ET march 2017

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SPOTLIGHT

Northeast to Drive Equipment Demand

VOL. 1  ISSUE: 2  MARCH 2017  PRICE: W100

Machinnovators The Spirit of Innovation

16 Budget Bites 18 CT Awards 2016 34 Interaction

36 Skilling Up 42 Aftermarket 49 Fleet Management

53 Milestones 64 Soft Solutions


LAUNCHED

The launch of EQUIPMENT TIMES by the veterans of the Construction Equipment Industry at Construction Times Awards 2016.

Best Construction Equipment Company Case New Holland Construction Equipment India, Shalabh Chaturvedi, Head Marketing CASE CE India

Best Equipment Finances Company SREI Equipment Finance Devendra Kumar Vyas, CEO, Financial Services, SREI Equipment Finance

Best Concrete Equipment (Medium) Company Of The Year KYB - Conmat, Nagesh Kudva (Marketing Director), Chandrakant Munshi(Director), Sailaj Verma ,(Sr. VP, Marketing), KYB Conmat

Best CSR Activity Mahindra & Mahindra - Truck & Bus Division, Rajkumar Gupta, National Tipper Head, Mahindra & Mahindra, Truck & Bus Division


Best CSR Activity Fellowship Program - JCB India Kehkeshan Alam, Assistant General manager CSR, JCB India

Best Concrete Equipment (SME) Company Ajax Fiori Engineering India Jagadish Bhat, CEO Ajax Fiori Engineering (I)

Best Equipment Manufacturer Promoting IESC Skilling & Certification Larsen & Toubro Construction & Mining Machinery Anand Kumar and Naresh K Thakur DGM & Head – Training

Best NON – OEM IESC, Training Partner Maximum Certification SBZ Institute of Technology, Sholapur Arun Pai, GM, Product Support Construction & Mining Machinery Business



FROM THE DESK

Editor In Chief Ramamurthy Mayavan editorconstructiontimes@gmail.com Director Communication Kranti Shanbhag

SUSTAINING THE MOMENTUM Momentum is a word we are familiar with. In simple terms, it is the quantity of motion of a moving body; the more momentum a moving object has, the harder it is to stop. Metaphorically, it can be the impetus and driving force gained by the development of a process or course of events. From the economic growth perspective, especially from earthmoving and construction equipment industry’s perspective, the roads and highways sector was leading the growth momentum, to an extent supported by the activities in the mining sector. The tangible impact is there to see, an uptake in sales of equipment, where some segments like excavators and compactors registering sound growth. However, sustaining this growth momentum, other cylinders needed to fire, at a time. That is what the industry hoped for, even when demonetisation seemingly to have stolen the wind from the sail. Thanks to the Union Budget 2017-18, the focus has broadened adding fuel to sectors like real estate, railways, aviation and agriculture, and we expect not only the momentum to be sustained, but be accelerated. The budget has a strong infrastructure flavour. With an all-time high investment of Rs. 3,96,135 crore for infrastructure,1.31 lakh crore for railways, coupled especially with the thrust given to real estate sector, the growth momentum is expected to accelerate. The simplification of rules qualifying affordable housing, tax holiday under 80 IBA, and infrastructure status to this segment are significant moves. This augurs well for the OEMs, especially manufacturers of concrete equipment, cranes and men and material handling equipment segments, which have been hit hard in the last couple of years. The Indian Automotive industry too, especially the commercial vehicle industry, is expected to witness positive traction owing to increase in investments in the infrastructure. India may have lost its tag of the fastest growing economy due to demonetisation. However, the global spotlight has not dimmed. The initiatives to make India a more attractive destination for investment through a proposal to amend FDI policies, to enhance transparency in political funding, and clamping down on black money generation – we feel the signals are clear and strong enough to the global economy. The best of India is yet to be unearthed and that as an economy, India continues to be a sought after trade destination. We hope the budget will help sustain the growth momentum.

Ramamurthy Mayavan

6 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

*Executive Editor Agith G. Antony agith.equipmenttimes@gmail.com Asst. Editor Kartiki Lawate Sr. Manager Sales & Marketing Sampat Dam sampat@constructiontimes.co.in Creative Head Rakesh Kawale For Subcription constructiontimes02@gmail.com Registered Office ARK Events & Media Pvt. Ltd. S-02, Haware Fantasia Business Park, Second Floor, Near Inorbit Mall, Sector 30-A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai - 400 703 Tel.: 022 650 67220/22/23/24 www.constructiontimes.co.in *Responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867. All rights reserved. While all efforts are made to ensure that the information published is correct, EUIPMENT TIMES holds no responsibility for any unlikely errors that might occurr.

Printed & Published by Mr. Ramamurthy T. Mayavan on behalf of M/s. ARK EVENTS & MEDIA PVT. LTD. Printed at NAS PRINTING PRESS & PACKAGING at.: 316, Floor - 3, Todi Industrial Estate. N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Jacob Circle, Mumbai - 400011. Published from at: S-02, Haware Fantasia Business Park, Second Floor, Near Inorbit Mall, Sector 30-A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai-400 703 Editor:- Ramamurthy T. Mayavan


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Content 22 COVER STORY MACHINNOVATORS – Moving Beyond the Yellow Iron Huge levels of disruption in virtually all industries; digitization changing the rules of the game; advances in technology combined with increased globalization impacting even the structure of modern business... The message is crystal clear - innovation is the key. Agith G Antony tracks the innovative spirit of the OEMs.

38 FOCUS Spreading Its Wings Schwing Stetter India’s foray into non-concrete related construction machinery gives it an edge in delivering quality solutions to the infrastructure sector.

SPOTLIGHT 64

‘There is a huge opportunity for small and medium size equipment with high end technology.’ Anand Sundaresan, President, ICEMA

18 CONSTRUCTION TIMES AWARDS 2016

42 AFTERMARKET

65

Jasmeet Singh, Head-Corporate, Communications and External Relations, JCB India

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68

8 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

‘For northeast projects asphalt plants with output from 80 – 124 TPH are in demand.’ Karan Parikh, Managing Director, Linnhoff India

Taking a Big Lead in ‘Rebuild’ Initiatives

With sole objective of restoring high uptime at lower costs, L&T Product Support has taken a big lead in rebuild initiatives.

“Life cycle cost of equipment needs to be taken care in tenders.”

“There is inadequate capacity of OEM dealers and network for repair facilities.” Dr. S S Porwal, VSM, Additional Director General of Border Roads (Addl DGBR) Border Roads Organisation MoD, Govt. of India



Content 46 SPECIAL

49 FLEET MANAGEMENT Connecting the Miners and Mining Machines Bosch is harnessing its multiple competencies to offer meaningful insights during surface mining operations.

50 FEATURE

Concreting Solutions across the Value Chain With the launch of a variety of equipment, KYB Conmat has geared up to be a complete solutions provider throughout the entire value chain.

64 SOFT SOLUTIONS Packing a Punch Volvo CE and Caretrack put together forms a potent combination helping SDM reach great heights in their business.

Scripting a Sustained Success Story mtandt has added more threads through various tie ups to promote innovative products to spice up the well scripted success saga.

36 SKILLING UP Transforming the Skill Landscape The IESC has come a long way transforming the skill landscape in the infrastructure equipment sector.

MILESTONES Ajax fiori....

53

Caterpillar ....

54

JCB India....

56

Komatsu ....

57

Liebherr.....

58

LiuGong India ....

59

SDLG.... 60 Volvo CE India....

62

Wirtgen India ....

63

PLUS 70

ABB to set up Digital SimulationCenter

The new digital simulation centre will provide an exposure in the areas of modeling, simulations and design 10 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

From the Desk....

06

Headlines ....

12

Around the Globe....

14

Budget Bites....

16



Headlines

Indian CE Revenues on an Uptrend

Atlas Copco Expands Bucket Crusher Range

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y FY20, construc­tion equipment ind­ust­ry’s revenue is estimated to reach to US$ 5 billion. Revenues increased at a CAGR of 8.38 per cent during FY07- 14 and are further estimated to rise at a CAGR of 2.34 per cent between FY07-20, owed to the rapid infrastructure development, undertaken by the Government of India. In FY16, India construction equipment industry grew at a YoY of around 3.45 per cent over the previous year, according to India Brand Equity Foundation. The recent budget has given sufficient thrust across sectors such as transport, infrastructure development including rail, road, highways, and PMGSY program etc. Till now the industry witnessed roads and highway sector leading the growth momentum. With this budget the focus has broadened which augurs well for the construction equipment industry.

Wirtgen Milliing Machine Comes in Handy

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irtgen’s 1.3 meter class milling machines with front loading belt conveyor Model W 130 F helps G R Infra Projects to convert the 82km – Jodhpur-Pali 2 lane highway to 4 lane successfully. Approximately 10 lacs of sq meters has been milled with varying depth of 100 to 200 mm. Entire material is then stocked at yard for further processing. After dismantling the pavement using milling machine a granulated, bitumen coated material is obtained which ready to use in WMM, GSB, hot mix & cold mix layers. “Milling offered perfect solution for our 2 lane conversion to 4 lane project as we could salvage the 100% bituminous pavement by milling and with Wirtgen milling machines we could achieve a daily milling performance of 3000 sq meter with varying depths. We could reuse the milled material in various applications. We have 4 milling machines from Wirtgen and really are very happy with performance and support from Wirtgen.” Stated Vinod Agarwal, Managing Director, GR Infra. 12 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

tlas Copco launched its next game-changing generation of bucket crushers, BC 2500 and BC 3700, robust attachments offering up to 30% higher output with significantly less maintenance. Atlas Copco has added two models, BC 2100 and BC 5300 expanding the BC range of bucket crushers with service weights of 2000-5300 kg, suitable for carriers weighing 18-54 tonnes. The advanced twin-drive system comprises two powerful hydraulic motors. The sturdy timing belt is designed for long service life and the system provides huge torque right from the start. Full loading capacity can be used without risk of blockages and the absence of slippage during start-up ensures constant power transmission and no extra load on the bearings. The automatic anti-lock mechanism gives continuous repositioning of the material, ensuring that even larger pieces are guided automatically in the direction of the crushing jaw.

NHAI unlikely to Meet the Target for FY2017

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espite the fact that the road sector has witnessed resurgence in recent quarters due to several policy initiatives, the National Highway Authority of India seems unlikely to meet the awards and the execution of road projects in FY2017, according to a recent report from ICRA. “The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) planned to increase both the awards

and the execution in FY2017 by 2.5 times from that of the FY 2016 levels. For NHAI, the targets are steep with planned execution of 8000 km (@21.92 km/day) and awards at 15,000 km. During 8MFY2017, 41 projects totalling 2598 km were awarded. NHAI now intends to award a total of 6,615 km in FY2017 which is 44% of target awards. Although the pace of execution increased by 17% during 8M FY2017 to 5.82 km/ day from 4.96 km/day, during 8M FY2016; it is just 27% of target execution of 21.92 km/ day. Therefore, in terms of both award and execution, the NHAI is expected to miss the target by a wide margin,” says the report.

KYB Forays into New Vertical

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YB Conmat has ventured into passen­ ger and materials hoists segment with the launch of new genera­tion rack and pinion construction elevator. The new RPCE 10 rack and pinion hoist comes with 1 tonne payload capacity and 2x1x2.1 meter cage size. The elevator delivering speed of 28 m/ minute, powered by 2 nos of 4kw gear boxes will be able to work at maximum height of 150 m. KYB is offering RPCE 15, 1.5 T elevators with 2.5x14x2.1 cage sizes for 150 m height, RPCE 20, 2 T elevators with 3.2x1.4x2.1 cage size and RPCE 20P, 2 T elevators for 250 m with similar cage size of RPCE 20. The new models deliver higher speed of operation of over 30% over the previous generation. The elevators are equipped with variable frequency drives for smooth operation.


Headlines

XCMG to Invest $150 Million in India

LeeBoy to Introduce PDM in all its Machines

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X

CMG China has partnered with Schwing Stetter India to set up new manufacturing facility in India and plans to invest $150 million for the proposed production facility. The new plant will manufacture construction and material handling equipment. “We have been eyeing the robust Indian market for the past few years, because of the vast potential it possess. Moreover, our strategic partnership with Schwing Stetter who is already a pioneer in the Indian construction space is extremely valuable to us at this key juncture. We are sure that our products will reach the right audience in the Indian market through this partnership,” states Wang Min, Group Chairman, XCMG China.

CASE Delivers 100th Motor Grader

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ASE marked an important milestone as it handed over the key of its 100th motor grader sold in a year to Jagdish Dholu of Mahalaxmi Infracon at Bauma Conexpo 2016. “I have witnessed good things about CASE graders and dozers. Technologically speaking I think the CASE products are equivalent to 24 carat gold. What remains to be experienced is an equally good product support from CASE India. From my interactions spanning several months with the management team of CASE India, the omens bode well for CASE Construction in the heavy line product segment in India, Dholu commented.” CASE graders really stand out from competition for their world class performance, productivity and fuel efficiency.

eeBoy India will introduce PDM in all its machines in 2017. “We will introduce PDM in all our machines that will eliminate relays and fuses,” says Amar Ramachandran, President, LeeBoy India. “We are upgrading the base telematics system to have advanced diagnostics like monitoring temperature for water glycol, charge-air, transmission oil, hydraulic oil, engine oil, individual hydraulic circuit pressure. This will reduce the need for highly skilled technicians in the field,” Ramachandran adds.

