International Construction's Bauma 2013 preview

With more than 500,000 m2 of exhibition space and on some occasions, half a million visitors, Bauma is by far the world’s largest construction equipment exhibition. Held every three years, the 2013 event will take place from 15 -21 April at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany.

It will be the 30 time the exhibition has taken place, and with an additional 20,000 m2 of outdoor exhibition space being found on the Northern part of the site, it will also be the largest Bauma ever at 570,000 m2

The last Bauma in 2010 suffered travel disruptions from the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud, but the event still attracted some 420,000 visitors. According to Dr Wolf-Dietrich Müller, executive director of capital goods shows at organiser Messe München, the 2013 event will feature some 3,300 exhibitors and is expected to attract in the region of 450,000 visitors.

Despite the disruptions of the ash cloud in 2010, Bauma still enjoyed a significant international audience. Around 35%, or some 150,000 visitors came from outside Germany to visit the exhibition, and according to Messe München, more than 200 countries were represented – nearly every country in the world in other words.

International visitors numbers would undoubtedly been higher if it were not for the ash cloud. “Not all of the expected visitors from Asia, India and America were able to get to the leading world fair, Bauma, in Munich,” said Messe München chairman & CEO Klaus Dittrich at the time.

Partner country

As in previous years, Messe München has chosen a partner country for Bauma, and this time round it is Indonesia. The aim is to further boost the profile of Bauma in Indonesia, and open up business opportunities in Indonesia for Bauma exhibitors and visitors. The country was chosen for the size and growth characteristics of its construction industry. With a population of 238 million and GDP of US$ 720 billion, Indonesia is one of the 20 largest economies in the world.

The economy grew +6.2% in 2011 and the government is investing in construction to help fuel Indonesia’s development. By 2025 it wants to invest US$ 465 billion in infrastructure related to oil, coal and gas extraction and in the electrification of the country. Research by Messe München shows that in the capital, Jakarta, there are some 450 large construction companies registered, and around 60% of the country’s building activity is concentrated on the island of Java.

New launches

This year sees the final wave of Stage IIIB laws come into effect, covering engines from 37 to 56 kW. This size of engine is found in a variety of smaller construction machines – compact excavators from about 4.5 tonnes to 10 tonnes, small wheeled loaders in the 1 m3 bucket capacity class, site dumpers over about 4 tonnes capacity, skid steer loaders over about 700 kg rated capacity and so on.

And in addition to these, visitors to Bauma can expect to see other new machines in heavier weight classes, featuring Stage IIIB engines.

Although requirements for 56 to 560 kW engines have come into force over the last two years, flexibility allowances within the laws mean that not all manufacturers introduced new machines straight away. Many will be using Bauma to take the wraps off numerous larger Stage IIIB machines for the first time.

The regulations will move on in further years of course, so for engine manufacturers Bauma is an opportunity to show the systems they are proposing to tackle the even tighter Stage IV/Tier 4 Final regulations, which come into effect in 2014.

Engine regulations may be a big driver of new products, but Bauma will see new product launches driven by many other factors. Fuel efficiency is likely to be a key issue.

Caterpillar for example, will be showing its 336E H hybrid hydraulic excavator, which was first announced last October, although Bauma will be the machine’s official launch.

The 36 tonne class machine features a hybrid hydraulic system that captures, stores and reuses energy. The company added that it had developed, built and tested electric hybrid excavators, but, until now, had not found an approach that would actually lower its customers’ owning and operating costs.

Cat claimed no other commercially available technology had higher power density than hydraulics, and that’s why it selected a hydraulic solution to help its customers achieve “substantial fuel savings”.

Cat will also have its new 434F and 444F equal sized tyre (EST) backhoe loaders on display. It is upgrading its EST machine range in line with the rest of the F Series product family. The new 434F is solely mechanically controlled. The 444F, equipped with pilot joystick controls, can be fitted with either a 4.27 m or a 4.87 m backhoe.

The Caterpillar stand in hall B6 will also feature the Cat D6K2 dozer, launched in September, which is said to deliver “unmatched finish grading performance and improved fuel economy”, and the M318D MH Waste Handler – a wheeled excavator designed specifically for use in work areas with limited space, whether overhead or adjacent to the machine – launched earlier in 2012.

Mini-excavators will also be on that stand, while Caterpillar industrial engines will be on stand 316 in hall 4.

Earthmovers

Doosan will be introducing a raft of new models in Munich, including a range of new excavators, wheeled loaders, articulated dump trucks and attachments.

