WORLD NEWS
bauma CONEXPO India , international trade fair for construction machinery , building material machines , mining machines , and construction vehicles , is the most important industry event for the sector in India with an exhibition area of 150 000 square metres .
Slated for 11 – 14 December 2018 , at the HUDA Ground in Gurgaon / Delhi , bauma CONEXPO India will see both familiar and new faces exhibit this year . Well-known companies such as ACE , Case , Caterpillar , JCB , Kobelco , L & T , LiuGong , PERI , Putzmeister , Sany , Schwing Stetter , Volvo , Wirtgen , and Zoomlion have not only registered to take part again , but they have also increased the floor space for their stands .
Other well-known companies such as DEUTZ Engines , Doka , Doosan Bobcat , eTrack Crushers ( a Keestrack Group company ), Hyundai , and Manitou Equipment have also signed up for the event .
New faces will include German company Kaeser Kompressoren SE , a manufacturer and supplier of compressed-air products and services , and India ’ s Tata Hitachi , a manufacturer of mining , construction , and agricultural machinery .
Caterpillar is making a USD40-million investment in its North Little Rock , Arkansas , grader and wheel loader plant . The OEM plans to add new paving equipment products to the production line in 2019 , which will mean 250 new positions for assemblers , welders , mechanics , machinists , fork truck drivers , and order pickers in the next 6 to 12 months .
Cat began moving its medium-size wheel loader production from Aurora , Illinois , earlier this year to the Little Rock facility , which opened in 2010 .
According to Arkansas Online , Caterpillar qualified for a rebate on payroll taxes and for credits on sales and use taxes when it announced its plans to build an NLR plant in 2009 . It also received USD3-million from the governor ’ s quickaction closing fund and USD325 000 for training .
“ The original [ USD3-million ] agreement required Caterpillar to create and maintain 500 positions ,” the Arkansas Economic Development Commission ( AEDC ) said . “ They did not meet the employment requirements for 2012 , 2013 , and 2014 , and therefore had to pay back USD172 200 to AEDC .” Cat also did not meet employment performance goals in 2015 and 2016 .
Playing around for the future
Volvo Construction Equipment ( Volvo CE ) and LEGO Technic construction toys joined creative forces with a team of children to design the next generation construction machine .
The partnership resulted in a LEGO Technic Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX set , released in toy stores in August 2018 . The digital prototype was also released at the same time , providing a real-world autonomous machine .
Speaking about the collaboration between the two Scandinavian brands , Arvid Rinaldo , brand communication and partnerships at Volvo CE , adds , “ We wanted to cooperate with a premium toy manufacturer , just as we are a premium player in the construction equipment sector . Together we create a perfect match , both culturally and in what we try to achieve in our products — exploring together how we can build tomorrow .”
From design to concept
A focus group consisting of children helped out in the process creating the ZEUX . Looking at early drawings and models , the group gave feedback that led to the development of new , unique features . Two main features that the group decided on were the scout drone and the adjustable ‘ camera ’ boom mounted on the roof of the vehicle , called the Eye . In addition to the scout drones and built-in sensors that a real-life model would have , the Eye illustrates a new and inventive feature : it will show exactly where the vehicle ’ s ‘ attention ’ is directed , which means it can make ‘ eye contact ’ with humans and acknowledge their presence .
Andrew Woodman , senior design manager for LEGO Group , says , “ Should you stay where you are , or is it safe to move ? It ’ s usually an easy assessment . With autonomous vehicles , you don ’ t have that interaction because you can ’ t see all the sensors that allow them to navigate around both stationary and moving objects . It ’ s not intuitive for us to decode
Volvo CE
The Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX developed with assistance from LEGO Technic and a team of children .
what the vehicle ’ s next move is , where it ’ s going , or if it has seen us . While the Volvo Concept Wheel Loader ZEUX will not drive on roads , it will interact with workers at a construction site . So , we set out to create features and functions that make the interaction between humans and machines as safe and intuitive as possible .”
One of the core LEGO Technic design values is the AFC promise , which stands for ‘ Authenticity , functionality , and challenging building ’. Models have to look as close to their real-life counterparts as possible , be fun to play with , and inspire builders to try new building techniques . So how does a futuristic model fit into especially the authenticity part of the promise ?
Workshops in Billund , Denmark , video meetings , and exchanges of concept sketches and sketch models allow room to test wild ideas throughout the development process . As a result , you can see many very interesting features like an extendable counterweight , raising and lowering chassis , four-wheel steering , and many other great ideas that fit all design values . Woodman says , “ Volvo CE and the LEGO Group share the same values when it comes to our requirements for quality and usability , while at the same time they push the boundaries of creativity and functionality . It has been very motivating to help Volvo CE develop what could be the future of construction machines .”
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SEPTEMBER 2018