Expectations of innovative advancements in the construction and building materials machinery, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment sectors are running high as the much anticipated bauma 2016 trade show nears.

With rival companies preparing to descend on one of the world’s largest trade exhibitions, a new level of competitiveness had emerged as companies moved to unveil their latest offerings, with safety, efficiency and user comfort headlining the bulk of the new advancements in the industry.

Space was a valued commodity, with the 600 000 m² exhibition space fully booked and a long waiting list, and companies were preparing to go all out at the thirty-first bauma, to be hosted by trade-show company Messe München in Munich, Germany, from April 11 to 17.

The trade show – held every three years – attracted some 421 exhibitors from 57 countries and 535 065 visitors from over 200 countries in 2013.

With this year expected to be no different, more than 200 exhibiting companies this week participated in a bauma/Ifat media dialogue, sitting down with hundreds of journalists from across the globe to deliver a preview of what to expect from them.

Bauma was largely expected to offer an opportunity for market share gains and new market entry, partnerships and new connection developments, industry advancement, a platform to showcase the company behind the products and services, knowledge-sharing and the occasion to rebrand or gain exposure.

SNEAK PREVIEWS
Discussing plans for bauma during the media dialogue at the Internationale Congress Center, where the trade show would be held, many companies outlined what new products or services they would unveil in April.

Driveline, sealing and thermal management technologies company Dana Holding planned to introduce a series of drivetrain system enhancements for 20 t to 25 t wheel loaders to enable vehicle designers to specify components based on regional needs, market preferences and end-user operational requirements.

Dana off-highway advanced engineering manager Giulio Ornella explained that the group would also unveil its Spicer Smart Suite technology, a fully integrated platform that converted and communicated operating data from the drivetrain into “actionable insights” to enhance productivity, improve operator and machine safety and reduce operating costs.

The suite concept included the Spicer Intelligent Load Monitoring system, which collected data from the vehicle to prevent tipovers, provide better estimates of static loads and supply more intelligent calibration management.

Meanwhile, Dana’s 50:50 joint venture with Bosch Rexroth, Dana Rexroth Transmission Systems, completed a final validation test on its new, fuel-efficient R3 hydromechanical variable transmission (HVT) system, with production set to start in the third quarter of this year, while production of the HVT 2 platform started late last year.

Sales engineer Alvin Anthony told Engineering News Online that both versions featured a modular design that could easily be adapted for a variety of applications, including wheel loaders, motor graders, industrial lift trucks, reach stackers, forestry skidders and other off-highway equipment.

The R2 application supported power outputs from 135 kW to 195 kW and reduced fuel consumption by up to 40%, while the R3, delivering the same benefits, expanded the technology to a wider class of vehicles and was designed for applications with a net input power of 200 kW to 270 kW.

Meanwhile, testing equipment specialist Controls Group would showcase several new developments in all three of its specialist areas – concrete and cement, asphalt and bituminous mixtures and soil mechanics, while Hyundai Heavy Industries aimed to showcase new crawled and wheeled excavators for construction, forestry and recycling and waste handling, as well as a range of new wheel loaders for quarrying and mining, construction and forestry applications.

The Wirtgen Group would join forces with Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann and Benninghoven at an 11 712 m² exhibition stand – for roughly 100 exhibits and a new corporate identity – to showcase innovative solutions from all five entities under one umbrella.

Mast climbing work platforms manufacturer and supplier Alimak Hek would launch its latest generation mast climbing work platforms – the new HEK MC 650 and HEK MC 450 – both designed with operator safety and usability in mind.

Marketing communications manager Andreas Magnusson said the group had also upgraded its construction hoist Alimak Scando 650, and would introduce two new construction hoists, the heavy-duty Alimak Scando 65/32 and the medium-range Alimak Scando 45/30, in addition to a new TCL tower crane lift.

While showing its full line of equipment and services for the construction industry, Case Construction Equipment would exhibit its extended backhoe loader offering, including a new backhoe design with in-line cylinder geometry and inner extendahoe on its 580ST model and five new D Series crawler excavator models.

The group also planned to demonstrate the new D Series crawler excavators, wheel loaders and dozers at a nearby gravel pit, with shuttles transporting interested parties twice a day to the site throughout bauma.

For engine component manufacturer Federal-Mogul Motorparts, bauma presented an opportunity to showcase the company and bridge the gap between original equipment and aftermarket services while displaying its new offerings.

Federal-Mogul aftermarket off-highway/heavy-duty Europe, Middle East and Africa director Frank Piojda said that, in addition to exhibiting expanded FP Diesel ML7 multilayer core head gaskets and several other upgraded products, bauma would see the launch of new FP Diesel Powerforged replacement pistons.

The latest addition was an exclusive friction-welded, one-piece forged steel component for the commercial engine service market, developed using state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing processes, he added.

Terex Trucks also aimed to place focus on aftermarket and service excellence alongside its display of parts. Experts were expected to be on site, advising on a range of aftermarket topics, from preventive maintenance and service agreements to uptime, fuel efficiency and productivity best practices.

Metso Corporation, which aimed to promote “the Metso way”, would offer several Aggregates Academy sessions with informative presentations, while introducing its new Life Cycle Services (LCS) packages to assist customers in the aggregates industry achieve their lowest sustainable cost structure.

The aggregates LCS enabled customers to select the solution that best met their requirements and provided new ways of buying, maintaining and operating equipment, explained head of marketing and communications for Europe and Nordics Rudy Peirs.

Meanwhile, bauma offered some companies an opportunity to reveal a transformed company and promote rebranding, which was what Fuel Defend, which was undergoing a major shift with a name-change and expanded product range, aimed to achieve.

The UK-based Fuel Defend, now called Vehicle and Machinery Security and Safety Group (VMSSG), designed, developed and sold devices to prevent fuel theft and was now branching out to protection and safety products for construction vehicles and machinery.

Head of sales Geoff Ryner said the group’s range, which initially focused on antisiphon devices for all vehicles to prevent fuel and diesel theft, would now include tank contamination prevention; sensor-based tank protection; a camera system; a driver assistance system to warn of obstacles in the area of the dead angle of a vehicle; and several other protection services.

Bauma also represented entry into a new market, which was what Japan-based Nihon Kasetsu was attempting with its European unit, headed up by GM Angel Ibanez, in Spain.

The trade show would mark the company’s first step in solidly establishing a European market for its main product lines, namely telemetry, monitoring and control systems and wastewater treatment systems.

The systems had been adjusted and adapted to European standards, with testing due to be completed by April for its debut at bauma.

Ibanez said the company’s focus for this year would be on securing distribution agreements with companies in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, with the subsidiary responsible for Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as South America.