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Construction's main event
00:00 14 May 1997
|
In a contest for "the Centre of the Universe as we know it",
Wavendon, Milton Keynes might not stand a chance against the likes
of Las Vegas, Jerusalem or the Seychelles.
But from May 20-22, 1997 it WILL BE the centre of the Universe for the majority of UK plant fans. They'll be descending on the UK's fastest-growing city by car, train, plane and helicopter to see what is latest and best in construction equipment this year at SED '97.
There are more than three hundred exhibitors this year; if you want a list of them all you'd better read the SED Showguide. What we offer here is a only whistle-stop tour of the main happenings.
Arrive at the main entrance, hopefully with your pre-ordered badge firmly on your chest, and right opposite is the organiser's office.
Call in there to meet the Contract Journal and PMJ editorial team as well as the people who put the whole shebang together. We'll be pretty busy but there's usually time for a quick word with those people who support us by turning up in ever-increasing numbers every year.
This year there will be a mighty lot of new kit to see. The Pavilion has been expanded and is much larger.
One of the innovations is SITE 2000, which will attempt to take visitors forward into the 21st century from the point of view of what is normally their daily workplace for many of us - a construction site.
SITE2000 is all about the ways in which information technology will transform sites in the near future. If you've resisted the march of computers so far, this section of SED will show you exactly what you're missing.
You will see electronically-generated site drawings which will cut out the need for huge plan chests. You will see hand-held computers and video-surveying equipment being used to plan the sites of tomorrow. And you will even see voice-activated software being used to record information which can be beamed on or off-site by radio modem. No longer will "lack of communication" be a valid excuse for failure.
There will be plenty of examples of modern projects that are actually using these techniques and the people concerned are happy to share their knowledge with you. If even part of your working day is spent on-site then you cannot afford to miss this display.
Although there will be fewer big cranes at this year's show that does not mean the powered access world is forgotten. SED '97 has a dedicated Access Village which is designed to show-off access kit to best advantage. Access equipment has been one of the big success stories of the past several years.
Access village
So, visit SED '97 to see Manitou's latest batch of products. The French manufacturer says it is the world's largest maker of Rough Terrain Fork Lifts. It also does a terrific line of telehandlers. And they will form the backbone of the company's display at SED.
It is also Manitou's (Site Lift UK) Silver Jubilee this year so maybe John Walker and his team will be having a celebration on the stand.
Niftylift is a local manufacturer which is doing things right and there will be at least two new products on its stand. They may not be big but they answer the market's demands.
Merlo has won a medal or two at previous SED events and this year it will have a couple of new models (but is not entering for a medal). SED '97 will see the new P27.9 EVS which, translated, means 2.7t lifted to 9.12m, it has sideshift and frame levelling too. If you don't need these features then it's also offered as the P28.9EVS for the rough and tumble of plant hire.
Aerial Access is a Newcastle-based access equipment manufacturer which has expanded rapidly but quietly over the last five years. You can see its new Powerlift AL22T on the display. It has a 22m working height platform mounted on a non-HGV licence truck, just the job for urban local authority tasks.
JLG is the big name in access equipment and its range just gets bigger. This year is no exception because it's added three more models to the list. Visit the stand to see the 26MRT rough terrain scissor lift and the 40ic and 45ic articulating boom lifts making their SED debut.
There will be a new scissor lift range from access manufacturer Genie too. Anything from this favourite of the hire companies is bound to be worth a look-see.
GROUND LEVEL
It is not all up in the air of course, some of it's down on the ground too. Case has introduced a new range of skid steer loaders which it says "have advanced features every skid steer owner should take a look at." They caused a bit of a stir at Intermat in Paris, last month. They are also offered in different colours as Fermec models although they are in fact built in the USA at Case Kansas City factory.
Both companies will be showing strongly at SED '97 and Case says it "has plans to take both brand-names forward into the new millennium".
It will be the first SED for the new Case backhoe loaders too. And the 588 model excavators. The Case and Fermec stands have traditionally been good places to visit, this year they'll be even better.
Marubeni Komatsu is an SED stalwart and its stand is always interesting (and covered with lots of kit) but this year sees a first. Pride of place will be given to the PC750 excavator. It is the largest excavator built in this country and weighs in at around 75t. That is as much as eight double-deckers!
Hitachi
Not too far behind will be the Hitachi EX600 on HM plant's stand. It weighs around 60t and is the latest EX machine to join the line-up imported by HM Plant. Now the UK distributor for Hamm rollers HM Plant will have some representative examples from the German manufacturer's range on the display area. Graham Hall, John Jones and the team always enjoy SED; this year will be no exception.
Bomag celebrated its 40th anniversary last year by announcing a huge new range of rollers. This year will be their debut at SED. Last year they won a Silver Medal with the Variomatic, who knows what SED '97 will bring?
Talking of rollers brings us neatly to Benford, which has revitalised its Warwick factory and spent heavily on new machining facilities. There'll be new rollers like the 2000 Series of self-propelled models but there will also be a new 7t dumper to ogle at.
