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I DA U N I V E R S A L M ay -J u n e 2 0 1 6 33 Six companies and research institutions have received Bauma 2016 Innova- tion Awards. Ilse Aigner, the Bavarian minister of economics, praised the winners and all participating companies, emphasizing that the awards program "refl ects the innovative strength of the construction equipment, building material and mining industries, both in Germany and internationally." Not only does it show innovations that are techni- cally feasible, but also it gives us a glimpse of the future, she added. is year's Bauma Innova- tion Award winners were: • Kramer-Werke, Pfullendorf, Germany (Machinery) • IMKO, Ettlingen, Germany (Components) • Leonhard Weiss & Co, Göp- pingen, Germany (Construc- tion Process/Construction Work) • Technical University of Dres- den, Department of Construc- tion Machinery Technology (Research) • Groupe Mecalac, Annecy-le- Vieux, France, and Technical University of Dresden (Design) e competition has been attracting increasing interest among foreign companies, too, said Johann Sailer, chairman of the German Associa- tion of Construction and Building Material Machine Manufacturers, which forms part of VDMA (the German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers' Association). Almost half of all applica- tions apparently came from international companies. e awards, said Sailer, set signals for the entire industry, and Bauma is an ideal platform for this purpose. Kramer-Werke received the award for developing its fully electric four-wheel-drive wheeled loader 5055e. Being emission-free, the machine is reported to be ideally suited for use in buildings and tunnels, in particular. ere is no longer any need for costly ventilation or exhaust gas removal. Aigner emphasized the signifi cance of the awards for the economy. " e winners we honor today have understood the signs of the times, and their innovations contribute actively to sustainable economic developments which are also highly practical." e minister referred to mechanical engineering as Germany's and Bavaria's fl agship industry, the second biggest sector in Bavaria, with a total of 220,000 employees. IMKO received its award for developing its Sono water- cement analyzer, a hand-held measuring device for the fast, safe and trouble-free analysis of the water content in fresh concrete. e user simply enters the parameters of the concrete and dips the analyzer, which is fi xed to a pole, in a bucket of concrete. e display then shows the relevant water content. Leonhard Weiss' award was for a pilot project in which the dilapidated surface of a steel bridge was renovated with relatively little eff ort. It involved applying a synthetic resin adhesive to the previously repaired steel plate, which forms the road surface, and then scattering bauxite grit onto it. Next, a very close reinforcement mesh was applied, as well as a special high- strength concrete, developed by Contec International. e concrete coat is closely bonded to the steel plate via the grit, creating a totally new and far more resilient road surface. e Depart- ment of Construc- tion Machinery Technology of the Technical University of Dresden award is for its current research project on the 3D printing of concrete. e scientists from Dresden wanted to take 3D printing directly to the construction site, while also using existing machinery as the basis for its new method. It involved developing robotic machinery for use within a large space, as well as a print head that could apply fast-curing concrete in layers, thus eventually creating entire buildings. is may revolu- tionize construction processes and designs. Two companies received awards in the Design category. Mecalac was honored for its new generation of mobile diggers, while the Technical University of Dresden and several companies cooperating under the so-called Concept Cluster were awarded for their jointly developed driver's cab, called Genius Cab. ● www.worldhighways.com 4/16 Bauma Innovation Awards for Six Companies and Research Institutions TRENDS AND TIDBITS continued from page 29 Machinery winner: Kramer-Werke's 5055e Trends continued on page 41