Hilti Innovations Honored
Published: 31/5, 2021
Several new Hilti products recently received iF and Red Dot awards based on their design quality and degree of innovation. The Jaibot construction site robot, designed to drill in ceilings and perform work based on Building Information Modeling (BIM) data, received the Red Dot design category’s Best of the Best award, and was certified by the international jury as having a groundbreaking design. An additional Red Dot award went to the construction site robot in the Smart Products category, which evaluates networked and digital products with a focus on their intelligent features.
The iF and Red Dot competitions also awarded seals of quality to a number of other Hilti innovations. They include the PMD 200 jobsite layout tool, which features intuitive operation that makes it easier, and faster, to determine and lay out fastening positions; and the compact SF 4-A22 cordless drill driver, which is particularly suitable for working in hard-to-reach places. Also honored in both competitions were the TE 500-AVR breaker and the TE 70-ATC/AVR hammer drill, which both have powerful performance designed for heavy-duty work. An iF jury award also went to the VC 20M-X and VC 40M-X group of universal vacuum cleaners, which not only handle dust extraction but also the removal of drilling slurry.
Additionally, Hilti’s Jaibot received a BIM Champion Award 2021 in the buildingSMART competition, which is sponsored by three German federal ministries. As part of an award-winning construction project, the Jaibot was able to demonstrate that the drilling robot’s digital planning and automated execution of the working steps can significantly increase efficiency while cutting the time required for the work in half. At the Swedish Nordbygg, Northern Europe’s largest construction trade fair, Hilti’s EXO-O1 human augmentation system EXO-O1 was awarded the gold medal as the most innovative product launch. The jury particularly acknowledged the role of EXO-O1 in improving health protection and safety on construction sites. The passive exoskeleton significantly reduces symptoms of fatigue in serial or continuous activities performed above shoulder level and in overhead work.
The product design awards are not the only sign of Hilti’s innovative strength. Based in Lichtenstein, the company once again ranks among the top 100 patent applicants in the current list of the European Patent Office. In 2020, Hilti filed 287 patent applications, once again ranking among the top technology companies. Last year also saw the Hilti Group launch 74 new products and services and make significant investments in strategic initiatives despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decline in sales.