Benford has announced a strategic alliance with Stanley which will see the US company's hydraulic power packs built at Benford's factory. Stanley products will be marketed in the UK by Benford's sales force too. So the stand should be interesting to say the least.
CAT has built up a brilliant reputation at SED over the past few years and the array this year will be no exception. As well as examples from the new "G-Series" of wheeled loaders and tool carriers, the new medium-size tracked loaders and R-series 'dozers will make their UK debut at this year's show.
Continuous demonstration drives will be offered to visitors, especially in the latest backhoe loaders. UK dealer Finning will have a strong personnel presence on the stand as usual.
Pel-Job has been a strong SED supporter over many years and this year it has new models never before seen in the UK. Make sure you talk to David Munns and his guys to get the griff on Pel-Job's bang-up-to-date EB150 and EB200 models. According to Pel-Job they take mini excavators into a new dimension, you can judge for yourself.
KRupp
Sandhurst has a good reputation as aggressive sellers of kit made by other people. Now it makes its own under the brand name of SMC and it has a brand-new small crane this year - the SMC Starlifter CX800 which is selling "like hot cakes" according to sales director Chris Archer. There's also a never-before seen tiny model - the one-tonne capacity CX100.
This does not stop Sandhurst from selling lots of Krupp hammers or Takeuchi minis so they'll be displayed at SED '97 too. Sounds like a busy three days for Tim and the team from Kent.
Ingersoll-Rand is one of the world's most successful makers of construction kit. From hand-tools to industrial-size compressors, small trench compactors to large pavers via rock drills and now, with Bobcat, skid steer loaders the US giant makes a big comeback at SED '97. Expect a full range of kit on the I-R stand you will not be disappointed.
Miller is well-known for its big buckets and its big-selling quick-coupler. But this year it has new sure-fire seller, a quick-coupler which is universal.
So whatever excavators and buckets you operate beat a path to the Miller stand and open up your equipment choices.
SED is interesting enough but when it comes to the Silver Medals Competition the interest becomes intense.
There'll be around 16 items to judge on the first day and they will have been whittled down from more than 30 hopefuls.
The independent judges will examine the final 16 and make their choice from the presentations on the day.
Four Silver Medallists will be announced on the Tuesday evening of the show and one of them will go forward to receive the Supreme Gold Medal at the traditional London Lighthouse Club Dinner on Wednesday evening.
But whoever wins the mainprize, the real winners will be the thousands of construction professionals who will come away having experienced the most comprehensive hands-on display of construction kit in the UK - past present and future. n
But from May 20-22, 1997 it WILL BE the centre of the Universe for the majority of UK plant fans. They'll be descending on the UK's fastest-growing city by car, train, plane and helicopter to see what is latest and best in construction equipment this year at SED '97.
There are more than three hundred exhibitors this year; if you want a list of them all you'd better read the SED Showguide. What we offer here is a only whistle-stop tour of the main happenings.
Arrive at the main entrance, hopefully with your pre-ordered badge firmly on your chest, and right opposite is the organiser's office.
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Call in there to meet the Contract Journal and PMJ editorial team as well as the people who put the whole shebang together. We'll be pretty busy but there's usually time for a quick word with those people who support us by turning up in ever-increasing numbers every year.
This year there will be a mighty lot of new kit to see. The Pavilion has been expanded and is much larger.
One of the innovations is SITE 2000, which will attempt to take visitors forward into the 21st century from the point of view of what is normally their daily workplace for many of us - a construction site.
SITE2000 is all about the ways in which information technology will transform sites in the near future. If you've resisted the march of computers so far, this section of SED will show you exactly what you're missing.
You will see electronically-generated site drawings which will cut out the need for huge plan chests. You will see hand-held computers and video-surveying equipment being used to plan the sites of tomorrow. And you will even see voice-activated software being used to record information which can be beamed on or off-site by radio modem. No longer will "lack of communication" be a valid excuse for failure.
There will be plenty of examples of modern projects that are actually using these techniques and the people concerned are happy to share their knowledge with you. If even part of your working day is spent on-site then you cannot afford to miss this display.
Although there will be fewer big cranes at this year's show that does not mean the powered access world is forgotten. SED '97 has a dedicated Access Village which is designed to show-off access kit to best advantage. Access equipment has been one of the big success stories of the past several years.
Access village
So, visit SED '97 to see Manitou's latest batch of products. The French manufacturer says it is the world's largest maker of Rough Terrain Fork Lifts. It also does a terrific line of telehandlers. And they will form the backbone of the company's display at SED.
It is also Manitou's (Site Lift UK) Silver Jubilee this year so maybe John Walker and his team will be having a celebration on the stand.
Niftylift is a local manufacturer which is doing things right and there will be at least two new products on its stand. They may not be big but they answer the market's demands.