Rs 1100 Cr Loss Estimated

“T

he loss of toll revenues for around 115 toll projects of NHAI operated by private players is estimated to be in the range of Rs.1100 crore for the 24-day period,” reports a recent study on the impact of demonetization on NH road by IRCA . The revenue loss is greater than Rs. 1 crore in most of the BOT (Toll) projects and even in terms of the net realisable fee, it is around 6.6% (24/365*100), says the report. Following the withdrawal of high denomination notes from circulation, in order to avoid traffic snarls, the Government decided to suspend the payment of toll fees at the toll plazas for 24-days which resulted in significant liquidity stress for most of the road projects, except the ones with a sizeable accumulated surplus in Debt Service Reserve Account (DSRA). Classifying the temporary suspension of toll collection as a political event

under force majeure, NHAI is providing compensation by covering 90% of the interest cost and O&M expenses for the period during which tolling is suspended. However, the compensation does not cover the debt repayment obligation, according to the report. ICRA believes that the proposed compensation mechanism could lead to disputes with developers given the huge revenue loss for them.

The SCC800C Cloaks 15000 Working Hours

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he versatile crawler crane SCC800C with 80 tonnes lifting capacity has reached the milestone of 15000 working hours at L&T Hydro Carbon facility located at Katupalli, Tamilnadu. K Kumar, Senior DGM, Production, L&T Hydrocarbon, Modular Fabrication Facility presented a Commemorative Plaque to UmamaheshBygari, Regional Manager, Sanghvi Movers. “A well maintained machine would always have minimal breakdowns keeping the overall site operations on schedule” said Kumar on the occasion celebrating the completion of 15000 working hours of the 80 tonner crawler crane. SCC800C has also performed at various demanding applications like metro rail construction where safety is of utmost importance. Its first deployment in India was in March 2008 at DMRC Delhi – MTG Hauz Khas station where it successfully completed 18 months project.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 13


Around the Globe

Doug Oberhelman, CEO - CAT, Elects to Retire

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fter more than 41 years with Caterpillar Inc, Chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman has elected to retire, effective March 31, 2017. During his time as Chairman and CEO, Oberhelman has reinvigorated the company’s focus on serving customers while also driving a culture of quality and safety. Oberhelman led the company to its highest sales and revenue peak in its 91year history in 2012, and, since that time, has successfully led the company through the unprecedented downturn affecting our key industries. “Our people have heard me say many times that my greatest responsibility as Chairman and CEO is to manage Caterpillar for today and position the company and its future leaders for long-term success,” Oberhelman said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to lead this company, and I am confident in the choice of my successor, Jim Umpleby.”

LiuGong Launches Vertical Lift Loader

Terex Announces Sale of MHPS

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erex Corporation announced the completion of the sale of its Material Handling and Port Solutions (MHPS) business to Konecranes Plc for $ 595 million and €200 million in cash and 19.6 million newly issued class B shares representing a 25% interest in Konecranes. “We believe that the Konecranes-MHPS combination represents compelling industrial logic that will deliver significant value to Konecranes customers, team members and shareholders, including Terex,” said John L Garrison, Terex President and CEO. Garrison continued, “The sale of our MHPS business is a major milestone on our journey to become a more focused, high performance enterprise. We are committed to delivering improved profitability and return on capital across Terex.”

Robotation Academy in China

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iuGong launched its new revolutionary product – the vertical lift wheel loader, at LiuGong’s 13th Global Dealer Conference held recently. The key innovations of the product are the vertical lift loader arms on an articulating frame and the mechanical self-levelling Z-bar bucket linkage on a vertical lift loader – both industry firsts. “This technology will create a new class of the machines. Our ‘truly new’ LiuGong vertical lift loader will be the first ever for an articulating frame loader. We are proud to say that we were the first to develop and will be the first to market the vertical lift articulating frame wheel loader,” said Edward Wagner, Director of LiuGong New Technology and Test, inventor and lead engineer of the technology.

14 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

ovember 2017 will see the opening of a new Robotation Academy in Foshan, China – developed and implemented by specialists from Hannover, Germany. The new Robotation Academy in Foshan will provide training for an annual total of 1,000 industrial representatives in the fields of robotics, automation and Industry 4.0. For the last seven years, the Robotation Academy has been implementing its principle of teaming up with technology partners to stage courses and conferences and provide presentations on future technology trends – all from its headquarters at the

Hannover Exhibition Center. “It is fantastic that we are now in the process of building an international network of technology academies,” declared Thomas Rilke, Managing Director of the recently established umbrella organization, the Deutsche Messe Technology Academy (DMTAC). In Foshan, the new Robotation Academy will be located at the heart of one of China’s leading industrial hubs.

Atlas Copco to Acquire Erkat

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tlas Copco is to acquire Spezialmaschinen und Service GmbH, a manufacturer of drum cutter attachments for excavatorsbased in Hambach, Germany. The company makes drum cutter attachments for excavators used primarily in construction and demolition and for quarries and tunnels. The Erkat brand name is well recognized for premium quality and continuous innovation.

Hyundai and CNH Inks Alliance

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yundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and CNH Industrial has inked an exclusive strategic alliance agree­ment for mini excavator business. Under the 10-year long-agreement with a renewal option for three years, CNH Industrial will market four mini excavator models that will be supp­lied as complete products by HHI through OEM production, and ten other mini excavator models in the form of complete knock down kits through License production.


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Budget Bites

Budget 2017: Bolstering Overall Development A well-balanced and constructively combined budget focusing on the most critical aspects of the economy, such as infrastructure, agriculture and rural India, the industry feels that the budget has managed to press key buttons that are necessary to bolster overall development of the nation. “From earthmoving and construction equipment industry’s perspective, we till now witnessed that the roads and highway sector leading the growth momentum. However, to really create sustainable growth, other sectors needed attention. With this budget the focus has broadened and now includes sectors like railways, agriculture and real estate with emphasis on affordable housing. A record investment of Rs. 3,96,135 crore for infrastructure is a big boost to the economy. The additional liquidity in the banking system, due to demonetization, will finally lower borrowing costs and allow increased access to credit. The massive push in these sectors with incentives for ‘Make-in-India’ will lead to overall sustained growth. The current budget will open up more avenues for further industrial proliferation and augurs well for the earthmoving and construction equipment industry.” Vipin Sondhi, Managing Director & CEO, JCB India

“The budget is infrastructure development oriented one with a clear connect with what was kicked off last year. It shows the vision and clarity of the government. The low cost of capital and easy availability, equipment sales will continue to grow. The budgetary allocation for roads will further instil confidence in our industry. It has not missed out on rural development which is a must for any economy to be robust and enduring. For our industry in particular would rate it as 8 plus.” Rajindra Raina, General Manager – Marketing, Escorts Construction

Investment in infrastructure is boon to the industry and the budget is a growth oriented one that may help bring a level playing field. Still lot be done as we remain in 130th position ‘in the ease of doing business index’. Hope with GST and other reforms we move into below 100 soon.” Senthil Kumar, Managing Director Propel Industry

16 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

There are many positives in this budget as it has given sufficient thrust has been given for across sectors such as transport, infrastructure development includ­ ing rail, road, highways, and PMGSY program etc. Reduction in the holding period for long term capital gain from 3 years to 2 years and advancing the base year for calculating the indexation for cost of acquisition from 1981 to 2001 is very much welcome and could provide a boost to the real estate sector. Emphasis on digitalization to bring in transparency and to reduce corruption is a move in the right direction. The Income tax rebate given to promote MSME Sector is also a very good decision. Anand Sundaresan, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Schwing Stetter (India)

“This budget in essence has reinforced that there is no fundamental shift in the government’s agenda of driving financial inclusion, while not losing sight of economic growth. It is truly a budget which would add momentum to the economy to progress on its transformation trajectory by energizing the diverse sections of the society on a much cleaner platform. Vivek Vanmeeganathan, Country Head and Managing Director, Caterpillar India

“A holistic, progressive and fiscally prudent Budget. It does address a lot of concerns of many sectors, with focus on building parity between urban and rural segment in addition to infrastructure and economic stabilization activity and job creation. Specifically, the Indian Automotive industry especially the commercial vehicle industry is expected to witness positive traction owing to increase in investments in the infrastructure, namely roads, railways and highways. With strong planning, a phenomenal amount has been increased on the outlays, which if utilized well, can lead huge demand and consumption push in the commercial vehicle segment.’’ Dimitrov Krishnan, Vice President and Head of Volvo CE India


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Constuction Times Awards 2016

Champions of the construction and infrastructure industries came togather on one platform at the Construction Times Awards function in Gurgaon, during the Bauma Conexpo 2016. India’s fastest growing construction companies, construction equipment manufacturers as well as construction building materials companies, across several categories, were awarded. More than 200 top business owners, Chairmen, MDs, CEOs, Directors and Marketing Heads were present for the Construction Times Awards. Congratulations to all the winners across

Best Executed Highway Project Jammu-Udhampur Highway project Afcons Infrastructure Anantakumar R, Executive VP, Afcons Infrastructure

Best Executed Bridge Project Roopnarayan Bridge Kolkata Ashoka Builcon Jayant Dixit, COO, Ashoka Buildcon

18 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017


Constuction Times Awards 2016

categories that ranged from project awards to individual ones. This time, one of the main attractions during the awards function was the launch of the new infrastructure and mining equipment magazine - EQUIPMENT TIMES - from the stable of ARK Media & Events. This new offering, dedicated to the construction equipment industry, will highlight stories, present expert analysis and insight, engage all stakeholders and promises to deliver actionable insight every edition.

Best Executed Bridge Project Roopnarayan Bridge Kolkata Ashoka Builcon Ltd S. D. JEUR, Construction Head, Hydro, HCC Best Executed Power Project Indo - Bangladesh Border Line KEC International Rajendra Gupta, VP South Asia, T&D and Nitin Gupta, Sr. Manager South Asia, T&D KEC International

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 19


Constuction Times Awards 2016

Best Power Project Transmission Line from Jammalamadugu to Narnoor (100km) Tata Projects Rajesh Pandey, Tata Projects and Naresh Sharma Head Marketing Communications

Best Executed Urban Infrastructure Improvement Project Elevated Corridor on Outer Ring Road between Vikaspuri to MeeraBagh - PWD (Delhi) Ravindra Yadav, Superintending Engineer, PWD, GNCTD

Best Executed Wastewater Project Integrated Decentralised Sewage Project Mumbai - SPML Infra Sanjay Jain, VP, Human Resource SPML Infra Best Executed Solar Project Of The Year Solar PV Tracker Project - L & T Construction PT & DIC, Solar BU

20 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March March2017 2017


Constuction Times Awards 2016

Best Executed Social Sector Project ESIC – Medical and Hospital Project - NCC A K Yadav, Senior General Manager-BD and Project Coordination, NCC

Best Steel Company Tata structura Brand, Tata Steel Vineet Saraf, Chief of Marketing & Sales,TATA Steel Tubes Division

Best PEB Company Kirby Building Systems India Rajeev Shrivastava and Prashant Ranjan, GM, Sales Kirby Building Systems India

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 21


Cover Story

MACHINNOVATORS! Moving Beyond the YELLOW Iron.... Agith G Antony Huge levels of disruption in virtually all industries; advances in technology combined with increased globalization changing the structure of modern business... The message is crystal clear - innovation is the key.

“I

am accustomed, most of all at night, when the agitation of my soul fills me with cares, and I seek relief from these bitter worries and sad thoughts, to think about and construct in my mind some unheard-of machine to move and carry weights, making it possible to create great and wonderful things.” The famous Renaissance scholar Leon Battista Alberti, fantasizing about machines to aid in constructing monumental buildings, wrote this in 1441. That is the spirit of INNOVATION! 2017... the spirit of innovation in bloom...YES, times have changed, however, the spirit of innovation have moved onto unbelievable heights- making impossible, possible as Alberti fantasized; may be onto higher pedestal which he could not have imagined at all. Today, to be specific, in the construction equipment industry, the spirit of innovation has 22 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

permeated every aspect of product development processes, production; marketing, and even in soft solutions and back up support. No wonder, soft solutions and back up support has had a bearing on innovation of a system or subsystem that impacted the quality of back up support to such an extent that it has become a ‘true differentiator’, that many an original equipment manufacturer harps on. Stimulated by technological advances not only in the construction equipment sector, but also in other related industries, and primarily driven by market forces, the interindustry flow of innovations highlights a catalytic role the construction equipment industry bound to play. And there are the OEMs - continuously and closely monitoring the needs of the customer; and investing considerable time, money and resources to bring innovation in

The industry is moving beyond the yellow iron harnessing the power of big data to offer its customers insights that decrease operating costs, increase uptime and maximize profitability.


