The RER Innovative Product Award was established in 2003 to honor excellence in new product development in the equipment rental industry. This year the award showcases the most innovative products introduced between Aug. 1, 2005, and July 31, 2006.
First, 4,687 randomly selected RER readers were asked to narrow the pool of 36 entries down to one finalist in each of 11 categories. Two finalists were chosen in the Material Handling and Miscellaneous categories because of a tie in reader votes, which left a total of 13 products to compete in the final round of judging.
Then, another 1,214 randomly selected RER readers were asked to select the product they felt was most innovative in respect to their rental business from the 13 category finalists. One product took this year's Gold Award, while two products came in close behind to clinch the Silver Awards.
Thanks to all of the companies who entered products in this year's Innovative Product Award competition. Following are the three winners and the remaining honorable mentions that won their respective categories. All non-winning entries will be featured in the January and February issues of RER.
GOLD AWARD
Co-Winner, Miscellaneous
WHERE'S THE REMOTE?
Key innovation: Remote boom control operation compatible with any personnel work platform
It's difficult to remember today what life was like before remote controls. Now, not only are car locks, televisions, stereos, DVD players and other household electronics operated by remote control, but so are some pieces of construction equipment.
Gehl Co., West Bend, Wis., offers a radio remote control pendant for its telescopic handler, an optional feature that allows users to safely control the boom — raise, lower, extend and retract — and start and stop the engine from remote locations. The hand-held pendant/transmitter is waterproof and resistant to impacts encountered on jobsites. The solid-state unit features a proportional trigger control for controlling the speed of the boom. On Gehl's DL Series telescopic handlers, the receiver is located in the storage area of the machine. On its RS Series, the receiver is located near the battery.
Gehl says it is the only forklift manufacturer that offers a telescopic handler radio remote control. Though a few other manufacturers have offered hard-wired boom controls in an optional personnel platform, those systems are priced higher and don't permit remote operation with other attachments or from other locations, says Michael Bullock, director of product management for Gehl.
The remote boom system, which complies with the ANSI B56.6 safety standard, can be used with any personnel work platform. It was developed in a coordinated effort between Gehl Engineering, the radio manufacturer Omnex, and its distributor Dakota Fluid Power. Engineered with spread-spectrum, frequency-hopping transmitter and receivers — the latest technology, according to Bullock — the remote boom control is designed to add versatility to an aerial work platform in a cost-effective and safe manner.
“It's the wave of the future, as engineers and product developers use advances in technology to invent products that are better, more efficient and less expensive to improve our lives,” says Bullock.
The radio remote control system is both a labor and time saver for operators who no longer need to worry about trying to communicate with a machine operator below. It permits the user to operate the boom from the work platform, which means that it is not necessary to have an operator sitting in the operator's station, increasing productivity on the jobsite.
“And when the telescopic handler is used in a material handling operation, this product permits the user to locate himself to see exactly where the load is, rather than sitting in an operator's compartment, which can be more than 50 feet from where the load is being landed,” Bullock says.
Contractors can save time by using the radio remote system to set trusses, for example, without having a person in the machine and another person at each end of the truss. Two people can now do the same job that it used to take three people to do. And for smaller, more manageable loads, one man can now complete a job that used to require two people. Additionally, there is no need for an operator to sit in the machine full-time while the remote control is in use. Safety is improved because the operator can use the remote to put himself in an area where he can clearly see where he wants to place the material.
SILVER AWARD
Co-Winner, Miscellaneous
STOPPING TRAFFIC
Key innovation: Safe, one-man traffic cone management
At one time or another we've all observed workers on a jobsite and thought to ourselves: There's got to be a better way to do that. Well, that's exactly how the concept for the AutoCone 130 traffic cone management system was born.
Commuting to work across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on a cold, rainy, windy day in 2003, an employee of Centreville, Md.-based Centreville Manufacturing watched a work crew setting cones in the bad weather and started thinking about how the process could be automated and made safer.
In late 2003, the company began developing the first prototype, deciding on the machine's drum design and a rotating-arm method of deploying cones. Engineering the pick-up process was more challenging.
“After some crude attempts with some 2×4's and a forklift, we zeroed in on an idea and came up with a method that knocks the cone over then picks it up,” says John Doran, president.
