Equipment report

‘Newsweek’ ranks Atlas Copco best industrial company on environment

Atlas Copco, an equipment manufactuer and solutions provider headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, has been ranked as the top industrial company by the Newsweek Green Rankings that looks at corporate sustainability and environmental impact.

Newsweek magazine analyzed the world’s 500 largest publicly traded companies to gauge how they fare on the environment. Together with research partners Corporate Knights Capital and HIP Investors Inc., the 2015 Newsweek Green Rankings looked at indicators such as energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste recycling. According to these indicators, Atlas Copco ranked 11th in the world and highest in the industrial segment. The company also was featured on the list last year.

“Making innovative, energy-effective products and taking other steps to reduce the environmental impact is about business leadership,” says Mala Chakraborti, Atlas Copco’s vice president, corporate responsibility. “Our environmental targets are central to our business, and we are happy to be recognized for this.”

The complete Newsweek Green Rankings list is available at www.newsweek.com/green-2015/top-green- companies-world-2015.

Atlas Copco serves customers with innovative compressors, vacuum solutions and air treatment systems, construction and mining equipment, power tools and assembly systems. Founded in 1873, Atlas Copco has a global reach spanning more than 180 countries.

Construction equipment market is expected to reach $241 billion by 2020

According to a new report by Portland, Oregon-based Allied Market Research titled, “Global Construction Equipment Market - Size, Industry Analysis, Trends, Opportunities, Growth and Forecast, 2014-2020”, the global construction equipment market is expected to reach $240.97 billion by 2020, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9 percent during 2015-2020.

The construction equipment market includes heavy machinery such as loaders, cranes, forklifts, excavators and dozers, used for earthmoving, material handling, excavation and other applications across different industry verticals. Among the different types of construction equipment, loader and cranes would continue to remain the most preferred type, due to their numerous applications in construction, mining and public works, according to the report. The loader segment would drive the market significantly by 2020, contributing more than 44 percent of the total market revenue, due to increased application in earth moving operations. The crane market is growing at a steady rate owing to the growing demand for lifting and material handling from different industries. Earthmoving and lifting and material handling applications collectively accounted for around 50 percent of the total market in 2014. Between the two, earthmoving application is expected to grow at a faster rate during the forecast period, due to the upsurge in construction for commercial and residential infrastructure setup.

Caterpillar and Modustri to collaborate on equipment monitoring technology

Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois, has entered into a strategic alliance with Modustri, a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based provider of service and measurement technologies for use in the field. Caterpillar and Modustri say they will work together to develop innovations that enhance Cat customers’ abilities to measure wear on parts so customers can optimize their fleets more effectively, says Caterpillar.

“Our relationship with Modustri will allow us to take advantage of emerging technology that gives our customers more information on parts and components to maximize uptime. The days of being reactive are over,” says Doug Hoerr, vice president of the reman, components and work tools division of Caterpillar.

By using Web-based and mobile platforms, the companies will deliver simplified processes that provide customers accurate, immediate access to useful, real-time data while still in the field, Caterpillar says. This technology could save customers hundreds of hours and millions of dollars by proactively helping Cat dealers and customers better measure wear rates and manage wear parts replacements—including those from other suppliers.

In other Caterpillar news, the company has announced a new strategy for its vocational truck product family. The company says it will independently design and manufacture its vocational truck product family at its plant located in Victoria, Texas. The Caterpillar plant, which opened in 2012, is currently producing hydraulic excavators.