The Manitou group won two prizes at the Italian trade fair “Fieragricola”, which assembles nearly 130 participants in the agricultural field. The “Foglia d'oro” prize was awarded to the group for its “Comfort Steering System” innovation. The MLT 840 and 1040 models of telescopic loaders are equipped with this patented system, which enables a complete rotation of all four wheels at a single turn of the steering wheel – instead of the former four turns –, thus reducing repetitive strain injury by reducing the number of repetitive movements performed by operators of this equipment. The jury, which included agricultural experts and journalists, emphasized the comfort for the user and the increase in productivity offered by this innovation.
Carlo Alberto Razzoli, Marketing Director of Manitou Italia, states: “Our objective is to simplify the daily life of our users. With an average usage of 1,000 hours per year, farmers turn their steering wheels approximately 3,000 times a day! Our patented “Comfort Steering System” reduces this number to 720 while ensuring an excellent level of manoeuvrability. It brings the farmer a number of benefits: improved comfort and effectiveness, optimal precision, and up to 12% in production gains during load handling operations. Receiving an award at Fieragricola, one of the most prestigious trade fairs in Italy, is a great acknowledgment for the achievements of the Manitou group”.
The group, which develops an innovative service offer each year, was also awarded the “Foglia d'argento” prize for its Easy MANAGER connected solution. This tool, available for tablets and smartphones, makes it possible to access the machine's key data – in real time or in historic mode – such as fuel consumption, motor temperature, various operating pressures and other indicators. In addition to the machine's geolocation, this service makes it possible to obtain an initial diagnosis from a distance. This makes it possible for the technician to optimize maintenance interventions, thus reducing machine down time. “Our Easy MANAGER connected solution is a real innovation in the service of our clients' productivity. By gathering a great deal of information, we are able to anticipate usage problems and make recommendations in order to reduce the user's total cost of possession. Our objective is to best advise farmers using digital tools with ever-increasing performance, remarks Pascal Graff, Service Development Manager for the Manitou group.
These two prizes brought the Manitou group's stand into the "tour rosso", a circuit designed by the fair trade coordinators to highlight the winners of the competition.
