Three takeaways from Conexpo/Con-Agg 2020

Here are three takeaways from what’s known as North America’s largest construction show:

1. Noise remains a big concern for construction manufacturers as regulations tighten and operators demand a more comfortable experience.

Of the more than 10,000 visitors who came through Horton’s booth, the vast majority brought up engine noise as a chief concern.

The European Union’s Outdoor Noise Directive severely limits allowed decibel levels for outdoor machinery, and North America is following suit at the local level with the potential for federal regulation in the not-too-distant future.

“Customers of all … sorts of construction and related equipment are very concerned about noise emission levels,” Horton Vice President of Off-Highway Dirk Kreunen said. “Historically, this has been a concern in Europe and other highly-populated areas, and increasingly this is a concern for our customers in North America where noise regulations at the local and sometimes even state level are increasingly impacting our customers.”

One case is that of Deutz, which manufactures engines for a variety of applications including Terex’s Genie lifts and material handling machines. Horton recently customized a VS121 fan drive and brand-new LS5 fan – specifically designed to lower noise while providing optimal engine cooling in smaller engine compartments – for Genie’s newest product offerings.

2. The rise of the compact construction machine is real.

Of course, the big rigs remained a highlight at Conexpo/Con-Agg – particularly at Caterpillar’s “Operator Stadium,” which featured several national operator competitions and appearances from television host Mike Rowe.

But so did the little guys. Many manufacturers debuted or displayed a bevy of compact equipment, like Bobcat’s E50 and E42 excavators (which both feature Horton’s low-noise LS11 fan).

Machines like this are growing in popularity due to their versatility, lower noise, cost effectiveness and ease of compliance with emissions regulation.

3. Technological innovations represented at Conexpo/Con-Agg are equally valuable in equipment manufacturing and on the job site.

The world’s leading construction manufacturers continue to explore electrification, both of implements as well as specific engine components. The use of alternative fuels was also on display as design engineers seek to make machines that are safer and more environmentally helpful than ever.

The Case Construction booth in the Las Vegas Convention Center provided ample examples of each. The CNH-owned manufacturer debuted both a methane-powered concept wheel loader called “ProjectTETRA,” and “Project Zeus,” the industry’s first fully-electric backhoe loader.

A recent report from market research firm IDTechEx projects the majority of construction, agriculture and mining vehicles sold as early as 2029 will be electrically powered.

But what will they be working on? Surely the world’s commercial and residential structures as we know them today.

But the “Tech Experience” booth at Conexpo/Con-Agg offered a glimpse into the future, including:

• Several models of potential “Smart Cities,” which use network connectivity and data to optimize use of resources, assets and services.
• A progress report on “The Ray” in Atlanta, an 18-mile stretch on West Georgia’s Interstate 85. There, researches are testing technologies such as on-the-fly tire safety stations, rubber-modified asphalt, pollinator meadows that make medians both more aesthetically pleasing and durable, interstate solar power arrays and bioswales to more effectively manage stormwater runoff.
• “Badgerloop,” one group of University of Wisconsin engineering students’ crack at Elon Musk’s proposed underground means of passenger and freight transportation using pods inside a sealed system of tubes. Badgerloop’s entry into the Musk’s SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition “could someday ferry people the 400-plus miles between Chicago and Minneapolis in as few as 20 minutes,” according to Badgerloop.