrees to provide stabilising supports when the machine is working as an excavator.

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EARTH / DESIGNING THE FUTURE

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1st place – Henry Parnell After much consideration, first prize was awarded to Henry Parnell from the UK, for his design called QBOTS. The machine is perhaps the most similar to today’s backhoe loader, with four equal-sized wheels and a twin-arm loader on the front of the machine. A spider excavator pod sits on top of the main Gyro bot structure of the machine. The Gyro bots can be separated from the main structure and used to survey the site. The excavator is also demounted once on site and can be relocated using four articulated legs. The machine operates autonomously, through a wireless link to the site office. It is powered by super-graphene batteries, that double as the machine’s counterweight.

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