by Jon M. Casey

If you are in the market for the latest in quarry equipment and services, then CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 & IFPE 2017 is the place to do some highly effective shopping! Tens of thousands of quarry industry members from around the world descend upon the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV for this triennial event to be held March 7-11, 2017.

Co-sponsored by The Association of Equipment Manufacturers, The National Ready Mix Concrete Association, the National Stone Sand and Gravel Association, and The Associated General Contractors of America — several industries are represented at this massive event. The IFPE 2017 Technical Conference will also be held jointly in this venue as well.

With 2014’s attendance in excess of 130,000, organizers are expecting an increase for the upcoming event. New product introductions were the highlight of many of the exhibits. In some cases, new companies and re-introductions of old familiar ones, make debuts as well. For example, in 2014, Kobelco Construction Machinery announced its re-entry into the North American market as the sole sales and marketing entity for their product line.

New Products and Services Abounded at the 2014 event

Most attendees expect companies to introduce new products at events like this one. What has been interesting to see are new services that companies offer as well. Companies like W.S. Tyler with their new Hydro-Clean mobile test plant, for example. This W.S. Tyler test unit, can be taken to the prospective customer’s specific site and put into operation on a test basis to see what actual results might be. When testing is complete, the customer has the opportunity to determine, in real time, the cleaning ability of Tyler’s Hydro-Clean process.

Another 2014 example: Allu introduced their company’s new M Series “Monster.” This product is designed for soft rock and mineral mining where one pass at the shot rock, with an excavator or loader, gives operators an opportunity to process the material into a product that is screened and ready to use as-is. By cutting unnecessary steps, from a seven step process to a two step process, the use of the ALLU M Series bucket, crusher/screener, is the ideal solution. The unit is available for 50-80 ton excavators and 50-60 ton wheel loaders. Larger sizes are available upon request.

And so it goes, for five spectacular days. Attendees will stream past exhibits like Terex’s Aggresand line of material washing equipment or through McLanahan’s exhibit where their Deep Cone Thickener Tank and Filter Press gave visitors a vision of possibly being able to do away with their existing settling ponds for wash water. More importantly, attendees can take the time to find the manufacturer of choice for just about any product or service that is a priority. So if you haven’t already, start making your plans to attend, today! For more information, visit www.conexpoconagg.com .