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Intermat key event for new construction technology

Key product innovations will be unveiled at Intermat. As one of the world's largest off-highway equipment exhibitions, the Intermat Show in Paris is a key event for new technology introductions for the construction industry. Major manufacturers will unveil a range of new technologies to the industry, as well as highlighting the benefits of their proven equipment designs.
February 24, 2012 Read time: 4 mins
MADE's Sky Radio 2.0 is used to detect nearby medium and high-voltage power lines, and can be installed on concrete pumps, aerial buckets and other equipment reaching significant heights
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Key product innovations will be unveiled at Intermat

As one of the world's largest off-highway equipment exhibitions, the 242 INTERMAT Show in Paris is a key event for new technology introductions for the construction industry. Major manufacturers will unveil a range of new technologies to the industry, as well as highlighting the benefits of their proven equipment designs. The extensive showground will include static exhibits in the halls as well as working demonstration areas outside.

Intermat has consistently encouraged the development of new technologies for the construction industry over the years, particularly through its high-profile innovation award scheme. Participants are invited to enter new machines and new technologies to this award, which is then judged by a panel of experts who come from both industry as well as academia. Given the move in the construction industry to reducing the environmental impact of the sector, the exhibition organisers decided to highlight the environment and sustainability as key criteria for new developments at the 2009 Innovation Awards.

According to Patrick Bernasconi, chairman of the FNTP (National Federation for Civil Engineering, France), enhancements to techniques and equipment have brought significant progress in these areas over the past few years, thanks to increasingly effective, reliable, energy-efficient technology that has helped reduce the use of natural resources.

For example, the Hybrid 12MTX machine from 0 Mecalac Ahlmann, which won two awards, was cited for its energy efficiency, possibly cutting fuel consumption by about 25%. The judges said a project's environmental impact, materials recycling and the use of transparent or plant-based binders had to be considered and as a result, the 2779 Fayat Group's Beluga mobile hot mix mini-machinery also won an award. The Fayat machine uses the novel Vegecol binders to produce "an environmentally friendly" hot patching solution and this plant can operate in confined urban areas with minimal impact.
Productivity and safety were also high on the list of innovative ideas put forward by those taking part in the Innovation Awards, which for the first time were officially unveiled nearly four months before the show by Jacques Allemand, executive president of the jury (Bernasconi was president).

In the Machinery Category the winners were Mecalac Ahlmann (Gold Award) with its Hybrid 12MTX multi-purpose machine, and the Fayat Group's Beluga hot mix asphalt production mini machine (Bronze Award).

The Equipment and Components Category saw Silver Awards going to MADE for its Sky Radio 2.0 high-voltage power line detector, and Canadian company 3186 Flexxaire Manufacturing for a Variable Pitch Fan cooling system. A Bronze Award went to 3191 Poclain Hydraulics Industrie for its MG motorised steering wheel.

In the Services Category, the jury gave Silver Awards to 2599 Carlson Software (USA) for its erosion-tackling Natural Regrade Computer Software, and 2992 Keestrack of Belgium, which produces the System full Controller Transfert GPRS (a panel for controlling several Keestrack products).

In addition, Mecalac-Ahlmann's Hybrid 12MTX also won the Special Environment Prize.

In all the Innovation Awards had 17 nominees including the Award winners. Other firms presenting systems for the Machinery Category included nominee ACME with its new DRP 06 TR concrete placement mini-boom. German company 167 Benninghoven entered its MKA 450RC continuous mixer with dryer for recycled materials, and Mecalac-Ahlmann also presented its 8MCR, a tracked machine combining the features of a mini excavator/compact loader.
The Equipment and Components Category attracted the most nominees with 3196 Erlau presenting its Sideflex chain shield to protect the sidewall of earthmoving tyres.

Morin of France showed a quick-coupling boom/arm that can be adapted to excavation machinery (shovels and mini-shovels) with no modification of the original components.

Italian company 3199 Piusi's Vantage transfer pump to be used on earthmoving machines for self-refuelling from external tanks was presented.

3203 Camoplast Solideal unveiled its new SC 1015 industrial formwork for the construction of concrete structures.

Solideal International OTT rubber over-the-tyre track is designed to increase the productivity of skidsteer machines.

Austrian company 3205 TTControl's TTC 200 is claimed to be the world's first multi-purpose electronic control unit for off-highway applications, with a built-in, aerospace-proven safety field bus TTP (Time-Triggered Protocol).

2394 Volvo Construction Equipment Europe demonstrated a method for compensating hydraulic flow rate when the control lever of a construction machine is in neutral position on particular excavators. RSS

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