Finnish load handling specialist Hiab has used the recent Bauma exhibition in Munich to announce its aim to connect all new Hiab equipment by 2018.
“Urbanisation will inevitably make cities more crowded, meaning that our customers have more loads to manage in less time and in tighter spaces,” said Hiab President, Roland Sundén.
“This will require a new way of thinking about our products, solutions and services. As a technology leader, it is a challenge we gladly accept. Our target is that all of our new equipment are connected and able to communicate with other systems and devices by 2018 so that our customers get to enjoy the benefits of connectivity.”
At the Hiab press event, Rafal Sornek, Vice President for Technology and Quality Development, and guest speakers Michael Browne, Gloria Elliott and Peter Tyreholt discussed what the future holds for load handling in an increasingly urban and sustainable society.
“In addition to other benefits, I believe in connectivity and digitalisation as enablers to solve a lot of the problems we see in urbanisation. With a more connected and digital world we can create more sustainable business models with circular economy,” continued Peter Tyreholt, Senior Advisor at Cybercom.
“The responsibility for escalating urban problems does not just lie with the authorities; it lies with every user of the city space. We all have to take the step into the middle to find the answers, and that is by acknowledging each other's problems and working together to solve them,” said Gloria Elliott, a Chief Executive of the Noise Abatement Society.
Sornek concluded, “We at Hiab have been working in close collaboration with universities as well as our customers and suppliers to make sure that we can provide the most efficient, safe and easy to use products of the industry. We are fully committed to staying ahead of the competition in the innovation game.”
During the Bauma exhibition week, Hiab also introduced several new innovations including HiVision 3D vision control system, Multilift Optima, Hiab T-Series cranes and Hiab ProCare service agreements.
(Image: HiVision being tested at Hiab's Bauma stand)