In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges in hydraulics technology in the construction industry and how can ARGO-HYTOS help with its solutions?

I would currently see the tense global economic situation and the simultaneous pressure to innovate towards new solutions for climate neutrality as the biggest challenge. On the one hand, our customers and we have to face the growing competition and the associated cost pressure. On the other hand, machine manufacturers and we are being called upon to make mobile machinery ever more efficient, productive and sustainable.
The necessary adaptation of individual drive components alone will not be enough. Rather, it is necessary to take a holistic view of drive concepts. In this step, fluid technology faces the challenge of reacting to changing market requirements and contributing its own innovations.
The strength of ARGO-HYTOS lies in our knowledge of the construction machine application and in designing our products precisely to meet the needs of its drive concepts and systems.
In addition, the cooperation as a member of the VOITH Group offers the opportunity to overcome the existing limits of our product portfolios together and to break new ground.

What could new drive concepts in the hydraulics sector look like for the construction industry?

We are seeing a multiplication of possible drive concepts. While the diesel-powered combustion engine has usually been the primary energy source up to now, we are seeing a trend towards (battery-powered) electrification, particularly in machines in lower performance classes. This means that the drive systems behind them, such as the working hydraulics, must also adapt to the changing boundary conditions in order to maximize the cost/benefit ratio of the overall vehicle.
In addition to battery-electric solutions, combustion engines are currently often indispensable in mobile machinery, as the required energy and power densities, availability and costs can only be achieved with these.
Nonetheless, the changing requirements here also require a new look at the underlying system architectures and components. This applies regardless of whether diesel, sustainable e-fuels or hydrogen are used as energy source.

Ultimately, it is the user who decides which drive concept will primarily prevail for which construction machine in the future. It is not only acquisition and operating costs, machine performance, availability and robustness that play a key role. Ultimately, there must always be a general technical acceptance of an alternative drive concept - comparable to the increasing acceptance of battery-electric cars on the road.

How do ARGO-HYTOS solutions contribute to sustainability?

We think “sustainability” on various levels in order to operate successfully in an ecological, fair and long-term manner.
On the one hand, this is reflected in the customized design of our hydraulic drive systems and components for our customers. This means performance adapted to the work task and consequently lower energy consumption and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
On the other hand, the product design itself already holds potential in terms of sustainability.
For example, the choice and weight of materials for components designed for machine service life play just as important a role as the efficient use of materials for filter elements that need to be changed regularly.
Last but not least, we are constantly developing our processing methods and production technologies with the aim of making them as energy-efficient and resource-saving as possible.

ARGO-HYTOS is not exactly associated with alternative or electric drives, what can you tell us about this?

As part of the VOITH Group, we want to live up to our reputation as an innovative technology company in the field of drive technology. Driving forward the energy and mobility transition is a central aspect of VOITH TURBO's mission, which also includes ARGO-HYTOS.

This does not only include the conversion of the energy source and the first energy conversion, the so-called “prime mover”, in our customers' machines. In order to exploit the maximum potential, it is necessary to consider the entire drive concept from the energy source to the final work task such as a movement or force. In the field of mobile machinery, working hydraulics will continue to play an important role in the future and open up new opportunities.
Traditionally, ARGO-HYTOS not only develops and produces pure hydraulic components such as valves and filters, but also designs the appropriate hydraulic system architectures between the drive motor and the final output together with the machine manufacturer. Our system experts in particular have always thought in terms of “alternative” drives - whether electric or powered by a combustion engine.

We are therefore responding to the increasing diversity of new drive concepts and their special features with comprehensive expertise and innovation competence. By working together with VOITH, we can continue to utilize these strengths and drive innovation forward in order to meet the changing and growing needs of the market.

What do you personally expect from bauma 2025? What impetus could the trade fair provide for the construction industry?

Our trade fair appearances require a high level of commitment, permanent presence and the best possible communication. During a bauma week, this can only succeed if your own motivation and the “joy of doing” remain constantly high.
I am looking forward to an intensive exchange with our customers, new contacts, industry experts and old acquaintances.
I hope that the “live trade fair” platform will help the entire construction industry to find ways out of the current difficult situation and spread much-needed optimism. The opportunity is there.