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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
MARCH 2017
6
A
common message from
both exhibitors and show
organisers was that the
construction industry is
changing, at a rapid pace.
To respond to the ever-changing needs of
the industry, several original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) showcased their
tremendous technological advancements
since they last convened for CONEXPO-
CON/AGG in 2014.
To help the 130 000 construction profes-
sionals who descended into Las Vegas grasp
the future of their industry, organisers, for the
first time, also set up a separate, 7 000 m²
area called Tech Experience. The Tech
Experience provided an interactive look at
the trends and solutions in areas such as job
site, workforce and infrastructure. Microsoft
and Hyperloop were among the companies
presenting at the Tech Experience.
“Over the past three years, all technology
has advanced at an exponential rate, and
the same can be said for the construction
industry,” said Sara Truesdale Mooney,
CONEXPO-CON/AGG show director. “Today
we have autonomous trucks and augmented
reality to allow drawings through glasses on
a job site. It is CONEXPO-CON/AGG’s role
to raise awareness of new products and
technologies, drive adoption and industry
efficiency.”
This year’s show featured more than 2 500
exhibitors, up from 2 000 recorded during
the previous show in 2014, representing
various segments of the industry such as
asphalt, aggregates, concrete, earthmov-
ing, lifting, mining and utilities. Contrac-
tors accounted for 63% of the attendees,
while equipment dealers and distributors,
the next largest group, made up 17%.
Of interest to
Capital Equipment News
was the sheer focus on technological inno-
vations by earthmoving equipment manufac-
turers such as Volvo Construction Equipment,
Caterpillar, Liebherr, Bell Equipment, JCB and
LiuGong, to mention a few.
The age of smart iron
Caterpillar, exhibiting at its home turf,
flexed its technological muscle with “The
Age of Smart Iron” approach. Jim Umpleby,
CEO of Caterpillar, says the OEM is driving
an era where jobsites get connected, iron
flexes its intelligence and industry evolves.
“At CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 Caterpillar
is launching new Cat Connect hardware
and software to enable equipment
Technological innovations were at the centre of many earthmoving equipment
OEMs’ exhibits at this year’s CONEXPO-CON/AGG.
Munesu Shoko
attended the
event and filed this report.
FROM VEGAS
TO THE WORLD