Capital Equipment News July 2022

BAUMA PREVIEW

Cat Grade with Assist for excavators uses machine position sensors and operator defined depth and slope parameters to automate boom and stick movements for more accurate cuts with less effort to help increase operator efficiency.

Casting the spotlight on innovation at bauma 2022

Judging from pronouncements made by some of the leading capital equipment exhibitors thus far, bauma 2022 will shine the spotlight on innovation, with trends such as automation, electromobility and digitalisation set to take centre stage. By Munesu Shoko .

I nitially scheduled for April, bauma 2022 – the biggest trade show of its nature in the world – returns later this year from 24 to 30 October, following the Covid-19 influenced postponement. The impact of the pandemic on the events industry has been significant and bauma was no exception. However, the show returns at a time when the global equipment market is seemingly enjoying a good run. According to the KHL Group’s Yellow Table, which compiles and ranks the sales results for the world’s biggest equipment manufacturers, the construction equipment sales for the world’s top 50 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have hit record levels. In the 2022 Yellow Table, sales were up 20,8% to take the table to its highest ever total of US$232,7-billion as most markets in the world saw growth with industry bounced-back from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In light of evolving customer behaviour, which has accelerated due to the pandemic, this year’s event will however miss some of the big names in the industry, with companies such as Volvo Construction Equipment, JLG and JCB not exhibiting at the show. Last year, Volvo Construction Equipment announced a new marketing approach aimed at even closer engagement with its customers. Carl Slotte, head of Region Europe at Volvo CE, says that while physical interaction remains important, the company is beginning to see significant changes in the way customers want to engage with the OEM, both digitally and face-to-face. This is driven by technological possibilities of doing business more efficiently and the increasing need to do business more sustainably. “Despite our withdrawal from this year’s event, Volvo CE has not ruled out future participation at bauma or other tradeshows. “We will continue to review the way our customers want to interact with us and base our strategy on their

needs and demands,” says Slotte. JLG based its decision on concerns regarding the ongoing pandemic and environmental considerations, coupled with changing dynamics of staff working patterns and technological improvements in virtual meetings. While Caterpillar will also miss this year’s event, its dealer in Germany and in 12 other countries in Europe and Eurasia, Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH will assume responsibility for display of Caterpillar construction equipment, services and solutions. Towards digital construction sites The past few years have seen the increasing role of technology in mining and construction. Looking ahead, it is time for technology to play an even bigger role with trends such as digitalisation and automation coming to the fore across many industries. The COVID-19 pandemic has also reinforced the need for a quick uptake of digital and automated solutions. A number of barriers standing in the way of digital construction sites – particularly the

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