Cover Story technology, products and services. Amar Ramachandran, President, LeeBoy India is bang on the target as he vividly puts the importance of being innovative. “Being innovative is a given. While too many people talk about it the reality is that if one is not innovative, survival in today’s marketplace is impossible.”

Photo Courtesy: Caterpillar

Innovative Strategies by OEMs Caterpillar’s Enterprise Technology Strategy, conceived in 2011 and introduced in 2012, defines the key technologies and areas of research and development investment necessary to meet customer needs and sustain Caterpillar’s competitive advantage well into the future. States Vivek Vanmeeganathan, Country Head and Managing Director, Caterpillar India, “Our ‘Technology Strategy’ establishes the foundation of Caterpillar’s product development innovation. It includes four themes – Energy and Transportation, Machine and Machine Systems, Automation and Enterprise Solutions and Factory Technology Solutions. Each theme includes customer-focused goals that serve as targets against which progress can be measured. This effort allows us to gain insights into the voice of the customer for our products and assess trends and impacts they may have on our customers and business.” Caterpillar’s technology strategy is governed through a multi-tiered council composed of leaders from all areas of the business, from the executive office level to engineering and technical managers. One responsibility of the council is to ensure consistent and sufficient funding of Caterpillar’s technology investments. Vanmeeganathan elaborates, “While it is important to innovate and explore many new ideas, our technology readiness level process, a consistent framework and language for developing robust technologies, ensures that only those technologies that can be integrated into new products and provide customer

“Our focus for innovation centers on three guiding principles of the Volvo Group: Quality, Safety and Environmental care. DIMITROV KRISHNAN Vice President and Head Volvo CE India

value move forward in each stage of the development process. Through ongoing execution using the technology readiness level process in 2015, 33 technologies were transferred from research into New Product Introduction programs. “Caterpillar’s continued focus on 3D printing is to bring the additive manufacturing technology from a prototype solution to a main manufacturing method and to use the technology to keep our customers and factories running optimally. In order to make this a reality, we have several concurrent work streams including: Design for Additive Manufacturing, Service Parts, Prototypes and Tooling, etc,” Vanmeeganathan further adds. Dimitrov Krishnan, Vice President and Head of Volvo CE India elucidates on what spur the spirit of innovation. “We are seeing huge levels of disruption in virtually all industries. Advances in technology combined with increased globalization are changing the structure of modern business. In this information age, knowledge counts for little. To differentiate themselves, companies need to innovate to ensure they have a competitive offering that will mark them out from others. So it is against this backdrop that we see much stronger push than before for innovative solutions. It is also why Volvo CE and its technologically-advanced machines continue to thrive.” Says Krishnan, “Our focus for innovation centers on three guiding principles of the Volvo Group: Quality, Safety and Environmental care. We are committed to building the highest quality machines, so Volvo CE models use the latest technology to deliver better productivity and longer uptime. Similarly, our attention to greater safety has helped us create some of the most advanced operator cabs in this, or any, industry. Being committed to environmental care has led Volvo CE to produce machines that achieve its famous fuel-saving capabilities.” “Usually, the primary driver for developing innovative solutions is the competitive market scenario. It is essential to achieve/ maintain leadership position. Customers not only look for innovative solutions but also expect to lower their operating costs to achieve their own competitive edge in their business,” states Vikram Sharma, Managing Director, Kobelco India. He adds, “However, regulations have also been a compulsive driving force in the past decade and a half March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 23


Cover Story

Courtesy: Caterpillar

in several developed markets. This factor has had a limited impact on the Indian market as regulations on emission norms; safety, etc have not been enforced in the real sense.” According to Jasmeet Singh, Head-Corporate Communications and External Relations, JCB India over a period of time JCB India has become the fulcrum for innovation and product development, especially for emerging markets. “JCB’s story is based on the cornerstones of innovation and sustainability. Our pursuit for advancement in business through new, innovative products and services has helped us set new benchmarks in the earthmoving and 24 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

construction equipment industry,” Singh states. “Over the years, JCB has remained committed to innovation – the JCB backhoe loader is in itself a true example

“Research and development at Caterpillar is the means by which we identify, create and perfect the technologies and solutions that help our customers be successful.” VIVEK VANMEEGANATHAN Country Head and Managing Director Caterpillar India


Cover Story

Photo Courtesy: Caterpillar

 The customer feedback mechanism has brought in a paradigm shift in design philosophy of equipment and machinery over the years.

To differentiate , companies need to innovate to ensure they have a competitive offering that will mark them out from others.

of innovation which was introduced four decades ago. Products such as skid steers, telehandlers showcase our commitment to innovation.” Singh further states, “The decision to introduce any concept is market driven wherein various product options which are suitable for the current situation of the market are accessed and evaluated. There is an increased focus on safety, productivity and versatility among end-users and that presents us with the opportunity of getting products with the latest state-of-the-art technology in India. This is evident from the fact that JCB has moved towards now becoming a compelling infrastructure equipment partner. “We recently introduced seven new machines, most of which are in the large category of machines. This required an innovative design approach and through innovation we are aiming at maximising the productivity and profitability for our customers.” He adds, “At JCB, we believe that innovation can either be one big bang step or idea, or it can be a series of small ideas / improvements in a very short span of time collectively resulting in a significant disruption. We have set up a dedicated Design Centre in Pune with 400 engineers who work to develop global as well as India centric products. All JCB products are manufactured on the company

philosophy of ‘One Global Quality’ which means products manufactured in India can be used in any part of the world. These made in India products are very well accepted in the global market and we have already become an export hub for the JCB Group. We currently export our machines to over 70 countries from India.” “Our vision is excellence through technological solutions for customer delight. Any new development is backed by series of stringent quality control and extensive field testing. Innovation at KYB Conmat is a continuous process. We have world class research, development and manufacturing facilities supported by best human resource responsible for product development and service support system, closely monitored by our partner KYB. We believe that profit has no significance if the organization does not play its role, giving back the due to the society, environment and corporate social responsibilities,” avers Nagesh Kudva (Director Marketing), KYB Conmat. He adds, “We build our machines on the philosophy of longer equipment life over initial price. Our R&D team works on continuously improving the product making it better over the years. KYB works on the philosophy of launching its new products after complete field testing to customers specific needs which leads to field testing for months which is time consuming.” March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 25


Cover Story Ramachandran states, “At LeeBoy, our way of constant innovation is to firstly, work with partners who have a defined technology roadmap. Due to this, we already know that out powershift transmission will give way to Continuously Variable Transmissions. We know that we will reach higher in the emission norms and slowly move to hybrid and gradually, to fully electric vehicles.” He further adds, “At the machine level, we have a clear roadmap which we move up based on engine, driveline, electronics, hydraulics, labour trends, job requirements (like higher completion rates, more precision work, etc.). This roadmap is communicated down to every employee at LeeBoy.” Speaking about what spurs developing a radical, game-changing products / solutions for end-user segments requirements Ramachandran, had this to say. “The first step is to identify a feature which would add value to the customer’s requirements. In the past, the Indian CE market used to consider HVAC as a luxury. This did not take into consideration the loss of output and productivity due to ergonomic discomfort. Another case in point is that the new emission norms have driven engine manufacturers to bring in electronic control units on to engines. Interlocks are also built into controllers and transmissions and pumps. This has forced electronics into construction equipment which would otherwise have met with a lot of resistance. The availability of this platform lets us add value without much additional cost as the basic cost of electronics is already built in.”.” “The Wirtgen Group products in road building and road rehabilitation technology offer the most innovative features as we are the market leaders not only globally but also in India, in all the segments where we operate in this field. We take care to ensure that the features which matter the most to the customer are incorporated in the design of these machines.” states Ramesh Palagiri, Managing Director & CEO, Wirtgen India. He cites some examples. “In asphalt pavers there are continuous innovations in the features of machines to improve productivity, ensure right quality etc. Our new range of Vogele Dash 3 pavers, we are at least a generation ahead of competition. Features like ErgoPlus 3 operating concept with colour display, side rain and wind protection, enhanced screed console and a host of other 26 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

VOLVO CO-PILOT Unveiled in April at bauma 2016, the in-house developed Volvo Co-Pilot is designed for use on machines as diverse as excavators to pavers. It uses a tablet computer to deliver a new generation of intelligent machine services, such as Load Assist, Dig Assist, Compact Assist and Pave Assist. Volvo Co-Pilot and the assist-functionalities help operators to produce higher quality outcomes, in less time and with less effort. Dig Assist allows excavator operators to complete digging tasks to a greater accuracy in less time. Load Assist, designed for Volvo wheel loaders L110-L250 delivers real time accurate load information to the operator. Preventing under-or-overloading, the system allows wheel loaders to work to their maximum efficiencies. Compact Assist offers two module options– Intelligent Compaction and Intelligent Compaction with Density Direct. Intelligent Compaction records and displays a pass counter and thermal mapping, while Density Direct cleverly calculates 100% of the surface density. Pave Assist is a family of paver-related modules and applications that will automate many of the paving parameters that today have to be recorded manually in order to meet stringent road authority reporting requirements. Providing a powerful set of tools to improve productivity, quality and site safety, Pave Assist combines thermal mapping, weather view, material manager and (as a complementary option) Volvo Smartview modules.

improvements allows total control over the machine and the paving process. EcoPlus low-emissions package has a number of features that ensure low noise emissions and a substantial reduction in fuel consumption. Also there have been innovations for concrete paving technologies and we have highly advanced slipform pavers in this division.” Customer, a Major Catalyst The customer feedback mechanism has brought in a paradigm shift in design philosophy of equipment and machinery over the years. This has had a huge impact even the way original equipment

“Our pursuit for advancement in business through new, innovative products and services has helped us set new benchmarks.” JASMEET SINGH Head-Corporate Communications and External Relations, JCB India


Cover Story

“Kobelco has maintained its focus on customer expectations and challenges and invests heavily in R & D to develop costeffective solutions.” VIKRAM SHARMA Managing Director, Kobelco India

The primary driver for developing innovative solutions is the competitive market scenario.

manufacturers designed or structured its soft solutions and aftermarket support strategies. Vanmeeganathan cements the fact when he says that “Our strength is integrating customer feedback with ideas and actions to ensure customer success.” He states, “At Caterpillar, scientists, engineers, and technology experts are always looking at innovative methods to make our products and services more efficient, lower costs and provide higher life cycle value. Research and development at Caterpillar is the means by which we identify, create and perfect the technologies and solutions that help our customers be successful.” He emphasises, “Whether we are researching ways to move more dirt with less fuel, developing products that generate fewer emissions or exploring autonomous vehicle solutions, our strength is integrating customer feedback with ideas and actions to ensure customer success.” “Enhancing customer experience is the key,” chips in Sharma. He states, “One of the basic activities carried out on a continuous basis by Kobelco is to have a close interaction with customers working in various applications to identify

Photo Courtesy: Kobelco

opportunities for developing new/better solutions. These field feedbacks are then analyzed and several teams work together to develop the optimal solutions.” He adds, “Kobelco has maintained their focus on customer expectations and challenges and invests heavily in R & D to develop costeffective solutions by improving operating efficiencies. Value addition has been our USP.” “Kobelco has a very strong R & D set-up including basic research on various related fields like metallurgy, hydraulics, electronics, etc. Production systems and processes are also designed internally along with the quality control practices. The same standards are followed at every manufacturing unit and periodic audits are carried out by teams from other units, avers Sharma.” “Customer support is as important – or even more important – than the machine itself. For us at Volvo CE, delivering a machine to a customer is really just the start of our business relationship with that company. With the advances in telematics and remote diagnostics, customer support is one area of our industry that will see some of the biggest advances in the coming years. It’s also something that we at Volvo CE are excited about – and prepared for, states Krishnan. “JCB keeps on improving the design according to the needs of the customer and industry,” opines Singh. He adds, “For example, JCB machines are equipped with unmatched operator comfort and ergonomics to increase the productivity of operators and the equipment. Our newly launched JCB 455ZX wheeled loader has air condition as standard, offering the best in class operator comfort. The large cabin interior offers excellent entrance. The stylish, modern central dash display combines analogue dials and a color LCD screen that displays the health status of the machine, service requirements and operating information. JCB’s commitment to innovation is also evident in its Skid Steer Loaders which have a revolutionising single arm design. This innovation has led to safety on the work sites. Similarly in India, JCB introduced Telehandlers, another new concept that can handle loads at different heights thus, leading to more safety and productivity.” “We always go by the needs and requirements of our customers,” avers Kudva. He adds, “In today’s dynamic environment these requirements change radically as our customers try to stay competitive in challenging business March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 27


Cover Story

Photo Courtesy: JCB

environments. We have seen our customers invaluable input with specific changes what they need which enable them save time and money. Accordingly, we keep improvising our products to make it more advanced, more cost effective and of better quality to meet the challenging requirements. We are always focussed on introducing the right product for the Indian concrete industry which gives low operating cost and minimal power or fuel consumption.” Says Ramachandran, “We use ERP systems to run the plant, an online portal for running product support and customer complaints; telematics for remote monitoring of machines, and advanced telematics for laser control of actuators on the graders in the field. All these backup support helps us assimilate and analyse data quickly and efficiently to help take better decisions. Our parent Group Company’s HO has an artificial intelligence division that is working on fully autonomous and electric vehicles.” He adds, “On our 699 backhoe loaders, all features that are optional on our competitors’ brochures overseas are standard in our models made in India - such as power-shift transmission, 4 wheel drive, hydraulic piston pump, HVAC, pilot controls, clamshell buckets, extended dippers and rock breaker piping.” He further adds, “In 2017, we 28 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

will introduce PDM in all our machines that will eliminate relays and fuses. We are upgrading the base telematics system to have advanced diagnostics like monitoring temperature for water glycol, charge-air, transmission oil, hydraulic oil, engine oil, individual hydraulic circuit pressure. This will reduce the need for highly skilled technicians in the field.”