The engineers responsible for developing the first prototype and sellable unit were Jeff Hobson and Bob Walls, who assisted in designing the drum and cone deployment methods. Chuck Davis is the engineer responsible for the design and engineering of the latest model, which will be available for sale in February 2007.
The AutoCone 130 is innovative because it is designed to make the dangerous job of setting and retrieving traffic cones safe. In addition, a job that used to require three people to perform now only takes one, resulting in a significant savings in labor costs. The machine is also engineered to either drop cones with the push of a button or automatically at pre-set distances, and it can retrieve cones that are standing or that have been knocked over.
Unlike competitive models, the AutoCone 130 can be towed behind any standard ¾-ton pickup truck, eliminating the need to purchase and maintain a special vehicle. “The machine's power system is self-contained requiring no modifications to the tow vehicle,” says Doran, former top executive of Top 10 rental company Rental Tools & Equipment. “These are great features if the machine is being used in the equipment rental business. In addition, the rental company does not have to carry insurance or require a driver's license to rent the trailer. The renter's vehicle insurance covers the trailer.”
Another advantage of the AutoCone 130 is that it can also handle weighted cones, rather than requiring a separate vehicle to follow behind with a person manually dropping weights on the cones, Doran says.
The AutoCone 130 deploys and retrieves 130 cones, covering a distance of 1 to 2 miles depending on spacing. Though it was originally designed for temporary road closures and emergency situations that require limited-distance closures, the machine can be manually reloaded in about 30 minutes to distribute more cones for larger distances. According to Doran, the company will soon introduce a model that can deploy more than 500 cones. The company will also enhance the machine by making it compatible with two cone sizes.
Customers at tradeshows and demos across the United States have exhibited a lot of enthusiasm for the AutoCone 130, which often draws a crowd to the company's booth at shows.
Tony DiMaggio, equipment director for David A. Bramble Inc., invited Centreville Manufacturing to his office to demo the AutoCone 130. “After our group was finished with all the usual negative talk when something new shows up, we were impressed with the overall operation,” DiMaggio says. “[It's] pretty cool! [I] could see where this product has a future.”
SILVER AWARD
Co-Winner, Material Handling Equipment
TINY BUT MIGHTY
Key innovation: Smooth-touch control system
Mini-skid steers have become a staple in every rental fleet and on nearly every jobsite in recent years. Compact Power's Boxer 427, formerly known as the Boxer Brute TRX, was designed to be the synthesis of what contractors and rental companies demand on the jobsite. Featuring a dedicated-track system with a stand-on platform, the Boxer 427 is engineered to ensure the safety of the operator while optimizing the visibility of the attachment and the job at hand.
Based on customer feedback, Fort Mill, S.C.-based Compact Power developed the Boxer 427 with the rental user in mind.
“We had requests for a smaller, less intimidating unit that still provided big power for the rental industry,” says Karrie Crocker, Compact Power marketing manager. “Compact Power's management team worked diligently with the engineers at Mertz Manufacturing (a wholly owned subsidiary of Compact Power) and created the Boxer 427.”
A smooth-touch control system is key to the Boxer's innovation. “Jerky movements of competitive models promote inaccurate operation, excess wear and tear on the machine, and safety issues,” Crocker says. “The Boxer 427 utilizes a smooth-touch, two-stick paddle drive control, which is ergonomically matched to two loader control handles.”
With a compact footprint of only 44 by 70 inches and an operating capacity of 900 pounds, the Boxer 427 is powered by a fuel-efficient, 27-hp Kohler Command Pro gasoline engine. A two-pump, 3,000-psi hydraulic operating system develops 12.6 gpm of hydraulic flow to run the machine's auxiliary and propulsion systems. And the small stature of the Boxer 427 allows it access to virtually any project, Crocker says.
Contractors often use compact utility loaders as a complete multipurpose tool, and the Boxer 427 fits a broad list of applications, eliminating the need for a dedicated trencher, auger, and skid-steer rental. Allowing quick changing of attachments, the target market for the Boxer 427 includes commercial and private landscapers, garden centers, stone retailers, tree farms, cemeteries, apartment and condo complexes, golf courses, and building and site contractors.
