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lifetime in the forestry industry and a knowledge of all manner of machines. “Every decision we make has to be commercially viable, but we are 180 years in the making. The Jones family and the governance team are extremely focused on our long-term environmental, social and performance strategy. Exploring new technology and the boundaries of what is possible is crucial to that strategy. When it comes to the Baumanns, the quality is there to see.”


Mr Bewley would no doubt be pleased then to see the company’s signature JJI- Joists being handled by a business Craig Armstrong-Fray knows well. Dindas is the exclusive distribution partner for James Jones, selling over 1 million lineal metres in Australia. The company is a ‘Carbon Warrior’ partner, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint by up to 80% by 2050 through responsible forestry. It has built a strong reputation over 65 years as a sustainable and reliable supplier of engineered and treated timber. “Dindas was very open to our approaches,” said Mr Armstrong-Fray. “Perhaps that’s why it has been a leader in its industry for so long. Being open to change can be incredibly rewarding, even for established businesses… it’s in the DNA.”


It’s this same mindset, embracing innovation without compromising reliability, that led to Baumann’s next leap forward. The company’s commitment to evolving alongside its customers has shaped its most ambitious electric sideloader yet.


Enter the Baumann EXL. Making its debut at LIGNA 2025, it builds on the proven advances of the current Baumann electric ranges, adding the ergonomic finesse of the larger-style cabin. The five-tonne capacity is maintained within an impressively compact footprint.


COMPACT POWER, BIG CAPABILITY At just 4,200mm in total length and with a platform height of only 750mm, the EXL is built to work in confined areas where space and efficiency are at a premium. Available with 1,200mm or 1,400mm wide decks, the machine balances robust load handling with agile manoeuvrability.


Under the hood, the EXL boasts an extremely powerful 120-volt system, paired with a high-capacity 120V/700Ah battery and a 14kW charger, enabling sustained high performance across demanding shifts. A feature called X-Plus also adds 150mm outreach, meaning precise handling can be achieved with the chassis further away from lorry beds or machinery, reducing potential damage.


DESIGNED AROUND THE OPERATOR Operator experience is central to the EXL’s design. The truck features the spacious


Above: The Comfort Deluxe cabin features an air-suspended seat,


excellent visibility, and intuitive controls for reduced fatigue and maximum comfort during extended shifts


tapered fork profiles for smoother entry, and LED lighting to aid visibility in low-light conditions. All of these features contribute to a machine designed to deliver peak performance with lower running costs and minimal downtime.


SMARTER SAFETY, BUILT IN As sideloader capabilities evolve, so too must the safeguards. SafeLoad Assistance is Baumann’s award-winning system that utilises embedded sensors to continuously track load weight, lift height, reach extension, and the shifting centre of gravity. With the latest upgrade, a feature called


Comfort Deluxe cabin, complete with an air-suspended seat, excellent visibility, and intuitive controls for reduced fatigue and maximum comfort during extended shifts. Additional operator features include heating and defrost systems, LED mast-mounted headlights, and four-wheel braking for enhanced safety.


As with its predecessors, the development of the EXL required a complete review of every component, material, and subsystem to optimise weight, structure, and power integration. The results speak for themselves. By reducing the size and weight of the machine, less power is needed to achieve high levels of performance, extending running time between charges. With an eye on multi-shifting, there’s also a battery change option thanks to Baumann designing its own battery box.


“The war against weight was won,” said managing director Riccardo Bove in 2016, reflecting on the ground breaking work put into the lightweight chassis of Baumann’s first 120-volt electric series. “The size, battery integration and cabin were all big challenges, but the overall results add up to a truck that is much more than the sum of its parts,” he added. “The demand for five-tonne diesel models will all but disappear,” he predicted at the time.


That same drive for innovation lies at the heart of the new EXL. Developed as both an evolution and a direct response to shifting market demands, the EXL combines advanced electric technology with Baumann’s renowned durability, high performance, and compact design, delivering exactly what modern operations require.


ADVANCED FEATURES AND EFFICIENCY Among its many smart features are a three- point automatic lubrication system, hydraulic fork adjustment for precise load placement,


Active+ means it’s no longer just an alert system; it’s a proactive partner on the job, ready to intervene when the operator’s instincts might not be enough. If conditions approach the edge of safe operation, the machine steps in, limiting travel, locking out mast functions, or halting unsafe lifts before they happen. Active+ is part of a broader push to bring safety and productivity closer together. It’s already winning praise from operators and managers alike for reducing incidents and extending equipment life. And it does so without slowing things down or overloading the operator with unnecessary distractions. The real innovation lies in its ability to quietly enforce good practice, while letting people focus on the job in front of them. Baumann has engineered SafeLoad Assistance Active+ to conform to ISO 13849, an international standard governing the design and validation of safety-related control systems. The Active+ variant achieves Performance Level D (PL d), one of the highest functional safety levels available for this type of equipment.


PL d certification means the system has been independently validated to reduce the risk of dangerous failures and meets stringent requirements for reliability, redundancy, and diagnostic coverage.


“This is the most important safety system ever seen on a sideloader,” said Riccardo Bove. “The level of intelligence and protection we’ve built into Active+ sets a new benchmark not just for Baumann, but for the entire industry. It provides peace of mind for fleet managers and site safety officers, while giving operators the confidence to perform their tasks efficiently and safely.” Having successfully managed another potentially explosive Australian ice hockey match, before stepping out of his skates and into his (Baumann-sponsored) Mini, Craig Armstrong-Fray is already thinking of ways to help fleet users utilise the new technology. “We’ve pushed design, safety, and sustainability further than ever, but the real goal is to help our customers move forward, however challenging the road ahead,” he said. ■


www.ttjonline.com | July/August 2025 | TTJ


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