Aggregates Manager Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/420189
In a ConExpo-Con/Agg year, iron was king and new equipment rolled out at a steady clip. Here is Aggregates Manager's roundup of the year's best introductions. Top 25 Rollouts of 2014 by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief How we made our choices When we ask readers how we can best help them keep track of changes in the products and services they use to produce aggregates, almost everyone wants an annual short list of the really important stuff. No wonder. The sheer volume of introductions is overwhelming. Aggregates Manager covers numerous products each year in its RollOuts departments and Supply Lines features and offers even more product coverage through its website and newsletters. So each year, our staff reviews all the product introductions we've covered for the past year to pick out those that we believe are worth further review. Our priorities are new con- cept products, which are rare; new series/new generation products in categories that relate to the aggregates industry; and other rollouts which serve our readers' interests by increasing competition in a product category. We also consider reader engagement through website and social media traffic. Inevitably, we omit deserving products, either because we just didn't understand the significance of the product or because the announcing company didn't communicate what was special about the product, or both. In either case, we apologize in advance for these omissions. BRIGADE ELECTRONICS Radar detection for portable plants Brigade Electronics released a line of radar obstacle-detection systems for mobile plants. The Backsense radar system divides a specified detection area into five zones and provides a visual and audible warning when objects enter the hazard area. The cab display includes five LEDs corresponding to each of the five distance zones from the vehicle. A warning buzzer has an adjustable sound level of 65 to 90 dB. The manufacturer says the sensor is impervious to water, dust, and mud. The sys- tem controls the radar beam pattern, so the spread of the beam can be restricted to the desired width to minimize false alerts. Detection areas up to nearly 100 feet are available. Brigade Electronics | www.brigade-electronics.com ATLAS COPCO Remote-control drilling The Atlas Copco SmartROC T40 is one of the first surface drill rigs from the manufacturer to offer the option of radio remote-control operations by upgrading the rig with a SmartROC radio remote-control kit. The T40 drills hole diameters of 3 to 4 1/2 inches, to a maximum depth of 92 feet. The rig is designed with a low center of gravity and a high ground clearance so it can operate safely on rough terrain. It is fitted with a 33.5-horsepower Cop 2560 rock drill. A boom reach of 25 feet in height for horizontal drilling and 18 feet forward for vertical drilling offers flexible operations. Atlas Copco | www.atlascopco.us AGGREGATES MANAGER December 2014 26