VIEWPOINT Investing in technology
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auma is the largest construction machinery trade show in the world and will be held April 8–14 in Munich, Germany. It is definitely the place to see the latest advancements in construction equipment and discover what the future holds, such as at the bauma FORUM in Hall C2 where the theme is Driverless Vehicles, Electromobility & Electric Drives and Zero Emissions. A number of companies are already upgrading smaller machines in the lower power range with electric drives as it offers cleaner, quieter and more efficient operation. Hybrid vehicles provide an advantage in that they can handle light work but also engage a combustion engine when maximum power is required. Autonomous (driverless) machines are already being used for some mining projects and could be used in quarries, such as at Volvo Construction Equipment’s Electric Site project (featured this issue) which aims to electrify each transport stage in a quarry. Melker Jernberg, president of Volvo CE, says that the Electric Site is an example that combines intelligent machines, automation and electromobility. It uses HX2 autonomous, battery-electric load carriers to transport material from the primary mobile crusher up to the secondary static crusher; an LX1 prototype electric hybrid wheel loader to organize piles of material; and the EX1 70-ton, dual-powered, cable-connected prototype excavator to load the primary crusher at the quarry. It is part of Volvo CE’s vision for work sites that are 10 times more efficient, with zero accidents, zero unplanned stops and zero emissions. As manager of SITECH Technologies for Finning Canada, Trevor Tetzlaff is well versed in machine technology, which he says is becoming accepted as the norm in construction as it helps companies reduce costs, work more efficiently, create safer work environments and stay competitive. In his article, he looks at a number of important technologies for earthmoving and excavation, such as machine control, which can provide an almost immediate ROI; drones that can improve jobsite safety and do a traditional two-day survey in 20 minutes; and augmented reality (AR) which is sweeping the industry. AR captures a picture of the jobsite and superimposes a 3D model of the design to help site managers get a real-world view of the project. This can provide a huge competitive advantage when bidding, Tetzlaff says, as it provides potential clients with a real-life, accurate, detailed view of their project. The technology has become simpler to use, so even smaller companies can take advantage of it. Innovative technologies will help attract a younger demographic of data scientists, tech-savvy operators and site managers, says Tetzlaff. For example, autonomous construction equipment will still require skilled operators but they will supervise projects and monitor sites, intervening if necessary, from a safe distance away. Tetzlaff reminds us that technology is an investment, not a cost, and those who are adopting it are seeing the benefits.
Lawrence Buser Editorial Director
HEAVY EQUIPMENT GUIDE JANUARY 2019 VOLUME 34 • NUMBER 1 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lawrence Buser lbuser@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 310 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lee Toop ltoop@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 315 MANAGING EDITOR & DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Kaitlyn Till ktill@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 330 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sam Esmaili sam@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 110 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER David Gilmour dgilmour@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 105 ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER Tina Anderson production@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 222 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Morena Zanotto morena@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 325 PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER Ken Singer ksinger@baumpub.com; 604-291-9900 ext. 226 VICE PRESIDENT/CONTROLLER Melvin Date Chong mdatechong@baumpub.com FOUNDER Engelbert J. Baum Published by: Baum Publications Ltd. 124 - 2323 Boundary Road Vancouver, BC, Canada V5M 4V8 Tel: 604-291-9900 Toll Free: 1-888-286-3630 Fax: 604-291-1906 www.baumpub.com www.heavyequipmentguide.ca @HeavyEquipGuide FOR ALL CIRCULATION INQUIRES Phone: 1-855-329-1909 • Fax: 1-855-272-0972 e-mail: baumpublications@circlink.ca Subscription: To subscribe, renew your subscription, or change your address or other information, go to: http://mysubscription.ca/heg/ Heavy Equipment Guide serves the Canadian engineered construction industry including: road building and maintenance; highways, bridges, tunnels; grading and excavating; earthmoving; crushing; trucking and hauling; underground utilities; trenching; concrete paving; asphalt paving; demolition; aggregates production; fleet maintenance; and asset security and management. The magazine is distributed to key industry personnel involved in these sectors. Subscription Price: In Canada, CDN $91.00; Outside Canada, US$149. Heavy Equipment Guide is published ten times a year in January, February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October and November/December. Heavy Equipment Guide accepts no responsibility or liability for reported claims made by manufacturers and/or distributors for products or services; the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Baum Publications Ltd. Copyright 2019, Baum Publications Ltd. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publishers. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Printed in Canada, on recycled paper by Mitchell Press Ltd. ISSN 1485-6085 PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40069270 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Dept., 124-2323 Boundary Road, Vancouver, BC V5M 4V8 Email: baumpublications@circlink.ca Fax: 1-855-272-0972
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