The GIC Italian Concrete Days Fair, held in Piacenza, brought a new significant recognition to the innovative capacity of Laurini Officine Meccaniche. The machine “Jocker,” designed and manufactured by the Busseto-based company and already patented internationally, won the Italian Demolition Recycling Award for Best Innovation of 2024 in the “Machinery and Equipment for Controlled Demolition” category.
The innovative feature of this machine lies in its ability to perform “scarification,” specifically milling the vaults of tunnels, with higher productivity and greater safety compared to existing market solutions. This capability reduces maintenance and restoration times for concrete vaults prone to surface crumbling.
“In May 2022,” explained Marco Laurini, “one of Italy’s leading highway maintenance companies commissioned us to design and build a new scarifying machine. In five months, our engineers completed the design, and in the following nine months, we constructed and tested a fully innovative prototype capable of automated, remote-controlled operation, ensuring safety without the need for an expert operator.”
Named Jocker, this machine has already begun operations in several highway tunnels, and industry professionals have recognized its qualities and advantages, prompting orders for additional units. Italy boasts nearly a thousand kilometers of tunnels, with four hundred in need of maintenance involving milling the superficial layer throughout the vault’s span and length before restoring its lining. Streamlining these interventions reduces costs and inconvenience for motorists and truckers.
Accepting the award in Piacenza was Marco Laurini, CEO of Laurini Officine Meccaniche, accompanied by the designers who developed Jocker.
(Source: Gazzetta di Parma)
