Bauma 2016: Heavy Equipment Heaven
Drilling Rigs Among Hundreds of Machines at Massive Tradeshow
Did you attend Bauma this year? It’s tough to describe, but the words “heavy equipment heaven” come close.
The event, held every three years on the outskirts of Munich, brings together hundreds of heavy equipment manufacturers. Drilling rigs designed for all manner of construction projects are a big part of that. Outside exhibit areas featured dozens of acres of auger, piling and other types of foundation and construction drills. The expansive outdoor area also included cranes, dump trucks as big as houses and a host of other machinery.
“As an American company here, it really, really proves you are truly an international competitor and you have world class equipment,” Joe Patterson of TEI Rock Drills told us at the show.
TEI was among the outdoor exhibitors, a strong field of world class equipment makers. The company was at the show networking with OEMs to sell their drifters, like the TE1000 — their largest.
“Our company has taken part in Bauma since a long time ago,” Soilmec’s Marco Chiarabelli said. “Year by year, we try to improve our area-print and the number of equipment we are bringing her to the show.”
Chiarabelli showed us two multipurpose rigs, the SR-125 and SR-145, the company unveiled at the show.
“All the rigs that are on show here today are ready to be sold, are ready to leave Bauma and go to work into a jobsite.”
And it wasn’t just outside. There were more than a dozen indoor halls — each bigger than a football field — filled with thousands of exhibitors. Horizontal drilling rig manufacturer Ditch Witch, part of the Charles Machine Works group of companies, was among them.
“The attendance has just been phenomenal in terms of the number of people walking through,” said Geoff Koch, Ditch Witch’s vice president of product development. He spoke to us about the JT-30 All Terrain Tier-4-final HDD rig.
Bauma organizers say the show got about 580,000 visitors over the course of a week. If even one percent of those visitors were decision-makers for equipment purchases, I’m sure it was worthwhile for the more than 3,400 exhibitors.
National Driller’s coverage includes several videos and a short photo gallery. If you didn’t attend, you can do some catch up. Also, don’t miss our advance story, which gives you a view of the event from a manufacturer's perspective.
What do you think? Did you attend Bauma? Was it worth the trip for you as a manufacturer or as a contractor? Send me an email to tell me about it.
Stay safe out there, drillers.
