EDGE Innovation Award 2010 for Wacker Neuson VDS

Wacker Neuson received the EDGE Innovation Award in the category "Construction and Maintenance of Open Spaces" for its innovative Vertical Digging System (VDS) in the zero to five-ton mini excavator segment.

Within the space of a few short years, the French trade show Salonvert has established itself as a demonstration platform for all areas of planning, maintenance and design in the gardening and landscaping sector. At this year's event, held in September at Saint-Chéron, near Paris, Wacker Neuson received the EDGE Innovation Award in the category "Construction and Maintenance of Open Spaces" for its innovative Vertical Digging System (VDS) in the zero to five-ton mini excavator segment.

Wacker Neuson showcased a broad selection of its compact and light equipment portfolios at Salonvert. Shows of this kind are extremely popular as they give visitors a practical, hands-on opportunity to test the machines on display. Which is in keeping with Wacker Neuson's core philosophy - "from the customer, for the customer". This is captured to perfection in the company's VDS innovation, which relied heavily on customer and market input to optimize the design process.

Real-life products for real-life challenges

The VDS has to be seen in action to be truly appreciated. It enables operators to continually tilt the superstructure of an excavator by up to 15° at the push of a button, and compensate for slopes of up to 27 percent. The excavator can then be used to dig more precisely in a vertical position, which significantly speeds up excavation and filling work, resulting in time and material savings of up to 25 percent on uneven terrain. Operators also remain in an upright position, making it easier and more comfortable for them to carry out the work. VDS functions are controlled either mechanically or electro-hydraulically, depending on the model in question. Increased stability is a further benefit, creating a safer environment for operators and across the construction site as a whole. Exact control and precise results make VDS virtually indispensable for excavation work around obstacles and in confined spaces.

Seven models with VDS

Seven Wacker Neuson compact excavators with operating weights from 1.7 to 5 tons are available with VDS. The technology resonated strongly among experts right from the word go. "We have seen an impressive leap in orders for excavators equipped with VDS. Customers who have already bought or test-driven VDS excavators now only buy models with this option," explains Gerhard Neudorfer, General Manager of Wacker Neuson Linz GmbH. "Word has spread fast among industry experts that VDS lives up to its quality promise, delivering a host of benefits."

EDGE 2010 Innovation Award

Expo Demo Green Europe (EDGE) is a collaboration of four European open-space exhibition organizers: Saltex in the UK, Demo Dagen in the Netherlands, Salonvert in France and Demovert in Belgium. This coveted international award, which recognizes particular engineering achievements, is confirmation of Wacker Neuson's strategy to continue investing in R&D. The jury comprising operators, representatives from trade associations and construction equipment journalists chose VDS for its simplicity and sheer ingenuity. 15° may be a small angle in geometric terms, but it makes a huge difference on construction sites.

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