Merlo has won a medal or two at previous SED events and this year it will have a couple of new models (but is not entering for a medal). SED '97 will see the new P27.9 EVS which, translated, means 2.7t lifted to 9.12m, it has sideshift and frame levelling too. If you don't need these features then it's also offered as the P28.9EVS for the rough and tumble of plant hire.
Aerial Access is a Newcastle-based access equipment manufacturer which has expanded rapidly but quietly over the last five years. You can see its new Powerlift AL22T on the display. It has a 22m working height platform mounted on a non-HGV licence truck, just the job for urban local authority tasks.
JLG is the big name in access equipment and its range just gets bigger. This year is no exception because it's added three more models to the list. Visit the stand to see the 26MRT rough terrain scissor lift and the 40ic and 45ic articulating boom lifts making their SED debut.
There will be a new scissor lift range from access manufacturer Genie too. Anything from this favourite of the hire companies is bound to be worth a look-see.
GROUND LEVEL
It is not all up in the air of course, some of it's down on the ground too. Case has introduced a new range of skid steer loaders which it says "have advanced features every skid steer owner should take a look at." They caused a bit of a stir at Intermat in Paris, last month. They are also offered in different colours as Fermec models although they are in fact built in the USA at Case Kansas City factory.
Both companies will be showing strongly at SED '97 and Case says it "has plans to take both brand-names forward into the new millennium".
It will be the first SED for the new Case backhoe loaders too. And the 588 model excavators. The Case and Fermec stands have traditionally been good places to visit, this year they'll be even better.
Marubeni Komatsu is an SED stalwart and its stand is always interesting (and covered with lots of kit) but this year sees a first. Pride of place will be given to the PC750 excavator. It is the largest excavator built in this country and weighs in at around 75t. That is as much as eight double-deckers!
Hitachi
Not too far behind will be the Hitachi EX600 on HM plant's stand. It weighs around 60t and is the latest EX machine to join the line-up imported by HM Plant. Now the UK distributor for Hamm rollers HM Plant will have some representative examples from the German manufacturer's range on the display area. Graham Hall, John Jones and the team always enjoy SED; this year will be no exception.
Bomag celebrated its 40th anniversary last year by announcing a huge new range of rollers. This year will be their debut at SED. Last year they won a Silver Medal with the Variomatic, who knows what SED '97 will bring?
Talking of rollers brings us neatly to Benford, which has revitalised its Warwick factory and spent heavily on new machining facilities. There'll be new rollers like the 2000 Series of self-propelled models but there will also be a new 7t dumper to ogle at.
Benford has announced a strategic alliance with Stanley which will see the US company's hydraulic power packs built at Benford's factory. Stanley products will be marketed in the UK by Benford's sales force too. So the stand should be interesting to say the least.
CAT has built up a brilliant reputation at SED over the past few years and the array this year will be no exception. As well as examples from the new "G-Series" of wheeled loaders and tool carriers, the new medium-size tracked loaders and R-series 'dozers will make their UK debut at this year's show.
Continuous demonstration drives will be offered to visitors, especially in the latest backhoe loaders. UK dealer Finning will have a strong personnel presence on the stand as usual.
Pel-Job has been a strong SED supporter over many years and this year it has new models never before seen in the UK. Make sure you talk to David Munns and his guys to get the griff on Pel-Job's bang-up-to-date EB150 and EB200 models. According to Pel-Job they take mini excavators into a new dimension, you can judge for yourself.
KRupp
Sandhurst has a good reputation as aggressive sellers of kit made by other people. Now it makes its own under the brand name of SMC and it has a brand-new small crane this year - the SMC Starlifter CX800 which is selling "like hot cakes" according to sales director Chris Archer. There's also a never-before seen tiny model - the one-tonne capacity CX100.
This does not stop Sandhurst from selling lots of Krupp hammers or Takeuchi minis so they'll be displayed at SED '97 too. Sounds like a busy three days for Tim and the team from Kent.
Ingersoll-Rand is one of the world's most successful makers of construction kit. From hand-tools to industrial-size compressors, small trench compactors to large pavers via rock drills and now, with Bobcat, skid steer loaders the US giant makes a big comeback at SED '97. Expect a full range of kit on the I-R stand you will not be disappointed.
Miller is well-known for its big buckets and its big-selling quick-coupler. But this year it has new sure-fire seller, a quick-coupler which is universal.
So whatever excavators and buckets you operate beat a path to the Miller stand and open up your equipment choices.
SED is interesting enough but when it comes to the Silver Medals Competition the interest becomes intense.
There'll be around 16 items to judge on the first day and they will have been whittled down from more than 30 hopefuls.
The independent judges will examine the final 16 and make their choice from the presentations on the day.
Four Silver Medallists will be announced on the Tuesday evening of the show and one of them will go forward to receive the Supreme Gold Medal at the traditional London Lighthouse Club Dinner on Wednesday evening.
But whoever wins the mainprize, the real winners will be the thousands of construction professionals who will come away having experienced the most comprehensive hands-on display of construction kit in the UK - past present and future. n
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