Plantworx 2013 Preview

Inaugural construction equipment exhibition gets ready to open for business 

Despite recent changes to the site plan due to adverse weather and ground conditions, Plantworx 2013 – the new biennial construction machinery show – will get under way at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, in around a week’s time. Some  240 exhibitors are gearing up to show their latest plant and equipment, and during the three days of the exhibition, from 14–16 May, the organizers are expecting around 12,000 visitors to attend the event. On the following three pages we provide a brief preview of just some of the new products that will be on display. 

Ammann Equipment

Ammann will be displaying an extensive line-up of machines from the Ammann range of compaction equipment and pavers, including the recently revised line-up of tandem rollers weighing between 1.5 tonnes and 13 tonnes.

Bomag

Bomag will be exhibiting their new-generation ‘dash-5’ tandem rollers, including the new BW 120AD-5 launched in February this year. The company will also display large tandem and self-propelled rollers with ‘intelligent compaction’, the BM 500/15 compact milling machine and a BF 600P wheeled paver.

Cabcare 

Cabcare have introduced a range of handrails or ‘boxing rings’ to protect operators when standing on the raised section of excavators. The new handrails are designed to assist operators meet forthcoming legislation which comes into force in 2014. The handrails are of modular design and utilize as many existing fixings on the machine as possible. Cabcare will also be exhibiting the new bolt-on FOPS-certified guard for the new JCB EROPS-cabbed machines. The guards are fully certified to current BS EN and ISO Standards and provide a cheaper alternative to the larger chassis-mounted guards that Cabcare can also supply.

Case Construction Equipment

Case will be showcasing a comprehensive line-up including models from their latest midi range of excavators, crawler and wheeled excavators, and backhoe loaders. Two machines will make their first UK appearance – the new CX80 Tier 4 Final midi-excavator and the WX188 wheeled excavator, one of three new-generation wheeled excavators which also includes the WX148 and W168. The Case C-series crawler excavator range will also be well represented at the exhibition, including the CX210C.

GKD Technik

GKD Technik have recently introduced their ‘Incline Alert’ system, which has been ‰ developed to tackle the hazard of overturning vehicles, particularly smaller excavators which carry a higher risk of overturning when operating on inclines. The Incline Alert system allows the operator to work safely and with confidence within the defined incline limit for the machine, and gives an audible and visual warning on approach to this limit. The easy-to-install and easy-to-calibrate system comprises a sensitive and accurate pitch and roll angle sensor mounted on the excavator or plant body, together with a display at the operator station.

Hydrema (UK) Ltd

Hydrema will use Plantworx to launch their 912D multi-chassis body fitted with a 180° slew tipping body. This configuration allows the contractor or hirer to demount the tipping body and easily replace it with any other item which they want to carry, eg a concrete mixer, generator, fuel bowser, water bowser, aerial platform, lime spreader etc. Also on show will be the 922D articulated dumptruck and Hydrema M-series mobile excavators ranging from 12 to 20 tonnes in weight.

JCB

JCB’s fuel-saving Ecomax engine – the company’s answer to EU Stage IIIB/US Tier 4 Interim compliance – will be the focus on the company’s stand. The Ecomax engine is being introduced across JCB’s world-leading 3CX and 4CX backhoe range along with variable-flow hydraulic pumps, delivering fuel savings of up to 11%. The JS130 is one of three new mid-range tracked excavators also equipped with the new Ecomax engine. Meanwhile, the JCB Loadall range on display includes the new JCB 540-200 – the company’s first ever machine capable of lifting loads to 20m – and the introduction of new aerial work platforms for the JCB HiViz Loadall models.

Marubeni-Komatsu

Taking pride of place on the Marubeni-Komatsu stand will be the HB215LC-1 Hybrid excavator. The first of its kind in the UK, the Komatsu Hybrid boasts an average of 25% less fuel consumption and CO2 emissions than a conventional excavator. This machine’s revolutionary hybrid system works on the principle of swing energy regeneration and energy storage, using the Komatsu Ultra Capacitor system, which provides fast energy storage and instantaneous power transmission, thus significantly reducing fuel consumption. Also on show will be a selection of Komatsu’s new Stage IIIB-compliant equipment.

Merlo UK

Merlo will be exhibiting a full range of rough-terrain telescopic handlers covering a wide array of construction needs, from their ultra-compact P25.6 model with a lift capacity of 2.5 tonnes and lift height of 6m, up to their heavy-lift P120.10HM, which features a 12-tonne lift capacity and reach of up to 10m. Merlo will also be showing their range of 360° slewing Roto handlers, including the Roto 60.24MCSS, which offers up to 6 tonnes lift capacity and a reach of 24m.

