Change for the Better
What does innovation look like in the hire sector? Dan Jenkins reports on how some suppliers approach innovation and who is pushing product development further forwards.
T
he highly competitive nature of the hire market means that manufacturers
cannot afford to make change for change’s sake. Innovation is driven in part by legislation, but mainly it springs from the desire to make things better for the end user.
There are two aspects to innovation. The first and most obvious is a product or solution that is truly the first of its kind, filling a gap the market didn’t even realise existed.
Powering innovation An example of this is ‘erica’, a combined temporary power monitoring and control platform from IDE Systems. “Erica enables construction sites to monitor power consumption, by socket and set timers, to reduce power consumption where not required,” says Marketing Manager Bhavisha Fatania. “Reducing power wastage on sites enables the user to save money and reduce carbon emissions. This can enable clients to right size generators, implement battery banks and other renewable technologies.
“What makes erica different is that the system provides data and control by socket,
allowing accurate decision making. The Executive Hire Show is great opportunity to showcase the product to the major hire companies in the UK in order to assist sites in transitioning to a low carbon economy.”
Another example from the hire sector is Prop Pal, which is revolutionising the way contractors approach wall support. You can find more information on Prop Pal in this edition, in the main article about our Innovation Trail long list.
Greener than they look - the iRange welfare cabins from Genquip Groundhog.
to offer both products to give customers more options.
The second aspect is what we can term incremental innovation. This does not mean simply new bells and whistles on an existing product; it is about taking that next big step in product development. Most applicants for the Innovation Trail fall into this category.
Sustainability Reducing emissions remains a key driver for many companies, including Genquip Groundhog, as its focus on innovation is aligned with its sustainability goals. The welfare unit specialist is working with the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, part of the University of Sheffield, to create a carbon reduction plan for its business.
“We have been working with them all summer,” says Peter Beach, sales and marketing manager for Genquip Groundhog. “Our focus as a business is on carbon reduction so we wanted to put our money where our mouth is in terms of our products, too.”
The 'erica' system enables sites to
monitor and optimise power consumption.
The result of this commitment is the i550 welfare cabin, which has the lowest carbon emissions of any units in the company’s portfolio. It offers additional emissions reductions over the existing Fusion Pulse range, but Genquip Groundhog will continue
“This iRange cabin reduces diesel use by up to 100 per cent in the summer and approximately 90 per cent in the winter,” adds Beach. “It uses roughly one litre of fuel per hour and emits only 0.4kg of CO₂ per hour, so there are substantial savings on emissions. We could go even further but you have to balance the emissions reductions against the costs of the technology and the usability of the welfare unit. The i550 is a significant step beyond our Fusion range and is aimed at those major projects which have a big focus on emissions, like HS2 and Hinckley Point.
The i550 combines a small diesel engine- driven battery charger and fuel tank with a lithium battery, onboard charger and 4x 360W solar array. The generator cannot be manually switched on and only kicks in when the batteries drop to 20 per cent. The heating system runs off a 12V battery and consumes just 0.3 litres of fuel per hour. The Hogwatch telematics system gives the user real time data on energy and fuel usage as well as emissions, plus it produces weekly reports.
The i550 on display at the Executive Hire Show will also feature a flushable toilet, as the unit makes its official debut in Coventry.
32 Executive Hire News - January/February 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86