Southern Shade Tree, a landscape company and tree services provider based in Charlotte, N.C., uses the Boxer 427 to improve jobsite efficiency. “The time I spent planting trees was cut in half using the Boxer 427,” says Southern Shade Tree's Evan Hager. “My crew is much more efficient.”
Benjy Gold, another landscape contractor customer, has also experienced increased efficiency in lawn and garden applications. “My productivity has been increased because I am able to get the 427 in tight areas for brush and tree part removal where before I had to do it manually,” he says.
Attachments further increase the versatility of the Boxer 427 and satisfy a wider customer base. Compact Power offers more than 50 attachments, the most popular of which include the leveler, bucket, auger power head and various auger bits, and the 36-inch and 48-inch trenchers. In addition, all Compact Power attachments have a universal mounting plate that fits on all Boxer units, and the company is continuously looking to add new attachments.
“Rental houses that provide the complete toolbox [i.e. compact utility loader, trailer and associated attachments] communicate the value of these labor-saving devices, experience longer rental durations and increased ROI,” Crocker says.
RER Innovative Product Award Category Finalists
The following are category winners in RER's 4th annual Innovative Product Award competition.
More than 4,500 randomly selected RER readers narrowed the field from 36 entries.
COMPACTION EQUIPMENT
Skid-Pac
Key innovation: Skid-steer-mounted vibratory compaction
Allied Construction Products' ongoing product improvement has now taken its Ho-Pac vibratory compactor/driver to a different level with the introduction of the Model 1000 Skid-Pac. The all-new extreme Skid-Pacs have taken the Ho-Pac vibratory compactor technology and put it into motion. Mounted on a skid-steer loader, the Model 1000 now travels quickly over soil in flatwork, delivers more impact energy, has an errorless four-function valve and maintenance-free oil splash bearing lubrication. The Model 1000 Skid-Pac fits all manufacturers' skid steers in the 4,000-pound to 14,000-pound weight range that use universal-mounting quick-change couplers.
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COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Equipment Management Center
Key innovation: Equipment management tool combined with integrated reporting
Qualcomm's equipment management center combines the power of the GlobalTRACS equipment management system with integrated reporting to help rental companies increase productivity and profitability. Customers can view critical business information in a map of equipment location, machine health and more, or in a traditional, exportable report; subscribe equipment to groups and manage by type or jobsite; and automatically route maintenance technicians. Qualcomm's professional services team can work with customers to ensure that data are customized for specific business needs. The service offers one-stop viewing of vital information, from machine location and health to rental status and preventive maintenance timing.
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CONCRETE WORKING EQUIPMENT
Power Blanket
Key innovation: Thaws frozen ground and cures concrete
The Power Blanket is designed to make curing concrete and thawing frozen ground more affordable, fast and easy. It thaws 4 to 8 inches of ground overnight. The curing blanket maintains optimum curing temperature at 65 to 70 F with ambient to minus 10 F. The blanket can cover up to 100 lineal feet or 600 square feet on a single 120-volt, 20-amp circuit. Power Blankets can be plugged together to cover larger areas. Power Blankets are 100-percent waterproof and are designed to be durable and are easily repaired if ripped or torn. At only 1-inch thick, one person can maneuver the Power Blanket with ease. There are five sizes and three styles to choose from. The 6- × 12-foot utility/gravesite thawer is designed to thaw up to 3 feet of frozen ground in 36 hours.
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CUTTING/DRILLING
One-man post-hole digger
Key innovation: Features 4-stroke Honda engine that provides up to 80 foot-pounds of drilling torque
MTA Distributors announces the development of the first one-man auger powered by a Honda engine. Pengo manufactures the new one-man auger exclusively for MTA Distributors. The 2.5-hp Honda 4-cycle engine accepts 1-inch round or 1-inch square hub augers without an adaptor and can be used with augers up to 8 inches in diameter. The engine also features maximum torque of 80 foot-pounds, 37:1 gear reduction, no oil bath gears, gearbox grease capacity of 6 ounces high-temperature transmission grease, and two ¼-inch shoe-, rotor- and cup-type centrifugal clutch engages at 3,300 rpm.
