Constant innovation to create the greenest urban construction sites

On one hand the ground, water, air, and the climate impose a logic of their own and make increasing demands. On the other, the demands on urban sites continue to grow, a sign of economic dynamism. For Mecalac, reconciling these two dimensions means reconnecting with balance, re-imagining for more than 40 years a new way of working, harmonious, efficient, civically responsible and sustainable. Emissions, fuel consumption, noise, vibrations... Mecalac takes the environment seriously and integrates it in the design of its machines at all levels.

Mecalac versatility at the service of environmental protection

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The city is changing and the urban environment must evolve with it. The compactness and versatility of Mecalac machines are inseparable from the environmental challenge that the company very much takes to heart and which is an integral part of its DNA.

In direct contact with construction sites, the people who work in this industry, and the challenges in the field, Mecalac has long made the environment a non-negotiable part of its innovation activities, incorporating it as an indivisible parameter of its research and development work. Thus, to reduce pollution on construction sites in the widest sense, it is certainly essential to work on the machines themselves, but nothing beats reducing the number of machines needed for different site types.

A single machine to do the work of two or three mechanically reduces overall pollution, whether it’s the emission of ambient particles, noise – increasingly important in our environment – and/or visual pollution. The original Mecalac versatility results in a strategic reduction in the number of machines on construction sites as well as optimisation of operating hours and therefore the overall duration of work on site.

Mecalac machines are genuinely operational all day long thanks to their features; most of them, for example, do not require transport to sites and ultimately therefore emit much less CO2. Thus the carbon footprint of the sites is greatly improved. In addition of course to working on components in product design, Mecalac has a long-standing interest in work processes and makes versatility one of the keys to respect for the environment.

Vertical integration or how to prioritise short supply chains

Mecalac chooses to optimise its production flows in terms of the respective national markets, both to maintain the added value within the company but also to limit the carbon footprint resulting from the transport of some of its components. This has the dual objective of preserving the environment and leveraging know-how in relation to the value-adding chain.

For its wheeled excavators for example, Mecalac sources its cast iron in Belgium and then processes this at its Mecalac Hydromo plant, in Albens (73) 30 km from Annecy. The subsidiary manufactures hydraulic components (hydraulic rotary joints, cylinders, hydraulic blocks, etc.) and handles the production of mechanically welded structures (chassis, equipment, buckets, etc.). Located near the company headquarters, this proximity facilitates quality control, timely and quantity-based procurement, and the management of costs.

It is the same story in Germany in the Mecalac Baumaschinen loader production unit, located in northern Germany near Hamburg, which also prioritises the local supply and the shortening of supply lines to reduce costs and the impact on the environment. This is more than just a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment that makes sense both in terms of the economic and the ecological environment.

Combating visual and noise pollution

Noise pollution is extremely disagreeable both on building sites and for residents living in the vicinity and is often not adequately taken into consideration. Mecalac designs and manufactures machines whose noise output is carefully controlled due to the incorporation of this parameter into their design specifications. Each Mecalac machine, in addition to the obvious compliance with standards, goes even further and incorporates the latest technologies to further reduce the harmful effects of noise pollution. Thus in its latest models, the engine of the machines goes into standby automatically with the system stop & start. Nothing is left to chance. Everything is rationalised. As for the factor of visual pollution, Mecalac also takes this into account in the ergonomics and the compactness of its machines.

Their visual impact is optimised and integrates perfectly, both visually and physically, in the centre of urban construction sites. Aesthetically pleasing, taking up the minimum possible space on sites, not causing obstructions since they only use one carriageway, they participate in the life of the cities without blocking the view or making building sites into unattractive places. Mecalac machines regularly receive awards for their innovative design.

MECALAC helps to protect the quality of life and improve safety in urban areas

Technology, user interface, optimisation of performance and versatility, software, compactness are some of Mecalac's answers to its deliberations on the environmental impact of construction machinery in cities. Its ambitions naturally find expression in ever more demanding and sensitive innovations such as the new e12 excavator, which is 100% electric. A commitment that has its roots in the origins of the company as a consciously visionary designer eager to combine industrial performance with conservation of our planet.