Event: Plantworx 2019
Around 450 stands were present at the event
Rain didn’t stop play at this year’s Plantworx in the UK
Some of the Railworx stands at the show
Merlo won an award for its static stand
Hyundai also had an impressive stand
Altrad’s new one-tonne dumper on demo
Good weather for ducks at a demo site
Wacker Neuson demo in action
TXM Plant demo machines at the Railworx section
Even when wet demos were a key part of the show
|
|
|
Around 450 stands were present at the event
|
|
|
|
Rain didn’t stop play at this year’s Plantworx in the UK
|
|
|
|
Some of the Railworx stands at the show
|
|
|
|
Merlo won an award for its static stand
|
|
|
|
Hyundai also had an impressive stand
|
|
|
|
Altrad’s new one-tonne dumper on demo
|
|
|
|
Good weather for ducks at a demo site
|
|
|
|
Wacker Neuson demo in action
|
|
|
|
TXM Plant demo machines at the Railworx section
|
|
|
|
Even when wet demos were a key part of the show
|
England was hit bad with heavy rainfall during June but that didn’t stop almost 14,000 visitors from attending the fourth biennial Plantworx construction machinery show
Held at the event’s new home at the East of England Arena, Peterborough, Plantworx also incorporated Railworx and was hosted by the Construction Equipment Association (CEA).
Just over 13,700 visitors attended the show over its three-day duration, which was deemed respectable given the torrential rain that fell during most of that time.
However, the organisers say rain did not stop play, and hardy visitors braved the elements to see the plethora of brand-new equipment and products on display.
All in all, the show was 20% larger in size than the 2017 event and was home to more than 450 exhibitors, including Railworx exhibitors, and was the biggest Plantworx to date. However, visitor numbers were down from the 15,500 recorded in 2017.
Inventions and innovations
 |
|
Steelwart also had a good Plantworx this year
|
Alongside the regular plant and machinery from the mainstream manufacturers, this year’s event was packed with new initiatives and innovations, which represented the current demands in the ever-evolving construction sector.
Miller
Earthmoving attachments manufacturer, Miller UK, showcased its GT Series, the latest in quick coupler innovation from the company suitable for excavators from one to 50 tonnes.
James Ross, Miller’s business development director, said, "Plantworx was the perfect venue to launch our brand-new Miller GT Series range. It’s a very hands-on exhibition and despite the weather conditions, the flow of traffic onto our stand continued throughout the three days and visitors were able to see the latest GT quick couplers in action for themselves."
Miller says its GT coupler delivers the safest, lightest, lowest, yet strongest class-leading quick coupler in the marketplace. The Miller GT series also offers an ISO 13031 compliant novel locking system, designed to ensure that the widest set of OEM pin pick-ups are safely attached from the cab.
Prolec PMX
James Fisher Prolec unveiled a suite of new additions from site digitalisation and connected technologies to next-generation smart machine control.
The Prolec PMX aims to redefine on-site safety when conducting operations in close proximity to the passing public. Combining two well-established technologies, excavator hazard mitigation and geolocation, PMX helps prevent plant equipment from striking pre-defined hazards and increases machine efficiency by up to 30% when compared with existing systems.
Virtual walls and ceilings are quickly and easily set up by site managers, allowing operators to move safely within pre-defined work zones. Hazard maps only need to be established once and can be deployed to any PMX-enhanced excavator to provide consistent, site-wide safety limits without the need for operators to repeatedly re-enter hazard locations.
Engcon
 |
|
Engcon tackles all jobs with its tiltrotator
|
Tiltrotator manufacturer Engcon exhibited a host of products from its all-new second-generation grabs to innovative cassette-mounted attachments.
And on stand was the latest hoseless variants of EC-Oil, its automatic hydraulic connection system, which the company is now offering as standard on new twin-hitch installations using its DC2 control systems.
Siltbuster
Siltbuster exhibited its new Micro Concrete Washout System (MCW), which is designed to capture and treat the water from the washing down of chutes on mixer trucks and the cleaning of small tools and plant equipment on site.
The system removes solids from the water, neutralises the pH and stores the grey water ready for reuse at the next washdown.
Doosan
Doosan exhibited some new products for the first time in the UK, including the new 2.7-tonne DX27z, one of two zero tail swing models being added to Doosan’s range of mini-excavators.
The DX27z was shown alongside the new Stage V version of the company’s very successful DX62R-3 six-tonne and DX85R-3 eight-tonne mini-excavators.
Exclusive deals
And there were some significant deals done at Plantworx, including one for 230 new Cat machines. Flannery Plant Hire, one of the largest providers of operated and self-drive plant in the UK, signed an exclusive deal with Finning UK & Ireland to purchase 230 new Cat machines as part of its fleet refurbishment programme.
Signed by Patrick Flannery senior, the deal is the biggest single order for Finning in 2019 and will bring the average age of the Flannery fleet to an impressive 1.8 years.
The company’s investment totals more than £30 million and sees Flannery take delivery of the UK’s first Cat D6XE next-generation dozer. The deal includes units from the Next Gen Hex range of excavators, including Cat 308 minis, Cat 315, and Cat 325 excavators with zero tail swing.
The line-up also includes the new Cat 730 articulated dump trucks fitted with the Caterpillar Production Measurement (CPM) system alongside a broad range of other Caterpillar machines.
Rise of drones
 |
|
Trying out a drone for pothole repairs
|
The show’s Drone Zone highlighted the importance of the use of drones in the construction sector and there were daily demonstrations from companies who manufacture state-of-the-art drones using market-leading technology.
At the end of the event, Peter Beach, the sales and marketing manager for exhibitor Genquip Ltd, was full of praise for Plantworx.
He said: "Weather aside, the showground was a tremendous facility and proved it can handle the rain. Plantworx organisation on set up and breakdown were brilliant, and, of course, assistance during lead up was superb.
"I do believe that the weather brought out serious visitors, which meant we had more time to speak with them and not the usual timewasters during sunny periods so a great show for us."
Find more construction machinery in NZ
Keep up to date in the industry by signing up to Deals on Wheels' free newsletter or liking us on Facebook.