 With the advances in telematics and remote diagnostics, customer support is one area of our industry that will see some of the biggest advances in the coming years.

A Profound Shift Towards Data-driven Technology Signs are pretty clear. The advancements of telematics and data-driven solutions have become so momentous that it is potentially changing the competitive landscape. According to the latest McKinsey report the sector is about to ‘shift priority from being operations

“The Wirtgen Group products in road building and road rehabilitation technology offer the most innovative features.” RAMESH PALAGIRI Managing Director and CEO Wirtgen India


Cover Story

“Innovation at KYB Conmat is a continuous process. Our vision is excellence through technological solutions for customer delight.” NAGESH KUDVA (Director Marketing), KYB Conmat

The key for OEMs will be how quick they can shift and implement the foreseen future in their strategy, and to ready themselves for the era of digitization.

focused to becoming customer centric’. “As an industry, we are embracing the transformation McKinsey describes”, said Bernd Holz, CECE President and Sales Director of Amman Europe (North). Holz spoke at a large industry conference organised by CECE and McKinsey & Company at bauma, the international construction equipment trade fair held every three year in Munich. “The key for OEMs will be how quick they can shift and implement the foreseen future in their strategy, and to ready ourselves for the era of digitization,” Holz said. What Vanmeeganathan has to say reflects this profound shift. “As the world becomes ever more connected, and our technologies more sophisticated, we are able to create solutions to help the world operate in ways that would not have been conceivable even 15 years ago. One example of this is our ongoing partnership with Uptake, a data-driven analytics

Photo Courtesy: Volvo

and services firm. In 2015, Caterpillar completed a minority investment in Uptake to jointly develop an end-to-end platform for predictive diagnostics to help our customers monitor and optimize their fleets more effectively. This investment developed from early successes of a locomotive project between Uptake and Electro-Motive, a Caterpillar subsidiary.” This transformation has clearly visible in the backhoe loader segment. A couple of years ago speaking about telematics in the backhoe segment was scoffed at; but not anymore. And when one looks beyond the obvious - it is the scramble for a bigger pie in a highly intensive competitive market; and the assured path is to becoming ‘customer-centric.’ Today, most of the players in this market segment offer telematics solutions to the customer. “JCB introduced a revolutionary telematics system in the Indian construction equipment sector called Livelink. This state-of-the-art technology provides updates regarding service alerts, operations and security by using the geo fencing and time fencing features. Our machines are already fitted with this technology and customers with Livelink enabled machines get SMS alerts on their mobile phones or smart devices - the information is also available in real time. Close to 30,000 JCB machines are working and are enabled with this innovative technology,” Singh says. KBY Conmat recently launched two new concrete pumps, SCP 5000 & SCP 7500 with i-pump technology to monitor the operation and fault display. Says Kudva, “The pump is equipped with S - valve technology, and innovative features like new age shaft mounted gear box for more agitating power. It has specially designed hopper to facilitate free flow of concrete for better suction. It is also equipped with first in class modular hydraulic and diesel tanks with radio remote control up to 100 m. It gives i-pump a robust electronic operation controls and management with manual override. Even the stabilizer legs are unique designed to take lateral and horizontal loads while pumping. We also provided on screen display of parameters like pumping hours, concrete output, hydraulic oil temperature, fault diagnosis matrix, strokes counter and engine speed, all for the benefit of our customers.” According to Ramachandran telematics is just the first level. “Telematics is just the first level. At the second level, we will have semi-automated movement like laser March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 29


Cover Story

Photo Courtesy: Volvo CE

control for actuators. The culmination of this would be fully filly autonomous vehicles,” he adds. Challenges Advent of any new technology brings in new set of challenges. It calls for a new thinking and assessing them in a new perspective. However, for innovative manufacturers, these are opportunities. Speaking about the challenges Krishnan had this to say. “The major challenge with any new product introduction is ensuring you get strong enough pick up among the early adopters. New technology requires customers to embrace a new way of thinking, and sometimes that can be difficult in the construction and mining industries. In the mining industry, for example, customers are so focused on achieving the lowest possible cost-per-tonne for their operations, they can be wary of trying new technologies or processes, for fear that doing so will cause too much disruption or downtime within the production line.” However, he is optimistic of the changing trends. Krishnan avers, “We are seeing that change, and especially with increased production targets and a climate of innovation and change. As our customers’ expectations change, then there is a willingness to look at new ways of doing the same thing.”

30 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

Sharma takes a different angle. According to him the prevailing market environment is a major factor in selecting the appropriate equipment combinations. “Market positioning strategy is based on the key market drivers like price, quality, technology level, productivity, field support, etc. India is a very price sensitive market and in the absence of any legislation on aspects like emission norms, safety, etc it is a tough call to bring in any equipment with the latest technological features,” states Sharma. On a positive note he adds, “In recent years, there is a slow and gradual shift towards machines with high productivity and reliability. Operating skill levels could also be a limiting factor in some markets. However, pricing continues

Volvo CE introduced the HX1, a concept loader that laid its vision for the future of the industry. The model has won the Quality Innovation Award from the Swedish Institute for Quality.

“Being innovative is a given. The reality is that if one is not innovative survival in today’s marketplace is impossible.” AMARNATH RAMACHANDRAN President, LeeBoy India


Cover Story THE CAT CONNECT

to dominate.” “The most advanced construction equipment are from Scandinavia. The main reason why they succeed in implementing technology very quickly is that their customers pay for this technology. In most other regions, price would determine what can be delivered on a machine. One of the biggest challenges to making the machine fully modern and current is that market leaders (in numbers / value) don’t always lead the way in technology,” avers Ramachandran. According to him despite the Indian industry follows global trends, we are 15 years behind what is already implemented on European machines.” However he adds, “As emission norms tighten up, skilled labour becomes scarce, finishing deadlines become stringent, Indians will start investing in R&D and parity will be restored.”

The Cat® Connect technology enhances jobsite operating efficiency with its comprehensive jobsite technology and solutions. This technology guarantees intelligent construction through real-time monitoring of the equipment, schedule, quality and safety of a project. “In 2015, we demonstrated how Cat® Connect technology is transforming roadway construction. In a side-by-side study, we compared two distinct road-building processes – 1) traditional road building, most commonly used today, and 2) a technologyfocused approach, using Cat Connect technology. Cat Connect technology includes on-machine hardware and software along with off-machine solutions to automate and facilitate construction. Beginning with the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (a “UAV” or drone) for surveying and monitoring the project’s progress throughout the earthmoving, grading and paving phases, Cat Connect dramatically reduces the costs and impacts of road building. A three-mile stretch of road built with the help of Cat Connect technology requires 37 percent less fuel and takes 46 percent less time, all while offering a safer working environment for the on-site workers,” states Vivek Vanmeeganathan Country Head and Managing Director, Caterpillar India.

Moving Beyond the Yellow Iron Keeping with the demand from customers to make construction equipment cost and fuel efficient, safe and reliable, there are numerous innovations which have been taking place globally. Says Vanmeeganathan, “Data and technology would be core to serving our customers in the future. Equipment and technology is becoming table stakes, but using that technology to add value and make our customers more successful is importance. Caterpillar does this through innovations Cat® Grade with Cat® Slope Assist, VisionLink®, Payload and all the other great offerings under Cat® Connect – that’s where data and technology add value for our customers.” He further adds, “For 90 years, Caterpillar has delivered breakthrough innovation inside our machines and engines. Today, that innovation is increasingly happening outside the machine. We’re going “beyond the yellow iron,” harnessing the power of big data to offer our customers insights that decrease operating costs, increase uptime and maximize profitability. In the process, we’re shaping a new era for Caterpillar in which we not only manufacture machines and engines, but also deliver valueadded solutions that take our customer relationships to an entirely new level.” Krishnan brings in the example of latest concept loader from Volvo’s innovative stable. “Last year saw Volvo CE introduce the HX1, a concept loader that laid out our vision for the future of the industry. This autonomous, battery-powered unit

Photo Courtesy: Volvo CE

Data and technology would be core to serving the customers in the future.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 31


Cover Story INNOVATION – THE KOBELCO WAY Modular & optimized design – All machines are based on a modular concept for maximizing operating efficiency and reducing energy losses. Ease of maintenance and inspection is also factored.

as per the work requirements. The remote monitoring system (GEOSCAN) is a very useful monitoring tool for the user with realtime data on operated hours, working modes, fuel consumption, service management, etc.

Design of various parts – This is highly critical activity. There is a lot of collaborative effort along with key vendors to select the right combination for achieving optimal operating efficiency. Even lubricants are developed in the same manner for best performance and reliability of the key components. Intelligent service panels / remote monitoring systems – The modular display is conveniently designed and placed for the operator. It provides him various setting options for selection grabbed the industry’s attention when it was presented at an event in October. The model has since won the Quality Innovation Award from the Swedish Institute for Quality. Our industry wants higher productivity, better safety, more sustainability and greater automation. With the HX1 we demonstrated that not only can we deliver this – but that it also might be available sooner than you think.” “The future trends, some of which have already started appearing in some of the developed markets, could include increased fuel efficiency, introduction of hybrid versions, greater use of greener technologies for minimal carbon footprint, etc. Kobelco R & D, along with the mission to enhance customer experience, will drive the generation of newer solutions,” promises Sharma. According to Kudva KYB future innovative features can be voice commands, more safety built in features, advanced remote access technologies, greater focus on user friendly and fuel

32 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

Innovations in control mechanism of engines and hydraulic pumps – All key functions are electronically managed through Intelligent Management software which ensures that the required power is available with minimal fuel/energy losses. Innovative features like boom/arm regeneration circuit, variable horsepower control, etc have been introduced. Improved and accurate safety systems – Safety is always a consideration while designing our excavators. Various features on the machine ensure the safety of the machine, the Operator as well of the immediate surroundings. Also, in the event of any problem with the electronic controls, the machine can still be operated by bypassing the system till the problem is resolved.

saving technologies, and a myriad of features that add operator comfort, who is the heart of the whole system. Future Present In an age where advancements come faster and more frequently than ever before, the logic has become simpler. Innovation and using leading-edge technology is to better equip the customer - to provide customer solutions; by reducing potential environ­ mental, health and safety impacts, as well as optimizing operational quality and efficiency throughout the life of the product; developing better systems to optimizes use of resources; and maximizing the total life cycle value of products and minimizing the cost of ownership for customers. How well an OEM integrates its innovative industryleading technology products and services to provide his customer holistic solutions seems to be the key. In a nutshell, the message is crystal clear – innovation ET is the key.

How well an OEM integrates its innovative industry-leading technology products and services to provide his customer holistic solutions seems to be the key.


EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT

HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT

MINING EQUIPMENT

ABOUT IESC The Infrastructure Equipment Skill Council ( IESC ) is a 'Not for Profit' sustainable organisation promoted by the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association ( ICEMA ) and supported by the Confederation of Indian Industry ( CII ) and funded by the National Skill Development Corporation ( NSDC ) to spearhead the skilling of workforce in the Infrastructure Equipment Sector with primary focus on training and certification of operators and mechanics. The Council was formed in August 2014 and commenced operations during November 2014, is governed by 18 member Governing Body from various segments of the Industry along with representatives from Department of Heavy Industries, Academia and National Skill Development Corporation.

