The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability and workplace safety, and the growing importance of technologies such as the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and robotics. In the last three years alone, there have been over 248,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Modular construction in Construction: Paving material distributing machine. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 179,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the construction industry, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Paving material distributing machine is a key innovation area in modular construction
A paving material distributing machine is used to distribute and lay asphalt or concrete pavement evenly and smoothly on flat surfaces such as roads, helping to improve the efficiency and quality of paving work, reduce manual labour, and produce a smoother, more durable and aesthetically pleasing pavement surface. The machine consists of a large, heavy-duty hopper that holds the paving material and a conveyor system that moves the material from the hopper to an adjustable screed, which is a flat, metal plate attached to the back of the machine that levels and smoothens the material.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 10+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of paving material distributing machine.
Key players in paving material distributing machine – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to paving material distributing machine
| Company | Total patents (2021 - 2023) | Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies |
| Deere & Co | 492 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Caterpillar | 235 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Astec Industries | 56 | Unlock Company Profile |
| AB Volvo | 38 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Fayat | 34 | Unlock Company Profile |
| MOBA Mobile Automation | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| GOMACO | 30 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sumitomo Heavy Industries | 23 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Guntert & Zimmermannst | 17 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sany Group | 16 | Unlock Company Profile |
| AWAX | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Hexagon | 15 | Unlock Company Profile |
| China Communications Construction Group | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Topcon | 8 | Unlock Company Profile |
| XCMG Construction Machinery | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology | 7 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Chengdu Xinzhu Road&Bridge Machinery | 6 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Sistemi Tecnologici Holding | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
| Shijiazhuang Chenqi Technology | 5 | Unlock Company Profile |
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
The leading patent filer in the paving material distribution machine space is Deere, which has recently filed a patent for a screed assembly for use on a road finisher. The screed assembly comprises a control unit and two separate compacting devices. The control unit allows the operator to configure the machine to activate or deactivate the second compacting device, which can be used in a delayed manner relative to the first compacting device. Other leading companies in the space include Caterpillar, Astec and Fayat.
In terms of application diversity, the leading companies are Topcon, Hexagon and Deere. In terms of geographic reach, the leading companies are AWAX, Volvo and Deere.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Construction.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
