BREAKING NEW MANUFACTURERS AND INNOVATORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ATTENDED ONE OF THE BIGGEST TRADE EVENTS IN MUNICH, GERMANY, TO CELEBRATE PROGRESS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MINING INDUSTRIES. GLOBAL TRAILER TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT WAS ON SHOW AT BAUMA 2019.
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espite the certain uncertainty of Brexit and the economic complications of the USChina trade war, CEO Messe München, Klaus Dittrich, is adamant that the construction and machinery industries around the world are doing very well. He concedes that the most important topics when it comes to facing major challenges is skill shortages and digitalisation. German Construction Industry Association Chairman, Lüddemann, agrees that the problems of digitalisation and a shortage of skilled labour run parallel. “We face the shortage of skilled workers simply because we try to invest in training because in the course of digitalisation, the working world of employees is also changing. And of course, we also have to take the employees along with them in these changed working conditions.” According to a recent Messe München study, only four per cent of the respondents said that were among the frontrunners, while 20 per cent did not see a need for action. Lüddemann suggests that the big challenge is to make the products smarter on all platforms, where appropriate, so that progress in productivity at construction sites can be harnessed to their full potential. “It is of no use to a contractor if three out of 10 machines are networked and the other seven are not,” he said. Bauma 2019, one of the world’s leading trade fairs celebrating the latest developments
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in construction and mining equipment, took over the Munich Exhibition Center during 8-14 April. In the lead-up to the trade show, Dittrich said that it was on-track to break records yet again. “With an area of 614,000 square metres, Bauma has grown even bigger this year,” he said, explaining that there are 3,700 exhibitors from around 60 countries demonstrating their innovations in Munich. He added that the event attracts visitors from over 200 countries. Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Peter Altmaier, said the fair is a figurehead for Germany, while Bavarian Prime Minister, Markus Söder, shared his enthusiasm for the event. “Highly innovative and impressive construction machines from all over the world show the progress of the construction industry, the latest machines even work fully electronically and emission-free,” said Söder. “The construction industry is the indicator of our economic performance.” he said. As key factors for the future of the industry, Söder described the acceleration of approval procedures, the intelligent construction with the help of digital planning and a reasonable management of land conservation and construction. Calling all components
In line with this vision for the future, equipment specialists from across Europe are actively engaged in the development and implementation of commercial vehicle and trailing equipment innovations. Gigant exhibited its suite of products, including self-steering axles, disc brake swing axles as well as its low bed trailer air suspension system. Markus Gehle, Managing Director of Gigant said the improved FB100 suspension features a 100mm wide air spring with a new support plate. Gigant’s GL70T suspension for low bed trailers has an axle capacity of 12 tonnes. “This 70mm wide air spring gives us more space and it reduces the weight even more,” Markus says. “With this development we can present one of the lightest 12 to axle sets on the market.” SAF-Holland – supplier of commercial vehicle parts – presented its hydraulically driven SAF INTRA CD TRAK axle as part of a live demonstration.