MISSION To train over million Operators & Mechanics in ten years To have 5000+ Certified Trainers in over next decade To accredit 400 Training Organizations meeting Global Standards Pan India

Contact Contact: Infrastructure Infrastructure Equipment Equipment Skill Skill Council Council No. 6, Avik Royale – First Floor 23-29, FF5, First Floor, "White House Building" 50 Feet Road (Next to Vijaya Bank) St. Marks Road, (Opp SBI) Avalahalli Extension Phone: 080 42126666/42146666 Girinagar Bengaluru 560026 - 560001 Twitter: IESCBlore www.iescindia.com


Interaction-Sandvik Asia

“Innovation is deeply embedded in the DNA of our company.” Parag Satpute Managing Director, Sandvik Asia

“As a company we invest heavily in R&D and we believe that has been the key to our long term success – Sandvik has been in existence for more than 155 years now.” Parag Satpute Managing Director, Sandvik Asia

What spurs developing game-changing products for your end-user segments? Customer focus and innovation are most important core values of Sandvik. This has helped Sandvik achieve leading positions in a number of high technology products such as tools and tooling systems for industrial metal cutting, mining and construction equipment and solutions as well as advanced stainless steels and special technology for industrial heating. We have an experienced sales, product development and aftermarket team who engage continuously with customers. They develop a deep understanding of the needs of the customer and develop solutions to address these needs – such as improve productivity, enhance safety, increase lifetime, reduce cost of ownership, etc. With the insights from this deep understanding we realise there is an increasing demand for more intelligent equipment with control systems and automation features and therefore are working extensively to develop such products. Having a good understanding of the customers’ operations/application has allowed us to propose innovative solutions. For example we recently introduced a top hammer drill for a surface mine where the customer was conventionally using the DTH technology. They have witnessed phenomenal results in terms of higher availability, faster drilling and lower fuel consumption due to the Sandvik solution. Could you spell out your company’s philosophy of innovation? Innovation is deeply embedded in the DNA of our company; it is in fact enshrined as one of the core values. We define innovation as shaping the future by creating pioneering solutions throughout our operations. The enablers

34 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

in the journey includethe courage to think in completely new ways and embrace new perspectives; proactively share knowledge and experience and constantly seek to improve our ways of working. All this of course starts with understanding our customers’ needs, hence we believe in working very closely with the customers. To what extent soft solutions and back up support has a bearing on the innovation? Aftermarket support has extremely important role in ensuring product lifecycle success. Our professional aftermarket support makes our product offering much better than competition. It is through the aftermarket team that we maintain a very close contact with the customer and really develop the knowledge and understanding of how our products are used – this information is invaluable in improving our existing products as well as feeding the new product development pipeline. What are the major challenges while introducing innovative technology? The main challenge is off-course convincing customers to try something completely new and which might not have yet build up a track record. Another factor includes driving value in a price sensitive market. Now, with the availability of new digital technology we can demonstrate using simulation and detailed value calculations the benefits of new solutions. This, along with the strong track record we have developed, helps to overcome these challenges. Brief us about the R&D? Research is focused on a number of priority areas, such as developing new materials, efficient industrial processes including automation and information


Interaction-Sandvik Asia

Automation and digitisation are the big macro trends across industries and also the CE industry. The possibilities offered by the new technologies such as IOT, remote monitoring and operations, big data analytics have the potential to really improve this industry.

and communication technology (ICT), energy efficiency and additive manufacturing (3D printing). We prioritize innovation based on customer needs. Our Research and development team works extensively in the areas of material technology advances. Productivity optimisation of existing processes and methods spurs new ideas and thinking that lead to this type of innovation. Our committed aftermarket team works round-the-clock to ensure optimum availability and productivity and at the same time resolve bottle necks through innovative methods which builds customer confidence and ensures repeat business. Last year, we launched a record-

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN 2016 • Introduced modular and optimized design methods, especially sub-assembly design which supports improved manufacturability and reduce product costs. • New rotary head design to better match customer requirements from application point. Rotary head included improved design for manufacturing features such as localisation of all components to Indian suppliers. • Logic valves introduced in hydraulic system to optimise system and reduce piping complexity • Upgraded cabin introducing FOPS, improved walkways with anti-slip surface to give better access for serviceability and operation, fall arrest system on all surface rotary drills • New surface drill with common platform approach for steel structures for one machine to cover rotary and DTH applications

breaking number of new products and solutions, more than 15,000 in Sandvik Machining Solutions alone. Our global statistics are a proof of our commitment towards R&Din shaping a sustainable future. We have about 2700 employees worldwide, 60 centers around the world and 8000 active patents as well as intellectual property rights, amounting to an investment of 3500 MSEK (in 2015). India is a leading country for Sandvik in R&D. We have five main R&D units within India with a combined headcount of around 300 engineers and scientists. One example is the R&D center in Pune, India, that specializes in modeling and simulation as a key technology, and carries out computational research and experiments for our business areas. How do you perceive the upcoming trends in innovative technologies in the CE industry? Automation and digitisation are the big macros trends across industries and also the CE industry. The possibilities offered by the new technologies such as IOT, remote monitoring and operations, big data analytics have the potential to really improve this industry. The possibilities are numerous from having remote controlled equipment to increase safety, being able to predict failure of parts so as to ensure uninterrupted operations to being able to utilise all the data gathered to optimise the equipment ET as well as operations. March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 35


Skilling Up

Transforming the Skill Landscape IESC has come a long way transforming the skill landscape in the infrastructure equipment sector.

T

he Infrastructure Equipment Skill Council (IESC) is a ‘Not for Profit’ sustainable organisation promoted by the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (ICEMA), supported by the Confederation of India Industry (CII) and funded by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to spearhead the skilling of workforce in the Infrastructure Equipment (IE) Sector. The Council operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) of the Government of India. The Council was formed in August 2014 and stared operations from Bangalore in November 2014. The activities of the Council are overseen by a 18 member governing body comprising senior executives from all segments of the equipment industry as well as representatives from related bodies like NSDC, Builders Association of India (BAI), Financial Institutions and Academia. IESC not only covers the construction sector, but also other sectors like, mining, iron and steel, plant hiring and leasing, defence etc, Milestones The Council has come a long way since its inception; expanded its operations and 36 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

established foot prints pan India. Currently the Council has over thirty members comprising the who’s who of the infrastructure equipment manufacturers. The Chairman of the IESC Governing Body Vikram Sharma and Co-chairman Anand Sundaresan, who is also president of the ICEMA, are both well known in the industry and have been in the forefront propagating and mentoring the skill development activities of the Council; currently focusing S No Trade 1

2

3

Number of Job Roles & NSQF Levels Level 3

Level 4

Earthmoving Equipment

3

8

Highway Construction Eqpt

5

5+4

Engine

1

1

Hydraulics

1

1

Electrical/Electronics/Instrument’

1

1

Level 7

Operator

Mechanic

Supervisor Plant and Machinery

1

Maintenance Infra Eqpt

1

Total

11

20

2


Skilling Up

IESC spearheads skilling of the workforce in the Infrastructure Equipment sector.

exclusively on training and certification of operators and mechanics. National Occupational Standards (NOS) and Qualification Packs (QP) for all the major products and trades covering over 80% of the workforce in the industry have been developed and approved. These are summarized as under; and details are available on its website www.iescindia.com • Note: * Concurrently IESC are developing NOS & QPs for select remaining products like tower cranes, telescopic handlers, skid steer loaders and water well drills besides bridging the career progression gaps at Level 5 (Master Operators and Master Mechanics/Technicians) These standards are…of the industry…by the industry…and for the industry!!!! • Further the Council has accredited over 40 training partners pan India; certified and empanelled around 125 trainers; and most creditably mobilized and trained 1400 operators/mechanics. • During this period the Council participated at the ConMac Exhibition in Guwahati (Feb 2015) Excon at Bengaluru (Nov 2015) and more recently at the Bauma Conexpo India at Gurgaon Dec 2016, where the activities of the Council received wide publicity and encouragement. • IESC has also conducted panel discussions on Skill Development at various forums, attended by select industry luminaries. Further, Construction Times a leading media

company in the industry has recognized our efforts/progress and instituted awards for various skilling activities being undertaken by us. Activities The Council is presently engaged in a wide range of activities. • It has submitted a project report to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for establishment of Model Training Centres for skilling of highway equipment operators under the RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) model. • An MOU has been signed with National Highway Infrastructure Development Company for skilling of its workforce at various project sites with primary focus in the north east where the road network is set for a major transformation very shortly. • Under CSR funding, in co-ordination with NSDC it has just made a beginning with Coal India and its subsidiaries to train their operators and mechanics. This process will be further promoted with other concerned PSUs for the year. • The Council is coordinating with both Auto and Logistics Skill Council for establishment of Multi Skilling Centres at select locations across India. Besides another five centres jointly with Auto and Shreeram Transport Finance are on the anvil. • It is also exploring tie-ups with various state governments to drive the skill development projects. MoU has already been signed with Kerala and Andhra Pradesh; expression of interest has been received from UP, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. • Last but not the least, select colleges under the aegis of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) have been affiliated to run IESC certified programs at NSQF Levels 3 and 4 under the PMKVY 2.0 scheme (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana) Conclusion The Council is preparing itself to scale up the numbers by affiliating more training partners with passion and commitment to change the skill landscape of the IE sector. Mobilisation continues to be a challenge as the job opportunities in the industry have yet to open up as desired. However, the Council is optimistic of this happening soon, with market showing positive ET movement with sales of machines. March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 37


Focus

Spreading

Its WINGS

Schwing Stetter India’s foray into non-concrete related construction machinery gives it an edge in delivering quality solutions to the infrastructure sector.

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ecords are to be broken, and that is what Schwing Stetter India is upto. This year the company has already overcome the coveted milestone of 1000 crore sales and spreading its wings further Stetter has joined the bandwagon of innovating into new markets with the launch of a dozen new products, in the concreting and non-concreting equipment space. It has forayed into new verticals which include foundation equipment, access equipment, tunnelling, lifting and material handling. Surprisingly, out of the 12 products launched during the BaumaConexpo 2016, only three products are related to concrete production, transportation and placement equipment - batching plant M30Z with inline silo, transit mixer with pump TMP 32.6, and heavy duty stationary pump SP 4507. All the other nine products relates to either recently entered or new verticals. Explaining the diversification strategy Anand Sundaresan, Chairman, Schwing Stetter Sales and Services states,“Every 38 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

year, we strive to increase our product range and expand into parallel product lines to suit the requirements of the construction industry. We put our best efforts to provide our customers with the best-in-class product range and product lines to suit their various requirements. In 2014, we entered the material handling industry; in 2015, we forayed into the earthmoving segment and in 2016, now, we have forayed into the industrial and environmental technology segment.”

“We put our best efforts to provide our customers with the best-in-class product range and product lines to suit their various requirements.” ANAND SUNDARESAN Chairman Schwing Stetter Sales and Services


Focus VG Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter Sales and Service elaborates. “We believe in introducing products with the technology with which the market is prepared to absorb. To elaborate this, the manpower availability, the need for completing the construction faster are some of the key parameters which will prepare the market to absorb the product specifications that will help them meet the requirement. It is pointless to bring the most advanced machineries when there is absolutely no need for speed, scale or skill in a particular market. We are careful, to bring the technology which matches with the market aspirations. We would not like to overdo and kill a product prematurely in the process. Therefore, we have addressed the current requirement by launching our new products.” He adds, “We forayed into the material handling industry through tower cranes and selfloading mixers in the recent past. Recently, in our endeavor to support the Swacch Bharat mission, we forayed into industrial and environmental technology through sludge pump technology.” Rao Narbir Singh, PWD (B & R), Forest, Civil Aviation & Architecture Minister, Govt. of Haryana along with other dignitaries at the Schwing Stetter Pavilion.

He adds, “We have showcased our latest product innovations that are developed and upgraded keeping in mind to suit the current needs of the construction industry which will in turn help the customers to grow their business.” 2016 witnessed Schwing Stetter India specially addressing the key focus areas of Government of India such as Clean India or Swachh Bharat and Skill India campaigns. Towards these goals, Stetter has launched Smartec sludge pump, which will be of great help in projects like cleaning of Ganga, metro rail construction, waste water management and smart cities states Sundaresan, “We are proud to announce that we are continuing our renewed focus in transforming the way water is recycled in our country.”

