>> EQUIPMENT FOCUS: PORTABLE POWER << An Atlas Copco generator powers a pump. Inset: Atlas Copco HiLight P2+ LED light tower.
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etting the right power to your jobsite is about efficiency, convenience and safety. We asked the experts at Atlas Copco to share their insight on the latest trends in portable power and what innovations they expect to power jobsites in the future.
LIGHT TOWERS
“The biggest change in light towers is the rapid growth of LED technology,” according to Angel Nieto, product manager for power and light at Atlas Copco Power Technique. He said that LED lamps use less energy, are more durable and offer higher performance than metal halide technology. The necessity of correct engine sizing when using LED light is also becoming more understood by customers, Nieto said. Correct engine sizing is essential to avoid low load issues that will cause an early failure of the light tower’s engine. He expects that new power options, such as battery packs and solar panels, will increase light tower performance in the future. Nieto also expects that these technologies will be able to replace diesel power in some applications.
GENERATORS
TECHNOLOGY DRIVING PORTABLE POWER INNOVATIONS BY KAITLYN TILL, MANAGING EDITOR
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HEAVY EQUIPMENT GUIDE
>> JUNE 2019
Knowledge is power, and telematics is being incorporated into more tools – including generators – to give owners more insight into their tools. Nieto said that good telematics solutions that offer location, geo-fencing and full read access to generators are becoming more and more demanded, especially by rental companies. One current issue with generators is that a lot of large power generators are not available with Tier 4 Final engines yet. Nieto said that this gap is driving the demand for paralleling of generators. “The versatility that this modular capability provides makes it a very suitable solution for rental companies,” he said. Nieto expects that green technologies will have an increasing presence in the market. “Green storage systems are a perfect fit for generators,” he said. “They increase the overall efficiency of the package.” He added that low load issues are an ongoing concern for generator users and said that the current solutions of adding external load to generators will be replaced by more efficient technologies. “Atlas Copco will soon bring a new innovative solution to this problem,” he said.
COMPRESSORS
“The compressor industry is right in the middle of the Tier 4 Final EPA emission transition,” said Clayton James, product manager for large air compressors at Atlas Copco Power Technique. He added that Atlas Copco’s entire compressor lineup now meets these standards. He sees meeting Tier 4 Final standards as an opportunity; whether for compressors offering low-pressure or high-pressure air, adapting to Tier 4 Final provided Atlas Copco with the opportunity to change compressor technology in terms of control and regulation systems. James expects that new electronic regulation systems will allow compressors to be built for a wide range of applications in a single unit. “Atlas Copco has designed new regulation systems Pace Air and Air Expert 2.0 for low-pressure and high-pressure applications. Simply put, we have four models of compressors that complement each other to have a wide range of pressure and flow, giving our customers flexibility in their fleet.” HEG