What to expect at Hillhead 2022

This year’s Hillhead marks a welcome return to real life events, following last year’s decision by organisers The QMJ Group to postpone the show by 12 months in line with the UK government’s Covid-19 restrictions. The quarrying, construction and recycling show looks set to make up for lost time, hosting over 600 exhibitors, with significant new releases on the stands.

Bobcat will present new products from its new R-Series telehandler range. (Photo: Bobcat)

Among them will be Bobcat, presenting new products from its new R-Series telehandler range - which includes 12 models, all with Stage V engines.

Bobcat will show telehandlers from both ends of the range, which covers lifting heights from 6 to 18 m with maximum lifting capacities between 2.6 and 4.1 tonnes. Also on show will be R2-Series mini-excavators and the L85, the first model in the company’s compact wheel loader range.

Doosan will also show new products for the first time, including the latest versions of the company’s large crawler excavators from 36 to 53 tonne, the next generation of Doosan mini-excavators, new compact wheel loaders and the new DX100W-7 10 tonne wheeled excavator representing Doosan’s first entry into the 10 tonne weight class and designed for urban and road maintenance applications.

Heavy-duty equipment

Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe will showcase heavy line equipment for the quarrying sector, headlined by the UK debut of the HX480AL 48 tonne crawler excavator.

Powered by a Stage V Cummins engine, its increased pump size enables it to work at lower rpm for greater fuel efficiency. Also on the stand will be products from the heavy-duty wheeled loader, wheeled excavator and crawler excavator ranges – including the latest A Series models.

Hyundai’s HX480AL 48-tonne crawler excavator will make its UK debut at Hillhead this year. (Photo: Hyundai Construction Equipment)

Case will show its 2021–22 machine launches, with the display also marking the company’s 180th anniversary. The line-up will include three excavators from the E-Series crawler excavator range and seven models from the D-Series mini-excavator range, including a new electric machine.

The Wirtgen Group stand will feature sustainable, cost-effective products for earthworks, road construction, and materials processing, with debuts including the Kleemann Mobicat MC 110(i) EVO2 jaw crusher, Mobicone MCO 90(i) EVO2 cone crusher and Mobiscreen MSS 802(i) EVO screening plant for coarse elements.

Hillhead will also see the global launch of the W 100 Fi one-metre-class milling machine from Wirtgen’s new range of compact milling machines.

Hydraulic tools manufacturer Enerpac will release new cutting and pulling tools and load skates, while the stand will also feature torque wrenches, compact and high-tonnage cylinders, hydraulic pumps, and flange-spreading tools.

The LGM-Series mechanical lock-grip puller is designed for pulling small-to-medium-size wheels, sprockets, bearings, and other similar shaft-mounted parts. Its self-centring closing system allows all jaws to move simultaneously, making it easy for a single operator to mount and operate the puller.

For heavy-duty bar cutting, Enerpac will show the EBE-Series portable electric bar cutter.

Meanwhile UK pump specialist DXB Pump & Power will be launching the new DE250/160 high head dewatering pump as part of its Stage V engine driven pumpsets or IEC electric motor driven pumpsets. Also on display will be DXB’s slurry and smaller dewatering pumps, including as the SS300/70 Stage 5 Slurry Pumpset.

Live demonstrations at Hillhead

This year’s Quarry Face demonstration area will host large excavators and face shovels over 40 tonnes; hydraulic breakers; large wheel loaders; rigid and articulated dumptrucks; crushing and screening buckets; cold planers; jaw crushers and mist cannons.

Demonstrations will include Case, Corgin, Doosan, Finning Cat, Hidromek, Hitachi, Hyundai, Komatsu, Liebherr, Liugong, MB Crusher, Miller, Rokbak, Sany, SMT, Volvo, Terex, Finlay, Worsley Plant.

Meanwhile the ‘Crusher Alley’ area will feature tracked and skid-mounted crushers and screens, scalping grids and stockpiling conveyors; and the recycling demonstration area will see construction and demolition waste imported on to the site to feed a range of specialist crushers, shredders and screens.

Wirtgen Group’s Kleemann Mobicat MC110(i) EVO2 jaw crusher. (Photo : Wirtgen Group website)

Hillhead organisers have introduced sustainability and digital initiatives this year, including a car sharing ‘Liftshare’ facility, HVO fuel to power main and registration pavilions and improved recycling options for visitors’ waste.

The show has also partnered with BauWatch to provide a solar-powered security solution throughout the site using their ‘Solar Duo’ self-powered tower system.