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EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
Worksite Pro roller levels
Key innovation: Designed to do site preparatory work without hydraulics
The new John Deere Worksite Pro RL66 and RL84 roller levels are designed to make grading, leveling and contouring with detail control easier for skid-steer operators. This new attachment — an exclusive product of John Deere — is a patented box blade with roller level designed to do landscape and site preparatory work without hydraulics. As a result, the initial cost and operating costs are less than other final grade tools. Uptime is also maximized since the roller level is a simple mechanical attachment with no hydraulic motors. Two greaseable bearings and two replaceable cutting edges enhance uptime.
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GENERATORS
PowerSource G10 - G125 mobile generators
Key innovation: Low noise and best-in-class motor-starting capacity
Ingersoll Rand PowerSource mobile generators are designed to offer compact design for performance, simplicity and value, and the six G10 to G125 models range from 10 kVA to 125 kVA. PowerSource generators boast low-noise signatures and are designed to feature best-in-class motor-starting capacity through high-quality alternators with AREP technology. Environmental skidbases provide minimum 110-percent containment of all generator fluids. PowerSource generators are multi-voltage capable and feature voltage selector switch protection, an innovative solution reducing downtime and costly damage to the generator. All controls and connection points are grouped in an ergonomically designed power pedestal for convenience and safety.
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LAWN & GARDEN EQUIPMENT
Woodchuck SG-65 stump grinder
Key innovation: Horizontal carbide blade cuts against the wood grain
EZ Trench's new stump grinder breaks away from traditional vertical cutting blades and uses a horizontal carbide blade. This product is designed to make grinding stumps or cutting brush easier because it cuts against the wood grain. The Woodchuck weighs only 160 pounds, and is compact enough to transport in an SUV or pickup truck. A Honda GX200 6.5-hp engine coupled with a transmission that is in oil provides ample power and protection for the Woodchuck. There are no belts to maintain because the transmission is coupled to a 50-hp-rated, right-angle gearbox with a chain/sprocket coupler. The Woodchuck's simple design and operation makes it customer friendly and easy to maintain.
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LIFTS
Toucan Model E33MJ
Key innovation: Provides overhead access and extended reach to confined areas
The Toucan E33MJ from JLG provides rental opportunities to customers who need overhead access with extended reach to confined areas such as those frequently found inside factories and warehouses, where reaching jobs require maneuvering through confined areas and over ground-level obstructions. It features a 32-foot, 9-inch platform height with a telescoping jib boom that extends the platform up to 14 feet, 6 inches horizontally away from the mast. The mast rotates 360 degrees and has a 500-pound platform capacity in all configurations. It has 20-percent gradeability with non-marking lugged tires for inside and outside operation on improved surfaces, a 55-amp charger, 930 amp-hour batteries and a 110-volt AC receptacle in the platform.
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CO-WINNER MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT
Compact telehandlers
Key innovation: Compact size for better maneuverability
JLG compact telehandlers are designed for applications where compact size and maneuverability are highly valued. Model G5-19A has a 5,000-pound rated capacity and 19-foot maximum lift height; Model G6-23A has a 6,600-pound rated capacity and 23-foot maximum lift height. They are designed to feature outstanding operator visibility with a clear-view cab, side-mounted engine and low boom pivot. For operator comfort, they have an adjustable seat and steering column, a standard heater/demister and an optional air conditioner. Both have lower gross weight for ease of transport and use in some demanding applications. They are available with a variety of forks and buckets for use in general construction, landscaping and agriculture.
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POWER TOOLS
HT8 MultiSpeed drum floor sander
Key innovation: Multi-speed options for drum sander
Does your car have only one speed? Imagine a rental marketplace where power tools operate at only one speed with no adjustments for user skill level and no adjustments for job conditions — no adjustments … period. Until now, that's the way it has been with drum floor sanders, Hiretech says. Designed specifically for the tool rental market, Hiretech's new HT8 Multi-Speed is the world's first and only multiple-speed drum floor sander, the company says. This new 4-speed floor sander builds on Hiretech's 50-plus years experience in the rental market and allows rental operators to provide their novice DIYers and skilled users with professional results.
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