MODEX SHOW PREVIEW | NORTH AMERICA REGION REPORT
R A panel discussing The 2018 MHI Annual Industry Report.
lead-time delays. The live entertainment market was hit the hardest during the pandemic, but it has shown signs of improvement in recent months.” Many of the design and feature trends in
CMCO’s recent launches are illustrative of the market trends in the United States. Darr says growing interest in “smart” technology that can predict and prevent problems or facilitate communication is driving interest in automation, predictive analytics, and advanced diagnostics. “Columbus McKinnon has developed, and is developing, solutions that can help solve these high-value problems before they happen. Automated solutions also help reduce mean time-to-recover and having access to usage and operating trends data is key to ensuring maintenance teams and replacement parts are available when necessary.” Emerging smart and automation technology has a variety of
benefits for end users. Automation, Darr says, can improve product quality, increase energy efficiency, boost productivity by eliminating redundant processes, and maximize uptime. Safety is also an important driver of
new technological innovations. Steve Napieralski, president, Oz Lifting Products in Winona, Minnesota, USA, says his company will be exhibiting its line of spark- resistant manual chain hoists and push beam trolleys, at Modex. Oz Lifting will also bring models from its
CompOZite, CompOZite Elite, and Tele-Pro lines to the tradeshow. CompOZite davit cranes are corrosion resistant, are made from an advanced composite material that is 40% lighter than steel, and are designed for no-tools-required installation. CompOZite Elite cranes use carbon fibre and high-strength aluminium construction and are designed with portability in mind.
Oz Lifting’s Tele-Pro davit cranes, available in 225kg, 544kg, and 1,134kg capacities, come equipped with a telescoping boom that can be adjusted while under load. Napieralski says he’s looking forward
to engaging with the next generation of materials handling professionals at Modex’s young professional meet and greet day. “Any time you can get the next
generation involved in our industry, it’s a great idea,” he says. “The meet and greet allows them to rub elbows with industry leaders. The future of materials handling comes by way of new ideas and products that solve problems in a safe manner.” The return of Modex to an in-person
format is welcome news for many in the industry. Napieralski says the Covid-19 pandemic has completely changed how Oz Lifting conducts business. Oz Lifting sells through a network of industrial distributors, and the pandemic meant a lot of the employees at these distributors were working from home. This shift to remote working meant a transition from face-to- face meetings to Zoom calls. “My entire lifting career has been spent meeting with people in person, not staring at a computer screen,” Napieralski says. “Covid-19 brought face-to-face meetings to a grinding halt, which was a somewhat difficult change.” Covid-19 also illuminated the global
QR CMCO launched the Hurricane Mini 360 chain hoist in June 2021.
26 | March 2022 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
nature of the supply chain. Napieralski says while 2021 was strong for Oz Lifting, the pandemic made him realize how interconnected different regions of the world are. “We had supply chain issues like everyone else,” he explains.
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