MOBA Mobile Automation

MOBA will be showing new variants of their Big Sonic-Ski levelling system and an innovative scanner variant of their PAVE-IR quality-control system for asphalt paving. Visitors will see the company’s new levelling system for earthworks applications, the MOBA 3D-matic with integrated 2D/3D controller, and the excavation systems of the updated Xsite line. MOBA will also introduce new features of their roller systems as well as a cross-section of their line of machine controls for nearly all machines used in road construction and earthworks applications. 

Morris Site Machinery

Morris Site Machinery (formerly ArgGen Hilta), in partnership with Vital Technology, will be showcasing their latest collaborative development, the Xtend – a surveillance unit CCTV tower for the protection and prevention of theft and vandalism in the construction industry. Also on show will be one of the latest additions to the company’s growing number of lighting solutions – the Softlite HI portable temporary lighting system. An addition to the innovative and popular Softlite portfolio, the Softlite HI is the most powerful product in the range. Also on show will be the new 300Amp ArcGen welder generator, the Weldmaker 330CC/CV (constant current/constant voltage) – a super-silent welder generator designed for use in a wide variety of applications. 

Nobel 

Nobel will be exhibiting their range of automatic condensed-aerosol fire-suppression systems. Combining both science and technology, Stat-X provides innovative and advanced fire protection for the most challenging operations in the construction equipment industry.

OnGrade

A new product available from OnGrade that is designed to reduce the risk of personnel–plant collisions is Site Zone, a proximity warning system that uses advanced RFID technology. Site Zone surrounds a vehicle with an invisible 360° detection zone. When this zone is breached by personnel wearing a Site Zone transponder the driver is alerted to the risk via an audible and visual alarm; there is also an optional warning for pedestrians. One of the main benefits of Site Zone is that it is not dependent on line of site and can detect transponders around blind corners and other obstacles. Detection zones are customizable and the system has an adjustable range of up to 10m.  

Prolec

Safety systems and machine productivity specialists Prolec will be demonstrating what the company describes as the most significant new product in the company’s history – a modular range focused on machine control and safety. At its heart is an innovative, patented platform concept called the Prolec Machine Engine (PME). This technology controls a vast range of equipment types by deploying sophisticated modelling strategies to precisely determine machine positioning. Within the new modular Prolec Safety Controller, core software in the integral PME system processes sensor data to model exact positional references. This real-time machine position allows more responsive, more accurate and, therefore, safer operation across an array of equipment functions, including lifting safety, height and slew control, overturning protection, reach control and cab protection. 

Selwood

Selwood have designed a brand new range of high-head pumps and the new H150 has successfully completed extensive pre-production field trials and is now available for sale and hire. Incorporating Selprime, the environmentally friendly auto self-priming system and mechanical shaft sealing for leak-free running, the H150 shares the same robust construction, reliability and ease of operation as the world-renowned Seltorque range of solids handling pumps.

Spillard 

Spillard will be showing the world’s first 360° view camera system for industrial and commercial vehicles. Optronics 360 is said to be the most technologically advanced vision system for off-road environments, giving operators an all-round, real-time, bird’s eye view from a single monitor. Customizable for each individual installation, it is effective at eliminating the blind spots that pose a life-threatening problem on many machines and vehicles.

TowerLight

TowerLight will be unveiling their latest innovation, the TL Security Tower. This technologically advanced piece of equipment has been developed jointly with their security systems partner, Onwatch. The TL Security Tower is a highly versatile mobile security system designed to accommodate CCTV cameras, WiFi systems, surveillance monitoring, infrared detectors, evidence-quality video equipment and public address loudspeakers. The unit is entirely self-contained with power provided from a series of batteries charged from mains power or a generator. 

Volvo Construction Equipment

On the Volvo stand will be a representative line-up of the latest G-series wheel loaders and D-series excavators, as well as compact excavators and utility equipment.

Webtec Products

Webtec will be showing their brand new HPM4000-series hydraulic data-logger, the latest addition to their HPM range. Targeted at users who carry out hydraulic pre-dispatch inspection, preventative maintenance and simple diagnostic fault-finding, the HPM4000 series is suitable for measuring, displaying and recording a number of hydraulic parameters so the data can be easily transferred to a computer for further analysis using the seventh-generation HPMComm Windows software, which is supplied free of charge.