 Hiab's HiVisionTM 3D control system was developed at the new R&D facility |
On-road load handling equipment manufacturer Hiab has completed its R&D investment in Hudiksvall, Sweden. The new state-of-the-art laboratory is part of an investment of EUR2 million (USD2.22 million), originating from 2014. The investment was aimed at increasing Hiab's abilities to test, validate and verify materials, components and products.
"Our laboratory in Hudiksvall has been in operation since 1981. Today, Hudiksvall is the host of the biggest product development team in Hiab organisation. With this investment, we shorten the development time and improve our quality assurance process," says Stefan Onkenhout, director, R&D, Loader Cranes.
"We constantly improve our abilities to make sure we have the best product offering answering to our customer needs in the market. We have a well-established skill set and extensive experience when it comes to test and verification."
The latest Hiab innovations developed in Hudiksvall are the HiVisionTM 3D control system which enables the crane operator to see the working area and operate the crane from the truck cabin; VSL PLUS, the crane stability system; as well as ePTO, which allows the loader crane to be powered electrically by a plug-in system, instead of the vehicle's engine. "This new product development and test centre will contribute to technical development across several product lines in Hiab," Onkenhout continues.
"Innovation is a key priority for us. We will continue our focus on connectivity and digitalisation, which this investment also supports. Our target is that all of our new equipment are connected and able to communicate with other systems and devices by 2018," says Hiab president Roland Sundén.
"We already have over 15 years of experience of turning crane usage data into valuable information for product and feature development. With this expertise, our customers get to enjoy the benefits of connectivity."
Hiab, part of Cargotec, has a product range that includes Hiab loader cranes, Jonsered recycling and forestry cranes, Loglift forestry cranes, Moffett truck-mounted forklifts and Multilift demountables, as well as Del, Waltco and Zepro tail lifts.