5 minute read
Revealed: The Shortlist for the Prestigious Plantworx Innovation Awards 2023
The shortlist has been announced for the prestigious Plantworx Innovation Awards, which will be presented on the eve of the show itself. This year there are seven categories covering every aspect of the plant and equipment sector and recognising innovation in all its forms:
● Non-Operated Plant & Support Products
Advertisement
● Environmental Initiative
● Safety
● Best Use Of Technology – Including Digital Innovation
● Security Initiative
● Engineering & Design
● Training & Skills Development Programme
The entries in this year’s awards demonstrate that the industry is genuinely focused on reducing carbon emissions and minimising environmental impacts, as well as on the safety of people working with and around construction equipment. In many instances the entries also confirm that the plant sector is more than capable of delivering solutions to these issues, and the onus is now on construction industry clients to adopt them more widely.
Despite a tough four years since the last Plantworx Innovation Awards, the entries demonstrate that our sector has continued to invest in innovation that will help construction to be more efficient, safer and environmentally responsible.
The judges were keen to reward organisations that are using their innovative skills to find answers to everyday industry issues. This is evident in the category for NON-OPERATED PLANT & SUPPORT PRODUCTS, where the shortlisted entries will all make a significant difference for people working on and supporting construction sites.
Elite GSS’s Hi-Vis Ballast Block is a simple solution that can be replicated on every site to make the erection of fencing safer for construction workers and pedestrians, as well as being made from 100% lightweight recycled materials and being 100% recyclable.
Welfare units are another essential aspect of construction sites, and Genquip-Groundhog’s i550 unit can be almost entirely powered by its own solar panels, reducing fuel consumption by 90%.
Hydrotechnik’s shortlisted entry, the Minimess® Monster pressure test kit , is designed to make life easier for service engineers whose role includes testing the hydraulic pressures of machines of all sizes and from many different manufacturers.
The industry’s focus on carbon reduction was highlighted by the high number of entries in the ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE category and the emphasis on electric and battery-operated plant and equipment. Atlas Copco and Lifos were both shortlisted for battery storage systems that provide sites with a green energy supply, while Boss Cabins has been recognised for its Deep Green generator-free welfare unit.
Two electric-powered machines also made the shortlist: Sany Heavy Machinery’s SY19E electric mini excavator and Ekin Engineering’s Conscreed E1800 electric laser-guided screed, entered by Concrete Services & Supplies. The Sany machine is powered by cobalt-free batteries, which addresses one of the major concerns about battery manufacture.
The final shortlisted entry in this category is the Cone Crusher Bucket from Auger Torque – a machine attachment that makes it possible to crush and recycle rubble on even the smallest sites.
Focusing on environmental issues has not detracted from the industry’s constant aim to improve safety on site. In the SAFETY category, Bomag made the shortlist with two products, the Asphalt Pro machine control system, which automates much of the paving process, and a new cab design for pivot-steered tandem rollers designed to address long-term health issues for operators.
Xwatch’s Simple Safe Two Series Roll Over Monitor is also intended to protect operators, this time by giving dumper operators an early warning of a potential pitch and roll over situation.
The other two entries that made the shortlist in this category, Onwave’s OWL active geo-fencing solution and Spillard Safety Systems’ AI Human Detection System, tackle the important issue of preventing accidents caused by people coming into contact with construction plant. Both make good use of the latest digital technologies alongside an understanding of human behaviour.
However, in the category for the BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY –INCLUDING DIGITAL INNOVATION , the judges felt that many of the entries were either developments of existing products or were not genuinely innovative. They did shortlist four entries: Bomag’s Asphalt Pro machine control system, the MachineMax fleet management platform and both Filtertechnik and MP Filtri for systems that monitor and analyse oil cleanliness.
In the SECURITY INITIATIVE category, the shortlist includes two systems for keeping track of plant and equipment: ABAX’s Smart Inventory Solution and Datatag’s Kist web-based administration portal. Both systems highlight the struggles the industry still faces with theft.
The other entry on the shortlist, Digger Guard’s Vandal Guard cab protection system, addresses the issue of vandalism head-on with a panel system that wraps the cab securely when not in use.