Wings Spread Far & Wide Schwing Stetter as a company stays always focused in introducing the latest state of the art technologies that is required for the construction industry especially in India. The group has 83 years’ experience in seeing the progress of various countries like Germany, USA, most of the Western Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan,

NEW PRODUCT LINES • Heavy duty stationary pump SP 4507 • Transit mixer with pump TMP 32.6 • Batching plant M30Z with Inline Silo. • Smartecsludge pump • Recycling plant RA20 • Flat top tower crane XGT T80 • Wheel loader LW180K

“We are expanding our after sales network closer to jobsites to ensure uninterrupted support in after sales, spare parts and services.” VG SAKTHIKUMAR Managing Director Schwing Stetter Sales and Services

• Truck mounted crane QY85KA-Y • Piling rig XR130E • Scissors aerial lift platformGTJZ10 • Crank arm type aerial work platform GTBZ14J • Horizontal directional drilling machine XZ450 plus.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 39


Focus Schwing Stetter Advantages • Lowest operating cost • Lowest fuel consumption • Strong service network • Anywhere parts support • Largest no of service centres in India • Strong design capability and product innovation in India • World class customer training support China, South Korea, etc which are now developed markets. Schwing Stetter India offers concrete batching plants for concrete road construction, concrete roads, not only for national highways, but also for state highways, district roads and village roads apart from such high capacity batching plant for making rigid pavement. Stetter also offer concrete batching plants for general development like construction of road over bridge, bridges across rivers, retaining walls, culverts, curbs, etc. These equipment include concrete batching plants, transit mixers and concrete pumps including truck mounted boom pumps, in places where the roads pass through hilly terrain and construction of tunnel is inevitable. Their shotcreting machines are very useful in holding the tunnel immediately after the excavation. States Sakthikumar, “We offer products which have lowest operating cost and, lowest fuel consumption. Along with high productivity are the key s of all our equipment that solely drives on longevity. Our equipment are designed to consume less fuel, operates with low decibel levels, safer to operate, consumes less parts and has a very long service life which makes our equipment, a favorite among our customers. Portability, interchangeability, versatility, operating efficiency are standard features across all models.” He adds, “We are expanding our after sales network close to our jobsites to ensure uninterrupted support in spare parts and services.” Buoyant Market According to Sakthikumar in the next few years’ earth moving and construction equipment (ECE) is expected to grow at a tremendous CAGR of 20-25%. Currently, ECE market accounts for only $3 billion, but its growth potential is more in near 40 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

future, such that the market would be around $16-20 billion by 2020. Indian ECE market has the greatest capability to grow at 20-25% to reach 330k-450k unit sales by 2020 wherein concreting equipment is to grow at a CAGR of 15% annually. Shedding light on the trends in the concreting equipment business Mr. Sakthikumar says, “The concreting equipment business has seen a revival

Transit mixer with pump TMP 32.6.

SP 4507 - The Heavy Duty Pump The SP 4507 is a new development for the present trend of high rise pumping requirement especially in growing real estate markets like India and abroad.. This will cater to high rise segment where the present challenges of pumping the mix with stiff consistencies at a faster rate to around 300m vertical. Features • The pump develops 203 bar pressure on concrete and delivers an output of 54m3/hr in high pressure configuration. • The pump kit and rock valve of the SP 4507 each have hydraulic circuit. It helps to handle high grade mix. The full power of the pump kit will be available regardless of the switching movements of the rock. This ensures a quiet pump behavior, high pumping capacity and protection of the components with less vibration. • The new generation ‘rock’ comes with high efficient energy transfer on the concrete. • New operator interface and emergency pressure release system will ensure safe operating environment.

Smartec sludge pump


Focus

Schwing Stetter’s strong focus on diversification is expected to further consolidate its strength and give it an edge in delivering quality solutions to the infrastructure sector.

 The newly launched higly sophisticated 240 cum concrete batching plant is the biggest in the country.

in the last quarter of 2015 and in the beginning of 2016. The main driver for this growth as of now is the road projects. Since many of the road projects announced will be done with our batching plant for road construction has started doing well in this period. Apart from the road infrastructure, we also have good activities in railways, especially in the metro railway projects. We are hopeful that in the future that power projects like hydro-electric, thermal, atomic, wind power, real estate to carry on this growth trend in the concreting business.” He adds, “We are experiencing a growth in 2016 and we hope to consolidate this growth and augment capacity to give our delivery commitment to the customers.”

Bridging the Knowledge Gap “Schwing Stetter launched its training department in 2004 and created excellent infrastructure in training concrete pump and batching plant operators in various locations that include Chennai, Dankuni, Manesar, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The main training centre in Chennai has already churned out 6000 trained operators to meet the requirements of the customers who have bought Stetter machines. Avers Sundaresan, “Schwing Stetter India is well prepared on the skilling front, we do not see any bottlenecks and we quite prepared for in the future too. Many leading construction companies regularly make use of our training facility to meet their requirements on training. Similarly, its training simulators will offer opportunity to the operators to move onto virtual experience and simulation to train them in safety and operation of concrete boom pumps. This will be a one step forward compared to the current learning with the graphics. True, Schwing Stetter has been leading the pack, especially in the concrete production, transportation and placement equipment market, and its strong focus on diversification is expected to further consolidate its strength and give it an edge in delivering quality solutions to the ET infrastructure sector. March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 41


Aftermarket

Taking a Big Lead in ‘REBUILD’ Initiatives With a sole objective of restoring high uptime at lower costs, L&T Product Support has taken a big lead in Rebuild initiatives.

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lobally, the challenge in mining operations is to produce high volumes at optimum costs. As equipment age over time, production efficiency as well as reliability could decline. With increased customer demands and to endure in tougher terrains dusty environment, higher payloads, faster turnaround time, L&T Product Support focuses on restoring high uptime at lower costs. To understand the harnessing of right resources, doing away with unwanted costs and integrating processes efficiently to increase the use profitability is imperative. “L&T is committed to lowering total cost of ownership as well as operating costs so that the customer gets greater return on his investment on fleet of large and diverse machines,” says Arun Pai, General Manager – Product Support, L&T. L&T PSD provides comprehensive services that can repair and refurbish a wide range of aged equipment providing increased lifespan and operational value. 42 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

Refurbishment and rebuilds can often be complex and time-consuming projects, where even an unforeseen error could lead to significant delays in bringing a machine back to full production. L&T makes like simpler for its customer by reducing probable risks to the minimum. Longer equipment life, good performance and safe operation depend on an extensive understanding of equipment and maintenance procedures. Says Vivek Hajela, Head Service Centres, L&T, “Our on-site engineers share expertise, follow the manufacturers’ defined maintenance and repair procedures, and have access to equipment specialists pan India. The users can rest assured that diagnostics, mechanical repairs and component refits are done correctly and efficiently.” He is a strong advocate of repair before-failure philosophy and is in favour of overhauling of major components at prefixed cost that saves the customers from unplanned

“L&T is committed to lowering total cost of ownership as well as operating costs so that the customer gets greater return on his investment on fleet of large and diverse machines.” ARUN PAI General Manager Product Support, L&T


Aftermarket replacement, testing, training, commissioning, and start up Mining equipment are extremely large, a lot of raw materials are consumed when new engines and transmissions are manufactured. Therefore, it is wasteful to replace old components with new ones, when only some parts of the old components are worn out. It calls for reuse of old components after restoring them; all worn-out parts are replaced with either new or reconditioned parts; post the repair, the restored component is referred as rebuild component. As rebuild component require a higher level of precision and quality L&T ensures engaging latest technologies backed by skilful workmanship.

L&T’s specialised Rebuild and Refurbishment Services are designed to help the customers to return their aging machine for a new lease of life.

L&T provides accurate assessments of machine health by drawing on a database of pan India practical experience.

production loss. “The planning and scheduling function plays a critical role in achieving these goals. During this process, L&T service team gathers equipment age data, transforms it in to clear and effective goals, and schedules the activities,” Hajela adds. Core Strengths L&T’s specialized Rebuild and Refurbishment Services are designed to help the customers to return their aging machine for a new lease of life. With L&T repaired or refurbished machines, production efficiency are increased, machine reliability is improved and the life of the equipment extended keeping the cost low compared to buying a new machine. The program draws upon the knowledge and experience only found with an OEM, L&T • Ensures that the mandatory production enhancing technology upgrades are precisely installed and rigorously tested • Integrate a full range of technical expertise and support services • Provide accurate assessments of machine health by drawing on a database of pan India practical experience • Handle the entire rebuild process, including auditing, diagnostics, cost estimating, parts procurement, planning, disassembly, repair, and

Improving Lifecycle A machine’s productive lifecycle is determined by the life of its major components. The end and the beginning of each new cycle are marked by well planned Preventive Overhaul (OV), with rebuilt component exchange offered by L&T PSD. Advance estimation of critical repairs of the old component is shared with the customer, and is agreed as a prefixed cost of the rebuilt component (in ready stock with L&T) that is given in exchange. This helps the customers save on repair lead time and consequent loss of production. Between the cycles, the equipment requires distinctive maintenance that is predictive, preventive or corrective. Each one of these maintenance activities are to be managed and executed efficiently, complying with all the mandatory processes. The goal is to repair before failure, so as to maximise availability at the lowest cost. Prefixed Price Servicing L&T Prefixed Price Servicing, available for most Komatsu models of mining machines in India includes additional service as part of the pre-fixed overhaul, consisting ‘Komatsu Oil Wear Analysis’ (KOWA) of oils, machine health condition: Preventive Maintenance or ‘PM-Clinic’ report. L&T’s commitment is to deliver exceptional service and to ensure that the assets are in optimal working condition. Advantage Komtrax Plus Komatsu mining machines use Komtrax Pus which provides information on vehicle health and monitoring system through various sensors installed in the March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 43


Aftermarket

L&T Handles the entire rebuild process, including auditing, diagnostics, cost estimating, parts procurement, planning, disassembly, repair, and replacement, testing, training, commissioning, and start up.

equipment. By using Komtrax Plus data effectively, maintenance and overhauls are done L&T team to enable the customers get the best output from the machines. Additionally, L&T and Komatsu work closer with customer to enable them improve on fuel consumption. Genuine Parts The high-performance of Komatsu machines can be ensured only when genuine parts are fitted on to the highvalue machined. Absence of updated information on exact serviceable parts could delay in commissioning of the repairable machine. To eliminate these hurdles and make the routine maintenance and repairs simpler and faster, L&T has developed service kits / repair kits which are unique to each Komatsu model / its components, to facilitate high equipment up-time. All repair activities are effectively handled by L&T’s trained crew at its state of the art service centres located strategically across India – Bahadurgarh (North), Durgapur (East), Pune (West), Nagpur (Central), and Kanchipuram (South). While engine rebuild activities are handled in-house in the workshop, there are others relating to huge structures and equipment repairs that are attended to at site by L&T expert crew. Says Arun Pai, “We firmly believe in forging strong relationships with our customers 44 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

CUSTOMER VOICE

“We are delighted with the excellent services provided by L&T Product Support in overhauling the engines of our entire fleet of 17 nos. dump trucks operating in Rampura-Agucha Mines. All this was accomplished in six month’s time, thanks to L&T Rebuild Engine Solution on prefixed cost basis. Normally, an engine overhaul takes 3-4 weeks but with L&T Rebuild Kit the OV job was done in 2 weeks. The trucks were back in action soon after and that is a huge difference! With prefixed price, we were within our OV budget and there was no scope for after-shock. In fact, planned repair has helped us to achieve optimum gleet productivity of Komatsu HD 785 trucks in the mines. I am happy to recommend these value-added services of L&T to others as well.” Bipin Rawal Project Head Agucha, Dhansar Engineering & Co with a spirit of partnership in the joint upkeep of their equipment through our various maintenance

programmes and repair solutions. And this helps our customers maximize their equipment productivity.” ET


CONSTRUCTION TIMES BUILDERS AWARDS 2017 Honoring the Best in Real Estate

City : Mumbai

Date : 29th April 2017

Glance of Construction Times Builders Awards 2016


Special

Concreting SOLUTIONS Across the Value Chain With the launch of a variety of concrete production, transportation and placing equipment, KYB Conmat has geared up to be a complete solutions provider throughout the entire value chain.

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he objective seems to be simple, cut above the clutter and be a complete solution provider in the concrete production, transportation and concrete placement segment. KYB Conmat, the fully owned subsidiary of KYB Japan, has flexed its muscles with the launch of a variety of products. “KYB Conmat is poised to become a one stop solution for all concrete needs. We expect to grow with our customers who we believe are our partners of success,” states Nagesh Kudva, Director Marketing,

46 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

Construction Equipment Division, KYB Conmat. “The upsurge in demand for concrete equipments have led us to bring new focus to high end machineries and hopes to change the market for the benefit of our most demanding customers,” Kudva adds. The company launched its new MR 70, 7 cum transit mixer, SCP 5000 and SCP 7500 stationery trailer mounted concrete pumps with intelligent controls, CRP 2400, 240 cum/hr concrete batching plants. KYB Conmat has also forayed into the


Special

The newly launched 240 cum/hr batching plant can handle 150 mm aggregate size and can be supplied with 4-5 or 6 bins with suitability to load concrete in tippers and transit mixers.

vertical space with the launch of its new generation rack & pinion construction elevators, RPCE 10, RPCE 15 & RPCE 20. The MR 70 mixer is an addition to its existing range of MR60, 6 cum & MR 80, 8 cum transit mixers. Due to extra low slump and high discharge performance, the new MR 70 mixers can be very suitably used for slip form road concrete paving. The C shaped spirals of the mixing drum enhance agitating performance, so the concrete could be worked with during delays. This is especially if the lead distance between the batching plants and the road project sites is long. “Our transit mixers has high precision C shaped spirals for enhanced agitating performance and handles very low slump concrete which is not suitable for conventional transit mixers available with competition. It also provide higher safety during transit due to anti-clockwise drum rotation for left side travel in India,” avers Kudva.

