"The Road to Sustainable Development of the Construction Engineering Industry" (International Perspective)

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Construction machinery is an important part of the equipment manufacturing industry, and its development level is an important indicator to measure the degree of industrialization of a country. At present, the construction machinery industry is accelerating its transformation towards automation, digitalization and intelligence. Emerging technologies represented by artificial intelligence continue to inject innovative vitality into the digital transformation of the construction machinery industry.

The 2022 Munich International Construction Machinery Expo in Germany has recently come to an end. Focusing on digitalization and sustainable development of the industry, this exhibition attracted more than 3,100 exhibitors from about 60 countries and regions around the world. About 90 Chinese companies showed up with "Intelligently Made in China" products and solutions, displaying China's latest products and technologies in this field, which attracted widespread attention.

Digital empowerment brings about great changes in the industry

The Munich International Construction Machinery Expo is the world's largest and most influential professional exhibition for engineering, building materials, mining machinery, construction and engineering vehicles and equipment. Held every three years, it is a way to understand and evaluate the latest technologies and An important platform for cutting-edge trends. At the exhibition, many companies launched intelligent construction machinery products, and digital empowerment is bringing revolutionary changes to the entire industry.

In the outdoor exhibition area of the Munich Convention and Exhibition Center, visitors lined up in front of the 3D concrete printing technology booth of the German PERI company, watching attentively how the concrete was "printed". The company built Germany's first 3D printed house in 2021. "The potential of 3D concrete printing technology is huge, and we are trying our best to develop this future market." Fabian Meyer-Bletz, head of PERI's 3D printing department, told reporters.

Automation was a major theme at the booth of the German machinery manufacturer Bosch Rexroth. Among them, the tactile anti-collision system installed on construction machinery such as excavators and wheel loaders is particularly eye-catching. The system uses ultrasonic waves to accurately detect the environment, and if there is a risk of collision, it will intuitively alert the operator through vibrations on the joystick. According to the type and intensity of tactile feedback, the operator can judge the distance between the machine and the object, reducing safety accidents.

The Swedish Simulator Company demonstrated related equipment for teaching and training using virtual simulation technology. Wearing virtual glasses and holding a joystick, visitors can experience driving cranes, cranes and other large construction machinery. The staff told reporters that this is not a game device, but an operation control system similar to the real system built with a mathematical model through a simulator. These simulation devices create a safe, controllable and responsive "real work environment" for operators, and can also conduct more convenient testing of equipment.

Falk Wiesin, Minister of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digitalization of Germany, emphasized at the exhibition: "The construction industry is on the road to sustainable development, and digitalization is an important step in it. It can not only reduce emissions, but also make construction more efficient through data management. The process is more efficient."

Green equipment boosts zero-carbon transportation

Promoting the green and sustainable development of construction machinery and equipment has become a highlight of the exhibition. Joachim Schmid, general manager of the Construction Machinery and Materials Association of the German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing Federation, said that through new technologies, exhibitors have demonstrated new ideas in their respective fields to deal with climate change and achieve carbon neutrality.

The German Liebherr Group presented for the first time a crawler excavator equipped with a hydrogen internal combustion engine. CO2-neutral emissions can be achieved with a hydrogen combustion engine, which won the innovation award in the field of climate protection at the exhibition. Also on display is a new generation of mobile cranes using hydrogenated vegetable oil, which reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent compared to conventional diesel fuel.

In the road freight industry, heavy-duty long-distance transportation has a large room for emission reduction, and some companies are competing to launch environmentally friendly heavy-duty trucks. Mercedes-Benz Trucks exhibited a pure electric long-distance heavy truck with a mileage of up to 500 kilometers on a single charge. The battery on the truck uses lithium iron phosphate technology, which has a longer service life and more available energy. Charged at a charging station with an output of about 1 megawatt, the battery can go from 20% to 80% charge in 30 minutes.

It can accommodate up to 7 cubic meters of concrete, and it will not disturb residents even if it is constructed at night. An electric mixer truck jointly launched by Swedish company Scania and Chinese company Zoomlion is one of the star products in the field of cleaning and environmental protection at this exhibition. Marco Polastri, Sales and Marketing Director of Scania Concrete Machinery, believes that sustainable, zero-emission transportation is becoming more and more important to the construction industry, and this electric mixer truck provides a solution for zero-carbon transportation.

Chinese and German companies deepen mutually beneficial cooperation

At this exhibition, Chinese companies have brought many digital and intelligent latest products and achievements in construction machinery manufacturing, demonstrating to the world the powerful strength of "Made in China".

XCMG displayed nearly 50 new products in six major categories, which is the most exhibited products in previous overseas exhibitions. Liu Jiansen, vice president of XCMG Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., introduced to the reporter that the company specially exhibited more than 10 green, energy-saving and environmentally friendly new energy products developed for the European market; Sany Heavy Industry launched pure electric cranes, mixer trucks and excavators, etc. products, including the world's first fully battery-powered telescopic crawler crane.

Zoomlion has set up an interactive experience area to create micro-landscape buildings, and conduct 3D virtual design and construction of overseas large-scale engineering projects through virtual technology. According to the person in charge of Zoomlion's overseas company, more than 50% of the exhibits at this year's exhibition were manufactured locally in Europe, fully demonstrating the achievements of Chinese construction machinery enterprises' international integration and development and overseas localized manufacturing.

Chinese and German companies have further deepened cooperation through various platforms. An electric mixer truck jointly developed by Sany and Putzmeister received orders for more than 400 units on the first day of the exhibition; XCMG awarded licenses to more than 30 strategic partners in the European region; The total amount of signed orders exceeds 1.2 billion yuan.

Many German companies are optimistic about the potential of the Chinese market and the prospect of cooperation between the two countries. According to the relevant person in charge of the German construction machinery company, its sales in China maintain an annual growth rate of about 30%, and China is the fastest growing country for the group. Na Deming, the relevant person in charge of Liebherr, said that in the in-depth interaction with Chinese suppliers for many years, the company's factories around the world have obtained high-quality parts made in China, and Chinese manufacturing companies have also achieved healthy development. It's a win-win.

Oliver Wacker, head of East Asia Affairs of the German Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing Association, said that China is the main export market for German machinery and engineering equipment, and it is also the main overseas investment destination for German machinery manufacturing companies. Germany has the main customer base of Chinese machinery and equipment in Europe. The continuation of this successful cooperative relationship is in the interests of both countries. We look forward to deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with Chinese companies.

Martin Gruber, a buyer who came to participate in the exhibition from Graz, Austria, told reporters that every time he participates in the exhibition, he pays attention to the new products and new technologies of Chinese companies. Chinese companies have made significant progress in technology, especially in new energy and other fields. , has been at the forefront of the world, and we look forward to closer cooperation between European manufacturers and Chinese companies in the future.

(Our newspaper Munich, Germany)

"People's Daily" (version 14, November 28, 2022)

(Editors in charge: Zhao Xinyue, Liu Yeting)

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