We’re into the last quarter of the year, and that naturally means you’re itching to figure out the state of the industrial machinery world leading up to the oncoming future. Come on in as we pull down the cloak to predict some top-heavy machinery trends that are bound to stick around until next year, and possibly even way beyond that. Without further ado, these are the 10 industrial heavy machinery trends that are set to dominate for at least the next coming year. Use this information to keep your industrial workflow ahead of disruptions and your competition. 

Eco-friendly machinery

Heavy industrial machines are notorious polluters of the environment. To lower their environmental impact, there’s a shift toward incorporating eco-friendly technologies into these types of machinery. 

Some leading examples of eco-friendly features of futuristic heavy industrial machines include: 

• Tools there have capabilities to use renewable energy or at least have hybrid energy capabilities
• Energy-efficient features to lower fuel consumption
• Exhaust purifiers that nullify or lower carbon emissions 

For instance, one Swedish manufacturer has built a backhoe loader that can run completely on fossil-free fuel. 

 Low-noise construction technology

You’ll agree that the noise from construction machinery is typically loud and distracting. Not only does this disturb surrounding businesses, but it also creates an unsafe work environment for builders. Not to mention the permissible noise levels for construction work set by some regulators.

That’s why we’re noticing a new trend toward low-noise construction machine suppliers. This design is achieved by incorporating sound barriers that muffle the noise without affecting the quality of work. 

Autonomous heavy equipment

While self-driving excavators and bulldozers remain a work in progress, there’s a trend sweeping in of heavy industrial machines leveraging automation to reduce the role of human intervention. 

This is being done with a view to: 

• Lowering work site injuries
• Bumping up productivity
• Lowering project costs.  

These heavy machines contain sensors and an AI brain to help the piece of equipment decipher its environment and fulfill tasks accordingly. 

Data-driven technologies

Preventative maintenance hasn’t always been so easy to execute, partly due to a lack of equipment data. That’s all about to change as the focus shifts toward construction machinery parts and equipment with the ability to collect data for this purpose. 

These new-age machines will serve as the frontline of collecting this information, which will be put to use to estimate equipment failure and therefore inform preventive maintenance accordingly. As a result, manufacturing uptimes will improve. 

3D printing

The demand for industrial equipment is growing fast, with many people looking to buy and sell machinery. Consequently, this has catalyzed the urgent need for spare parts, which is rampant given that industrial machine failures average 23 hours of downtime a month. 

3-D printing is coming up as a way for rapid prototyping and spare part replacement, helping to realize the following upsides: 

• Shorter lead times
• Lower expenses
• Decreased storage needs (manufacturers don’t have to stock parts in inventory)

The IoT

Imagine a workflow where various heavy industrial machines can work in unison, fulfilling different roles much, in the same way, a human team would delegate and complete tasks toward a common project goal. 

Well, it’s no longer make-believe. The Internet of Things (IoT) is helping to connect industrial machines and their data like never before to improve machine-to-machine collaboration like never before. Still, the technology is in its infancy but we mention it because it has the potential to really catch on in the coming year. 

Customizable industrial machines

Depending on the nature of your workflow, you may want to incorporate different product or part mixes.

Some heavy equipment companies in the UAE are therefore offering consumer-driven industrial machine customization, which involves flexibility in terms of mixing: 

• Hardware parts of industrial machines
• Software components 
• Product mixes and so on

As a result, this is creating a trend of unique heavy industrial machines with highly bespoke functionalities or applications. 

Hyperautomation and machine learning

Tomorrow’s superior machines are informed by the mistakes of today’s flaws, and that’s precisely what hyper-automation and machine learning are all about. These industrial machines incorporate control and electrical automation, which gather data about the performance and behavior of the current equipment. 

This information is helping engineers to create even better heavy industrial machines that are continually improving in comparison with their previous iterations. Consequently, next-gen industrial machines will only keep on getting better.

Indoor heavy industrial machines

Heavy industrial machines have always been large and powerful, and consequently accustomed to outdoor work. But we’re noticing great advances toward more compact designs that have enabled traditionally bulky machines to be used indoors. 

For example, we are aware of the BobcatE10e, a small mini-excavator designed for indoor demolition, making it ideal for work at sites like: 

• Schools
• Hospitals
• Business premises
• Residential homes

This low-noise and compact heavy industrial machine is turning a new chapter in industrial machines for sale.

Free energy industrial machines

Free energy technology enables a machine to generate the power it needs for its operation by itself, with the machine harvesting power from the inertia of its own moving parts. Heavy industrial machines are turning to a new hydraulic hybrid technology to put this concept to work. 

These industrial machines use free energy technology to deliver additional power to the engine system, thereby lowering fuel costs and improving the machine’s efficiency. While were are nowhere near seeing a completely free energy industrial machine in the sense that the equipment generates the entirety of the power it uses, this is a clear indication that this future isn’t too far flung. 

One more trend! 

Here’s a bonus one for you. As the call for environment friendliness intensifies to combat the global climate change crisis we find ourselves in, we’re also noticing that many are gravitating toward marketplaces such as Industbay where you can buy and sell industrial equipment that you’ve used. This trend is helping to keep more equipment and their not-so-environmentally friendly constituents out of land refills, while also easing the financial strain on manufacturing workflows. Do you want to know what else is ruling the world of industrial machinery? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know!