“We are always focused on introducing the right product which ensures low operating cost and minimal power or fuel consumption.” NAGESH KUDVA Director Marketing, Construction Equipment Division, KYB Conmat

The newly launched stationery trailer mounted concrete pumps, SCP 5000 and SCP 7500 with intelligent controls are ideal for bridges, dams and high rise construction. The i-pump has the proven S-valve technology. These have undergone rigorous tests with intelligent control features with robust electronic operation controls and management with manual overdrive. With the intelligent systems, the pumps feature on screen display of parameters like pumping hours, concrete output, hydraulic oil temperature, fault diagnosis matrix, strokes counter and engine speed. The pumps are also equipped with modular hydraulic and diesel tank with radio remote control upto 100 m. “The SCP 5000 and SCP 7500 equipped with i-pump technology to monitor the operation and fault display. The pump is launched with popular S valve technology with innovations like new age shaft mounted gear box for more agitating power. It has specially designed hopper to facilitate free flow of concrete for better suction. Even the stabilizer legs are unique designed to take lateral and horizontal loads while pumping,” avers Kudva. KYB Conmat has also launched 240 cum/hr batching plant, which is manufactured at its state of the art manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat. A versatile design that can handle 150 mm aggregate size and can be supplied with 4-5 or 6 bins with suitability to load concrete in tippers and transit March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 47


Special

The new MR 70 mixers equipped with C shaped spirals in the mixing drum enhance agitating performance, so the concrete could be worked with during delays.

mixers. Twin shaft mixer design and fully automated PLC control system with SCADA given as a standard fitment across all models of its batching plants on offer. Says Kudva says, “The new high capacity concrete batching plant is suitable for long stretch of concrete roads coupled with tight project completion schedules, especially those requiring 8 lakh cum of concrete to be placed within 24 months. The concrete batch mix plants with double mixers and two compressors, works on electronic systems.” KYB has taken another big step. Foraying into a new vertical, the company has launched new generation rack & pinion construction elevators RPCE 10, RPCE 15 & RPCE 20. These elevators are used in any new construction, especially high rise buildings where in you need to shift man, building material and small machines to desired floors quickly and efficiently. The new models are far better than the previous generation models in terms of speed of operation, and offer 30% more speed than the previous generation models. This helps in carrying the loads faster than before. It also has VFD for smooth start stop operation, load limiter to prevent overloading and enable safe operation, and floor selection system to allow the operator to stop at desired level. HMI/ PLC control system has been introduced to show machine fault diagnosis. 48 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

Kudva sums up on a high note. “We are always focussed on introducing the right product for the Indian concrete industry which gives low operating cost and minimal power or fuel consumption. We always go by needs of our customers. In today’s dynamic environment these needs changes radically as our customers try to stay competitive in challenging business environments. We have seen our customers devising us specific changes which enable them save time and money. We keep improvising our products, more advanced, more cost effective and better quality to meet the demands of challenging ET times ahead.”

The SCP 5000 & SCP 7500 equipped with i-pump technology to monitor the operation and fault display.


Fleet Management

Connecting the Miners and Mining Machines Bosch is harnessing its multiple competencies to offer meaningful insights during surface mining operations.

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osch, a leading supplier of technology and services, has been working in the connected domain relating to fleet and logistics management, for close to a decade now. Using the Bosch Internet of Things (IoT) platform and expertise available across various domains, Bosch India is developing a solution that connects miners and mining equipment. “The solution from Bosch can increase the levels of automation in the mining industry. Smart mining improves operational efficiency as it enhances productivity through improved asset utilization.” said states Sreenivasan, Head - Engineering, off-highway Solutions, Bosch India. “The solution also helps the mining OEM to focus on accountability by reducing costs, thus improving profitability. In the future Bosch India will look to acquire large mining automation projects in India as well as abroad,” he adds. Bosch’s solution enables the mining OEM to track the movement of associates using the Group’s access control system. Additionally, to gauge the entry of heavy commercial vehicles Bosch provides an RFID based boom barrier control

solution. Sharing more insights about this development, Sreenivasan comments, “The overall solution harnesses the different competencies available within Bosch to derive meaningful insights during surface mining operations. Apart from addressing concerns relating to fleet and miner management Bosch’s solution aims to address other key pain points of the mining segment, like production, maintenance and dispatch management.” Bosch has taken a holistic approach over multiple phases to address region specific problems. While the current solution is targeted to meet the requirements specific to the Indian scenario, Bosch is keen to offer other innovations to the mining industry. Bosch existing competence in mobility and industrial sector with knowhow of engine control and hydraulics, are the clear differentiators the Group brings to its customer. “Bosch is able to offer core technologies, such as connectivity, video surveillance and access control systems providing an indisputable value proposition to mining companies,” ET says Sreenivasan.

Smart mining improves operational efficiency as it enhances productivity through improved asset utilization.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 49


Feature

Scripting a Sustained Story

Success

The mtandt Group has added more threads through various tie ups to promote innovative products to spice up the well scripted success saga.

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n a highly volatile market when uncertainty is the most certain aspect of the economy, registering qualitative growth is no mean task. Thanks to the commitment and tireless efforts of the group, mtandt has come up with strong results despite the weak, highly volatile and uncertain economy. What is more, the company expects to close this financial year with annual increase in turnover by 60% over last financial year 2015-16. If the given stats are to be trusted in first two quarters of the current year, the Group has achieved an increase in revenue by 35% as compared to previous year, and as per the current order status the Group is quite confident of achieving the targeted revenue growth of 60%. “Since 1974, we have written an impressive, sustained success story. The mtandt Group signifies real value and reliability in a world full of uncertainties”, states Rakesh Modi, Managing Director, Mtandt Group. According to him the Group aims to grow further next year as well. “We want to get better in every aspect in 2017 and strive for taking the group to next level,” says Mr. Modi. “Our goal for this fiscal is to achieve further growth both in terms of volumes and in the Group’s sales revenue and operating profit,” chimes in Pradeep Agarwal, Associate Director, Mtandt Group. Dreaming it Big The mtandt Group, a pioneer in bringing aerial work platforms and portable roads in India has already announced an investment of US $ 100m for setting up manufacturing facility and enhancing rental equipment inventory. “ We will be setting up a state of art production facility for manufacturing PortaDeck® portable road, Aardwolf No Limit® unlimited scaffolding solution and will scale up production of Aardwolf

50 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

Quickfit mobile aluminium scaffoldings keeping in view increasing demand from industrial, construction and defence segment,” states Gopal Modi, Group Executive Director, Production & Purchase, mtandt.

The group behind the success saga.

“The Mtandt Group signifies real value and reliability in a world full of uncertainties.” RAKESH MODI Managing Director mtandt


Feature

mtandt will be distributing XCMG’s hydraulic fire trucks upto 102 m reach height.

The group has already invested heavily in the rental segment to become a leading player in the country. “We will be enhancing our rental fleet inventory by bringing in more new machines to keep the fleet young and give contractors access to the most modern, safe and environmentally friendly equipment without the capital outlay. We are investing in capital equipment service and refurbishing facility to serve our customer in better way,” avers Sanjay Khanna, President, mtandt Rental. Strategic Tie ups The intent is clear. It’s nothing but sustainable growth. And to aid this the Group has alreadytied up with various OEM’s to promote their innovative products in India and neighbouring markets like Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

“Our strong intention is to grow, and grow at better rates than the market growth.” GOPAL MODI Group Executive Director Production & Purchase, mtandt

XCMG: mtandt will be distributing XCMG’s hydraulic fire trucks upto 102 m reach height. Construction machineries like piling rigs, motor graders, wheeled loaders and all terrain cranes are also sold and serviced by Mtandt. Ruthmann: Mtandt joined hands with the world renowned aerial work platform manufacturer, Ruthmann for their truck mounted aerial work platform business. Through this partnership, mtandt will have exclusive sales and service rights for entire product range of Ruthmannsteiger in India. Aardwolf Monzon: For last four decades mtandt Group has specialized in developing, manufacturing and supply of innovative scaffolding solutions. The Group has now joined hands with Aardwolf Quickfit, and has introduced for the first time in India ‘No Limit – The Unlimited Scaffolding Solutions’. Its unique ability to get fit into infinite combinations makes it most effective, convenient and time saving to install a better option than other conventional solutions. Porta Deck - Engineered and manufactured by mtandt Group, Portadeck is the trusted choice for many industries – construction, drilling, mining, shoring, utility/transmission, site remediation and heavy-haul. The same features prized by these industries make Portadeck mats ideal for military applications and they March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 51


Feature can be used to create access roadways, helicopter landing pads, maintenance areas, motor pools, warehouse or hangar floors, encampments, and even mobile medical facilities. Portadeck is the strongest modular matting system mtandt Group manufactures. Its unique composition of HDPE, UV protection, anti-static and other additives makes it non-absorbent, prevents degradation, and eliminates warping and breaking due to climate. mtandt has also introduced innovative construction machineries like rack & pinion passenger and material hoists from renowned manufacturers around the world.

“Our goal for this fiscal is to achieve further growth both in terms of volumes and in sales revenue and operating profit.” PRADEEP AGARWAL Associate Director mtandt Group

mtandt has introduced innovative construction machinery like rack & pinion passenger and material hoists from renowned manufacturers around the world. The Group Founded in 1974 by Rajkumar Modi and currently led by Rakesh Modi, mtandt is the largest aerial work platform rental company of India. With a vision to provide sustainable growth to all the stakeholders associated with the Group, mtandt has been proactive in entering into partnerships with international market leaders across the world, thus drawing technological expertise and higher returns for its stakeholders. Our strong intention is to grow, and grow at better rates than ET the market growth, sums up Modi. 52 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

“We will be enhancing our rental fleet inventory by bringing in more new machines to keep the fleet young and give contractors access to the most modern, safe equipment.” SANJAY KHANNA President, mtandt Rental


Milestones- Ajax Fiori

Ajax Fiori Strengthens its Concrete Pumps Range T

rue to its innovative spirit, Ajax Fiori has proved once again its commitment of delivering innovative concrete equipment solutions to its customers with the launch of the new model, JSP 50. The new model launched by Jagadish Bhat, CEO, Ajax Fiori, is placed perfectly in between its two existing models, JSP 40 and JSP 70. According to Bhat the new concrete pump has been developed based on the overwhelming response to the incumbent models and incorporation of customer feedback regarding their requirements of low maintenance, costeffective solutions for high pressure concrete pumping. Ajax Fiori entered the concrete pump industry in 2013, with two models, the JSP 40 and the JSP 70 with a pumping capacity of 40 cu.m/hr and 70 cu.m/ hr respectively. The newly introduced JSP 50, with a pumping capacity of upto 50 cu.m/hr, features the robust ‘S’ valve technology, durable components and

upgrades such as auto lubrication, remote control etc. Infrastructure projects across India have witnessed acceleration over recent months, thanks to the thrust by the Central and various State Governments and increased public spending. Various projects that were earlier announced have now been awarded, and work has begun on several projects. This has led to an upsurge in demand for concrete equipment, and Ajax Fiori has continued to focus on providing the right machines for all concreting needs. Ajax Fiori products are a familiar sight at various infrastructure development projects, such as roads, railways, irrigation; building construction to name a few.Today, Ajax Fiori has around 8,000 plants and machines working in every nook and corner of the country. Ajax Fiori provides after sales support to customers and sites through a pan-India network of offices, ET parts warehouses and dealerships.

The newly launched concrete pump JSP50 is specifically designed based on the customer feedback on costeffective solutions for high pressure concrete pumping.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 53


Milestones- Caterpiller India

CAT Parades Two New Models T

he newly launched models Cat®320D2 GC hydraulic excavator and 950L wheel loader strengthens CAT’s existing wide product portfolio in the Indian market and is expected to meet the demand of the Indian customer for more efficient and technologically superior products, especially in the road construction segment. The new Cat 320D2GC hydraulic excavator manufactured at Caterpillar India’s manufacturing facility at Thiruvallur in Tamil Nadu reflects CAT’s commitment to the Indian market and the Government of India’s ‘Make-inIndia’ program. Given the thrust by the Central and State government on fast-tracking infrastructure projects especially in the road and highway sectors, the launch of these world class products is expected help customers to meet the growing demand, enabling faster and more efficient implementation of their projects. “Our strategy in India has always been to grow with the market and this decision about launching new products in the construction sector also follows the recent growth acceleration in these sectors,” states Vivek Anand Vanmeeganathan, Country Head and Managing Director, Caterpillar 54 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

India. “Going forward, we expect increasing demand for more efficient and technologically superior products, especially in the road construction segment with the Government setting ambitious per-day construction targets. We are fully prepared to meet this demand by bringing in the required products and technological solutions to the Indian market from our global product portfolio,” he adds. The new Cat 320D2 GC hydraulic excavator features a fuel-efficient Cat C4.4 ACERTTM engine and a powerful hydraulic system that uses an energy-saving design for optimum fuel consumption, while its optimized main structures are built to perform flawlessly year after year in construction and other applications. The 320D2 GC can also be equipped with Cat AccuGrade® Grade Control System options. Its in-cab guidance features allows the operator with real-time bucket tip guidance so as to reach the target depth, grade and slope faster without traditional survey stakes. AccuGrade Grade Control system simplifies digging, improves accuracy, increases productivity, minimizes material ET usage and lowers operating costs.