Among the new products on the stand will be the DX140W-3 and DX160W-3 wheeled excavators, the DX380LC-3 crawler excavator and the DL200-3, DL250-3 and DL550-3 wheeled loaders.

Doosan said that all its Stage IIIB-compliant excavators, wheeled loaders and articulated dump trucks had been designed to exceed customer requirements for quality, productivity, controllability, comfort, reliability and durability, with greatly reduced overall costs and optimal fuel efficiency.

In all three excavator models, the engines meet Stage IIIB through the use of EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) after-treatment technologies.

The new DL200-3 and DL250-3 wheeled loaders are both powered by the Doosan DL06K common rail 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine – again meeting Stage IIIB engine emission regulations through the use of EGR and DPF after-treatment technologies.

The top-of-the-range DL550-3 wheeled loader is powered by the 13-litre Scania DC13 SCR 6-cylinder diesel engine, with a maximum power output of 283 kW at 1,800 rpm and using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to meet the requirements of the Stage IIIB regulations.

The centrepiece of Doosan sister company Bobcat’s stand will be the first showing of the company’s new 500 platform compact loaders.
The company will also be showing the latest developments in its compact excavator, telescopic handler, utility vehicle and attachment ranges at Bauma.

The new 500 platform includes the new S510, S530, S550, S570 and S590 skid-steer loaders and the new T590 compact tracked loader.

Like the larger new generation 600, 700 and 800 platform models, which can also be seen at Bauma, the 500 platform machines offer a new design. Bobcat claimed that it was combining “over 50 years of experience in loader design with new developments to meet voice of customer requirements, and incorporating many of the same innovative features and benefits that have proved so successful in the bigger machines”.

New from Manitowoc is the Grove GMK3060 60 tonne class, three-axle all-terrain crane. Replacing the GMK3055, the new model offers improved capacity across the entire load chart, thanks to an additional 2 tonnes of counterweight. It features a 43 m boom and a new operator cab.

The GMK3060 is also one of the first Grove mobile cranes to feature Manitowoc’s new Crane Control System. The new system, which is a standardised and user-friendly operator interface, will eventually be rolled out on all new Manitowoc, Potain and Grove cranes.

It comprises a standardised set of displays, joysticks, control units and a jog dial, as well as standard software. The use of standard parts is designed to make maintenance easier and improve fleet management for Manitowoc customers.

As well as exhibiting cranes at Bauma, Kobelco will have excavators on show following the termination of its global alliance with CNH, allowing it to market excavators in Europe under its own marque for the first time in ten years.

Excavators on show will include a 26 tonne short radius hydraulic excavator the SK260SRNLC-3, outfitted with a two-piece boom. Kobelco says the machine offers low fuel consumption and low noise thanks to its integrated noise and dust reduction (INDR) system. This cuts 5 dB from the machine’s external noise.

Haulotte will be showcasing its new boom platform, the HT23 RTJ, which offers a 22.5 m working height and 18.3 m of horizontal outreach. A key feature is its lifting speed – Haulotte says it can reach its full height in just 56 seconds, and adds that it has the best turning radius in its class thanks to four wheel steer.

Also new is the HA32 PX articulated boom, which is targeted at the construction, shipbuilding, aviation and petrochemical industries. Key features include an oscillating axle and differential lock for traction and manoeuvrability.

GOMACO will feature a variety of concrete paving equipment and new paving concepts at Bauma, including the G+ Connect control system, which it describes as “a system of unlimited possibilities designed specifically for maximum paver performance and ultimate rideability”.
The company will also be introducing its new four-track texture/cure machine, and all the machines in the stand will feature the G+ operating system.

The GHP-2800 slipform paver with G+ Connect will make its international debut in Munich. The Commander III and GT-3600 slipform pavers will also be there. They are capable of slipforming the various profiles demanded around the world, including irrigation canals, waterways and channels, cattle barn flooring, European-style step barrier, pathways, flat slabs up to 6m wide, and more.

Atlas Copco will be launching a new jaw variant that turns the CC 3300 Combi Cutter into a mobile shear.

With the new mobile shear jaw, Atlas Copco claimed to be addressing the global demolition and recycling industry as well as scrap yards. The CC 3300 follows the design of the entire product line of Atlas Copco hydraulic combi cutters.

Also new will be a range of eight electric pokers for compacting concrete. The company said the electric motor-in-head design provided the poker head with high performance, power and stable speed. It claimed that rapid acceleration helps minimise air voids within the concrete and transport them to the surface.

The March edition of iC will include an extensive Bauma show Guide.