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The construction machinery sector in Europe grew by around 10% in 2016 compared to the previous year. The demand for building constriction machines was higher than that for machines for earthworks, civil engineering and road construction. However, despite this positive development in Europe with the highest market level for 5 years, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that the market as a whole is still significantly below the highest level reached during the golden years prior to the construction crisis.
As was also the case the previous year, the European market developed better than the markets in most other regions worldwide. In terms of market growth, Europe is in 3rd place behind China and India. Within Europe, the strongest sales growth was achieved in the French, German and Italian markets.
The construction machinery market is also highly competitive, and is characterised by the typical side effects such as price competition and high levels of competitive pressure. This development in the construction sector requires cost reductions, productivity increases and a reduction in machine consumption, and this is also apparent in the product development work currently being carried out by leading construction machine manufacturers. This trend points to mobile construction machines that are powerful, quiet and highly productive with low fuel consumption. German manufacturers produce machines of recognised Made in Germany quality, but are under increasing pressure to tangibly demonstrate their quality and performance benefits in the form of profitability comparisons.
The range of different products used in construction machinery technology is huge. These products range from compact excavators and chain excavators to compaction machines, wheel loaders, tracked carriers and telehandlers right through to asphalt millers and wheeled pavers such as those used for asphalt installation on extreme inclines of up to 11%, which is quite common in the Alps.
This wide variety of products and the high stresses put on the hydraulics, engines, transmissions and all moving parts mean that both machine manufacturers and suppliers need to be able to provide components and assemblies of reliably high quality.
High levels of competitive pressure, extremely high technical requirements and the industry's desire for differentiation all mean that components are increasingly being developed to be both customer and product-specific. The reasons for this are clear. Standard products are usually available immediately, but rarely achieve the right balance between verifiably long service lives, innovative strength and competitive advantages. This trend towards individual product solutions is met by ttv in the form of its own dedicated development area.
Over recent years, ttv has established itself as a specialist in construction machine technology as well as in agricultural engineering, with its two competence fields of seals and slide bushings. For ttv, typical challenges include applications relating to drive trains, transmission gearing, ring gear seals and axles. Customers usually have a very clear profile made up of previous experience and objectives. Standard products from stock are often not adequate in dealing with the enormous strains experienced in the construction sector, such as continual use in mud, heat, frost or wet conditions. The increasing time constraints also lead to a significant increase in the amount of strain being put on the materials.
This development has lead to the strategic decision by ttv to set up a separate development area for customer-specific product solutions, with substantial capacity to support ttv customers. ttv has an experienced team of specialists in the fields of technology and engineering working in this new area, and these specialists, who are based in Illertissen, Germany, attend to every conceivable detail of a project. Material properties, material composition and design open up possibilities to increase performance, thereby ensuring that dirt, mud and moisture remain on the outside.
