The History and Future of Construction Equipment
by Ron Kubitz
February 2, 2012
One of my favorite things in life is to relax in the evening after a hard day of work by lying on the couch with my young daughter and watching one of her favorite television shows on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel.
Last night, while watching iCarly with my daughter (and yes, I am man enough to admit that it is one of my favorite shows), I saw a commercial for Hot Wheels Wall Tracks. I thought to myself “WOW!”—the classic Hot Wheels cars/track that I enjoyed as a kid on my floor can now be played with entirely on your wall many feet above the floor. In a similar vein, kids can now play “Electronic Battleship” as well as the traditional battleship and—oh, by the way—you can also play Battleship on your iPad or iPhone. I am glad they have not meddled with Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots!
This nostalgic trip back in time prompted me to visit the Historical Construction Equipment Association’s website (www.hcea.net), which I often use to research or learn more about older construction equipment. I hope to one day visit the association’s museum in Bowling Green, Ohio, since it would be a great way to see where our industry has been and where it may be headed in the future. Have any of you been in the industry long enough to recall operating the early crawler tractors of the 1950s-70s? Does the “Otis Steam Shovel” ring a bell in your mind? Do you remember when cranes came in three sizes: big, bigger and biggest?
Today, if you‘re so inclined, you can purchase a small personal-sized crane good for multiple uses, which leads me to wonder what the future may hold in terms of construction equipment and technology. What types of improvements do you want to see in the equipment that you operate? Where are we heading in terms of automated machine guidance (AMG), positioning systems or equipment monitoring systems? What about robotics, attachments or engines of the future? Where are we headed in terms of equipment design or the fuels that we use?
Will we still incorporate some of the good equipment features from the past or is the future bound to ignore the past as it strives for constant perfection? What would you like to see in your equipment in the year 2020? Post your comments here and let me know what you think.
Ron Kubitz is the recruiting manager for Brayman Construction Corporation, located in Saxonburg, Pa. As an accomplished presenter, Ron is often sought after in regard to his expertise within the world of social media.
Ron Kubitz
Ron Kubitz is the recruiting manager for Brayman
Construction Corporation, located in Saxonburg,
Pa. As an accomplished presenter,
Ron is often sought after in regard to his expertise within the world of social
media.
Comments (4)Post a Comment
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Title: Future of construction equipment
By: Bill
Posted: February 3, 2012 8:59 AM
I like the look of the new Leica positioning systems! Thanks also for the link to the hcea site as it was fascinating.
Title: Future of equipment
By: Jim G.
Posted: February 7, 2012 7:19 AM
Having visited the museum I can say it is a fascinating place and an enjoyable day trip. Neat to see the old stuf my dad used!
Title: Equipment
By: Willy
Posted: February 10, 2012 7:44 AM
Cleaner biofuels for equipment..hybrids?? How about a simpler/sleeker design for equipment?
Title: The Future of Operating Equipment
By: Dave Smith
Posted: April 3, 2012 9:30 AM
The link to hcea.net was worth checking out your blog by itself. What I see becoming the future of equipment and operating is remote. There are remote compactors on the market already and have been for some time. The new dozers and track hoes are so efficient and complex today that it will be a small step to making them operable by remote control. And with the existing work force nearing retirement age and the advent of younger craftspersons with extensive experience with gaming console controllers it isn't such a stretch to envision smal to mammoth sized equipment being operated from a control tower on the periphery of large earthwork projects. Just a thought.