Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/933470
January 2018 | EquipmentWorld.com 22 2017 YEAR IN REVIEW JULY Komatsu and Trimble bridge respective software programs to allow 3D construction site data exchange JULY Volvo sells 25 percent stake in Deutz engines JULY Hertz Equipment Rental becomes stand-alone Herc Rentals Tech that's here now… • Perkins' SmartCap oil fi lter tells you when it's time to change the oil on your Perkins diesel engine. The device looks identical to a normal oil fi ll cap, but sensors inside it detect when the engine is running and send you an email alert when the engine reaches 500 hours of run time. • Tool companies took on connectivity in a big way this year. In Novem- ber, DeWalt announced its Jobsite Wi-Fi device that gives internet ac- cess throughout a work area, instead of just in the jobsite trailer. Three Hilti power tools are now equipped with Bluetooth and Near Field Communication sensors, allowing users to quickly identify and fi nd resources for each tool on smartphones and tablets. And Milwaukee's One-Key app allows you to track and manage all Milwaukee tools on a computer or phone; an additional Tick device can be attached to any jobsite asset to track location. ...and tech that's still to come Some of these are far off, others are just around the corner. • ConExpo attendees donning virtual-reality goggles in the John Deere booth could get a glimpse of the company's backhoe of the future, called "Fixstern." To provide more cab space, Deere eliminated the large rear tire wheel well and used an exoskeleton design, pushing structural frame components outside. • Fastbrick Robotics signed an agreement with Caterpillar to further develop Fastbrick's robotic bricklayer, which can be attached to the boom of an excavator. • AME, the world's fi rst 3D-printed excavator stole the spotlight at Con- Expo's new Tech Experience area. The machine's cab, boom, hydraulic oil reservoir, heat exchanger and cooling system were 3D printed. • Two electric heavy trucks grabbed headlines. Late last year, the 1,000-horsepower Nikola One debuted, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and regenerative braking. It is expected to roll off assembly lines in 2020. Tesla took off the wraps on its lithium-battery-powered electric truck in November, promising a range of up to 500 miles at maximum weight and highway speed. Production is expected to start in 2019. • The Workhorse W-15 plug-in electric pickup will be in production this year, with an anticipated sticker price of $52,500. • Declaring that "autonomy is no longer an experiment," Cat says it is planning to offer a brand agnostic autonomous system for mining trucks by the fi rst quarter of 2019. Also on tap: offering scaled-down semi- and fully autonomous machine control systems for quarries. • Volvo Construction Equipment announced its electric hybrid LX1 prototype loader achieved up to 50-percent fuel effi ciency improve- ment over a conventional Volvo L150 loader. • Built Robotics unveiled its autonomous compact track loader, which uses LIDAR to navigate the jobsite along with GPS sensors and ma- chine control technology to follow site plans without an operator. Trending: How to get disaster work With several states and one territory deal- ing with the aftermath of three massive hurricanes this year, our take on how to get disaster cleanup work received more than 36,000 page views. The aftermath of these disastrous storms gave construction contractors, subcontractors and workers plenty of debris cleanup and rebuilding work and was a contributing factor in con- struction unemployment reaching 4.5 per- cent in October, the lowest rate on record for that month, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors. ELDs become mandatory Although there have been numerous attempts to postpone or rescind the electronic logging device mandate for on-highway trucks, as of press time, the Dec. 18, 2017, deadline was still in place. As detailed in a special report in our June issue, contractors can't automatically assume they are exempt from these rules. In fact, using Randall- Reilly's proprietary RigDig Business Intelligence database, we found more than 230,000 construction operations (contractors, material producers and equipment dealer/rental companies) are running more than 1 million trucks that could fall under the mandate.