The ENGINEERING & DESIGN category always attracts a large field of entries, and this year was no exception, with the shortlist demonstrating a high level of innovation in different fields. The importance of reducing site carbon emissions is reflected in the fact that two of the shortlisted entries are electric machines: Manitou’s MRTe rotating telescopic handler range and Sany’s SY19E mini excavator
Two of the other entries on the shortlist – Digga’s HALO earth drill alignment system and the Rotar fully integrated quickcoupler adapter, entered by Worsley Plant – are aimed at making the construction process more efficient, whilst the third, Mecalac’s Revotruck , could make huge strides in overcoming some of the safety issues associated with site dumpers.
The final category is TRAINING & SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, in which the two shortlisted entries highlight the important work being done across the industry to attract, recruit and retain a highly skilled workforce to the construction equipment sector.
Flannery Plant Hire has partnered with Balfour Beatty to create an Operator Skills Hub that offers innovative training programmes to inspire young people into the industry and upskill current plant operators. Meanwhile, Leica Geosystems has invested heavily to expand its Leica School to give the industry access to its latest technology and support in real-world conditions.
In addition to the main categories, three entries have also been shortlisted for SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS, reflecting their contributions to the industry and its wider activities. They are: Plant & Hire Aid Alliance for its crusade to provide crucial aid to war-torn Ukraine; British Steel for Laser Detection of Surface Defects; and Xerotech for the Hibernium Battery Pack.
The winners in all categories will be announced at a ceremony and dinner on the evening of Monday 12th June 2023 at the home of Plantworx - the East of England Arena & Events Centre, Peterborough. Hosting the awards will be Shaun Wallace – The Dark Destroyer from the hit TV quiz show The Chase.
The Judges
Margo Cole - Engineer and Construction Journalist - Chair of the Judges
Susan Scurlock MBE - Chief Executive and Founder Primary Engineer
Graham Black - Editor Earthmovers Magazine
Mark Lawton - Head of Engineering Surveying at Skanska
Chris Matthew - Strategic Manager at P. Flannery Plant Hire
Amer Essa - Supply Chain Innovation Senior Advisor at National Highways
Lara Young - Global Head of ESG Cromwell Property Group
Shortlisted Companies and Sponsors
Non-Operated Plant & Support Products
Sponsored by DATATAG
Elite GSS – Hi-Viz Ballast Block
Hydrotechnik UK Ltd – Minimess Monster
Genquip – i550 Welfare Unit
Environmental Initiative
Sponsored by KGP
Lifos – Lifos Port PV
Auger Torque – Cone Crusher Bucket
Sany – SY19E Electric Mini Excavator
Ekin Engineering – Conscreed
– E1800 electric laser-guided screen
Boss Cabins – Deep Green GenFree welfare cabin
Atlas Copco – ZBC Battery Storage System
Safety
Sponsored by Caterpillar
Spillard Safety Systems
– AI Human Detection System (HDS)
Bomag – Articulated Tandem Roller
Onwave – OWL
Bomag – Asphalt Pro
Xwatch – Xwatch Pitch & Roll warning system
Security Initiative
Sponsored by the CEA Policing Fund
DIGGER GUARD – DIGGER GUARD Vandal Guards
Kist – Datatag KIST
Abax – Smart Inventory
Best Use of Technology – Including Digital Innovation
Sponsored by Futureworx 2024
MachineMax – MachineMax
MP Filtri – CMP View Software
Filtertechnik – Particle Pal Plus
Bomag – Asphalt Pro
Engineering & Design
Sponsored by CEA (Construction Equipment Association)
Digga – Digga HALO Earth Drill Alignment System
Mecalac – Revotruck
Manitou – MRTe Rotary Telehandler
Worsley Plant
– Rotar’s Fully Integrated Quickcoupler Adapter
Sany- SY19E Electric Mini Excavator
Training & Skills Development Programme
Sponsored by Merlo
Leica Geosytems – Leica Training School
Flannery Plant Hire
– Skills Boot Camp in Plant Operations
Special Recognition Awards – Shortlist
Sponsored by Plantworx
Plant & Hire Aid Alliance
British Steel – Laser Detection of Surface Defects
Xerotech – Hibernium Battery Pack