The two new models - Cat 320D2 GC excavator and 950 wheel loader will meet the demand for more efficient and technologically superior products, especially in the road construction segment.


Milestones- Case India

Best in Technology W

ith the launch of three new variants of dozers, CASE has enhanced its leadership position in providing best technology in heavy line construction equipment in India. “India is a key market for our company and we have made significant investments in order to provide the best products and support to Indian customers. Our company endeavors to consistently launch and upgrade innovative machines to ensure the best fuel efficiency, longer life cycle expectancy, minimal operating costs and high operator comfort. On the heels of a successful entry in the motor grader segment, the dozers will mark our next step towards providing best technology in heavy line construction equipment in India, Mr. Abhijit Gupta, Brand Leader, CASE Construction Equipment India. Further strengthening its compactors product bouquet, CASE has also showcased its upgraded 1107EX soil compactor. CASE has been a market leader in vibratory compactors for more than two decades. “The new 1107EX soil compactor will further cement our leadership position in this segment keeping up with the evolving customer needs,” states Mr. Gupta. The three new models, 1150L, 1650L

and 2050M, ranging from 13 to 20 tonnes operating weight, are powered by a 6.7 litre 6 cylinder engine engineered by FPT Industrial, the sister powertrain brand to CASE Construction Equipment within the CNH Industrial group. The turbocharged engine with an air-toair intercooler features a well-proven multi injection technology to maximize torque back-up under load. The result is consistent performance, higher pulling capacity and an ability to work with high torque at lower engine rpm reducing long term engine wear. The proven hydrostatic transmission ensures the CASE dozer is able to deliver maximum pull and push power during turning unlike mechanical transmission offered on dozers by the competitors. The operator can customise all the working parameters of the machine to achieve excellent controllability and faster cycle times. The automated functions in the cab, which includes an electrohydraulic joystick to customize the reversing and steering sensitivity, make the drivers’ job easier, allowing them to achieve shorter cycle times and boost their productivity. The 2050M also features automatic blade functions, further increasing the ET operator’s efficiency.

The three new dozer models 1150L, 1650L & 2050M - ranging from 13 to 20 tonne operating weight are powered by 6.7 litre, 6 cylinder FPT industrial engine.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 55


Milestones- Komatsu

New HORSES from Komatsu Stable

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omatsu exhibited its two new horses, the GD535-5 motor grader and PC350LC-7 hydraulic excavator at BaumaConexpo India 2016. The new models specially displayed on high pedestal decks, were unveiled by Kiyoshi Mizuhara, Managing Director, Komatsu India and Arvind K. Garg, Vice-PresidentConstruction & Mining Business, L&T, on the combined stall of Larsen & Toubro and Komatsu showcasing their strengths and technologies in the construction and infrastructure equipment industry. Powered by a 145 HP engine and with an operating weight of 13,820 kg, the new Komatsu GD535-5 motor grader is a new-generation machine and upgraded version of GD511, which was hitherto highly popular in the contractor segment. The machine meets the emission norms of Bharat Stage-III and has several key features that make the product the best-in-class for the road segment. Some of its features are – ROPS canopy with excellent visibility, large fuel filter for enhanced performance, easy to refuel from the ground level, longer wheelbase and short turning radius,

56 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

elevated battery bay to prevent dust penetration, scarifier attachment to handle hard surfaces, and dual mode transmission – lockup torque convertor(auto mode) and direct drive(manual mode). The machine The Komatsu PC350LC-7 hydraulic excavator has been fitted with heavy duty undercarriage that includes double flange track roller, heavy duty track link sprocket guard and travel motor guard. Other features include reinforced boom and bucket for improved durability, FOPS cabin, granite bucket with reinforcements, deck guard, HD floor mount cushions and cabin front guard. The machine is fitted with 242 hp engine and weighs 34,500 kg. The PC350 machine is expected to meet the good demand for 35-tonne class excavators arising in the marble and stone segment. L&T and Komatsu have been working closely with the customers in the construction and infrastructure industry to provide fleet solutions and helping them the get the best output. L&T also provides the customers with post-sales activities encompassing maintenance contracts, ET service support and genuine parts.

While the Komatsu GD535-5 motor grader is the best-in-class for the road segment, the Komatsu PC350LC-7 hydraulic excavator is ideal for the marble and stone segment.


Milestones- Liebherr India

New TOP-SLEWING Cranes from Liebherr L

iebherr has unveiled the NC-B cranes, a new series of top-slewing cranes with a flat-top design at the recently concluded Bauma Conexpo India. The first two models in the new series - NC-B 9-62 and NC-B 6-62 - can cover a wide range of construction projects. The 9T version is ideal for hoisting heavy prefabricated components whereas the 6T NC-B 6-62 crane is perfect for erecting tower blocks in inner city areas where they work with low load weights but enormous hook heights. The new 16 EC tower system has been developed for these cranes. The cranes also have a new, variable climbing system. The new concept includes a large number of time-tested elements from existing Liebherr top-slewing cranes. Liebherr manufactures cranes tailored to suit the local market in India at its LiebherrCMCtec India Private Limited site opened in 2012 in Pune, ensuring short lead times whilst still using timetested, high-quality German technology. The new 16 EC tower system with external dimensions of 1.60 m x 1.60 m was developed for the new NC-B cranes. As usual with tower systems in these classes, the tower sections are connected using pins and are climbable. The standard length of the tower sections

is 3.90 m. Extended tower elements with a length of 11.70 m can also be used to reach a maximum free-standing hook height of 53.20 m quickly and at low cost. The hydraulic climbing unit is suitable for both internal and external climbing. It can be removed in full and is compatible with other Liebherr tower cranes which means that operators only require one unit which can then be used at different sites. In contrast to existing Liebherr flat-top cranes, the new NC-B models have a full jib element rather than the compact head. This is also designed for transporting in containers but costs less than a compact head. Depending on the size class of the auxiliary crane, the slewing platform, switchgear cabinet and cabin can also be assembled separately. The new concept includes a large number of time-tested elements from existing Liebherr top-slewing cranes, such as the LiConnect jib connection system. This enables the jib to be shortened or extended quickly and easily in steps of five metres. The customer can choose from a frequency converter standard hoist gear with a rating of 24 kW or an optional 30 kW hoist gear, also with a frequency converter. The 30 kW hoist gear can achieve hook heights of up to 501 m in ET two-line operation.

The new NC-B cranes from Liebherr are specifically developed to meet the requirements for use in conurbations in emerging countries.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 57


Milestones- Liugong India

CUSTOMER-Driven

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owered by Cummins QSL 9.3 engine specially developed for LiuGong, the new generation wheel loader 856 H will strengthen its existing range of wheel loaders for the Indian market. Know for high productivity, fuel efficiency and operator comfort, the 856 H model is equipped with variable hydraulic system, and offer three operating modes - Economy mode/Neutral mode/Power mode. The new model comes with 3.0 m3 bucket capacity and wide range of attachments for multiple working conditions, and equipped with ZF power train of 4WG208(F4/R3) gearbox and wet axles ideally matched to perform the perfect harmony and ensure optimized performance. The 856 H wheel loader is also equipped with Trimble providing geo location and vehicle status (moving/ stalled/stopped), real time individual vehicle alerts and diagnostics, fuel consumption, preventative maintenance schedules, and more. It has operating weight of 17,100 kg. The LiuGong excavator 936 m as per the company’s claims provides unbeatable return on investments. LiuGong’s customer-driven design and quality-focused engineering creates lasting value that will deliver to your bottom line. 936 E has unmatched 58 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

performance driven by the Cummins C8.3 engine, maximizes torque output with more power and breakout force at lower engine speeds. LiuGong latest addition in excavator is 22 tonne CLG 922D HD, a heavy duty excavator. 922D HD is equipped with Cummins QSB 6.7 (US Made) engine. The added advantage is that engine has high pressure Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI) system that delivers high power with lesser fuel consumption. To boost the fuel efficiency 922D HD is designed with a negative flow hydraulics that optimizes the main control valve and cylinders to improves the speed of equipment while working and reducing down on the hydraulic system’s pressure loss, leads to increase in fuel efficiency. The synchronization between pilot valves and main control valve offers precise control. High breakout forces of bucket, arm and high torque of powerful swing motor has reduced the swing cycle time considerably in 922D HD. The machine is also equipped with the Advanced Auto Idling system. The bulldozer B230 is equipped with Chongqing Cummins engine has 179 KW of gross power, blade width is 7.8 m3 and ET operating weight is 24,540 kg.

LiuGong India unveiled a new generation wheel loader 856 H, 936 E excavator and B230 bulldozer.


Milestones- SDLG India

A Reliable New Workhorse

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he newly launched G9138 offers a host of advantages – reliable operation, robust performance and fast return on investment – the new workhorse can be ideal in the rural road development projects. Against the backdrop of rapid infrastructure development and increased government drive for road building, motor graders have become one of the fastest selling equipment categories in India as contractors plan to gear up for project schedules. While SDLG’s established a larger G9190 which has enjoyed notable success in Asia, rural development projects have prompted the need for smaller and lighter motor graders for narrower road constructions. This is where SDLG’s new G9138 will really appeal. “The well-publicized increase in the road building program has seen a significant pick-up in activity levels. Contractors in the road building industry are under greater scrutiny than ever before. In particular they are under pressure to meet construction deadlines and that’s where having reliable equipment – such as motor graders from SDLG – becomes most important. With the new G9138 we are offering a machine that is tailored to the needs of road building contractors in India,” states Sanu George, Business Head, SDLG India. Adding to the motor grader’s operability is its swing frame, which delivers greater flexibility in a variety of work scenarios. The articulating swing

frame’s movements allow the blade to generate more power and carry a heavy windrow. It also allows the unit to make turns at more acute angles for closequarter work or smaller roads. For greater durability and easier operations over, the swing frame’s composite bearing is lifetime lubricated and maintenance-free. With an overall working weight of 12,100 kg, the G9138 is powered by a Deutz BF4M1013-15T3R/2Tier III engine that has an output of 111 kW at 2100 rpm. Complemented by a fully automatic ZF 6WG 200 transmission system which has 7 forward and 3 reverse gears, the G9138 is able to reach maximum forward and backward velocities of 39 km/h and 24.5 km/h respectively. It can deliver up to 75.4kN of traction force. In combination, this delivers power to the moldboard, which is a hefty3048 mm x 565 mm x 16 mm. The G9138’s blade can cut depths of up to 575 mm and create bank slopes of up to 90 degrees. The sliding range of the blade is 500 mm, while it can be inclined up to 47 degrees forward and 5 degrees backward. Maximum gradeability in travel is 20 degrees. “Reliability and uptime are more important than ever, given the work pressures on job sites. We’ve worked hard with our extensive network of dealers to ensure we have the parts and the processes in place to provide necessary and timely support when our customers need it,” says ET Sanu George.

The G 9138 motor grader gives the operator precise control through a fully digital instrument panel that includes electronic monitoring.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 59


Milestones- SDLG India

Onto Cost Effective Solutions S

DLG has launched its third model in the wheel loader segment in India during the bC India 2016 to meet the rising demand for wheel loaders, especially in the 3T category. The new L933 for India is ideal for handling ready mix concrete, or applications such as road building or quarrying. Equipped with a Weichai Deutz WP6G125E331 turbocharged BS III engine, the 3 tonne L933 satisfies the regional requirements for emissions levels in India, while offering users reliable performance and excellent durability. With a power output of 92kW at 2,300 rpm, the L933 can handle material handling tasks with ease while its maximum gradeability is 30 degrees. “It is a simpler and more cost-effective wheel loader than other options we offer in India, but it maintains the reliable performance and robust design that has built our reputation. We’re expecting lots of interest in this new machine at bC India 2016,” avers Sanu George, business head SDLG. Overall working weight for the unit is 10,200 – 10,250 kg and the machine can deliver up to 96 kN of breakout and traction force. It’s steep 45degree dump

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angle and high 45degree bucket rollback allows for more efficient load carrying and quicker cycle times. Bucket options for the loader vary from 1.4 m3– 3 m3, and the design includes a thickened anti-friction plate which minimizes wear of cutting edges. The load-sensing fully-hydraulic system reduces power consumption and improves working efficiency through the use of a single-pump design. The enlarged radiator also optimizes the use of inlet and outlet air channels to lower the temperature of water and oil in the hydraulic system, making the machine highly energy efficient and reliable. Aside from high energy efficiency, the L933 offers ease of operation through a fixed-shaft powershift transmission. This offers four forward and two reverse gears transmission with a single-stage, single-phase three-element hydraulic torque converter. The axis-fixed semiautomatic transmission makes full use of the engine’s power to increase torque and deliver greater traction. The single-plate rear frame and a four-plate front frame use joint bearings to ensure flexible operation ET and a small turning radius.

The newly launched L933 wheel loader from SDLG will offer a cost effective and reliable performance.


Milestones- Volvo India

Powered Performance T

he DD90B double drum asphalt compactor powered by fuel-efficient Bharat Stage-III (CEV)-compliant engine delivers high torque at reduced speed without compromising power, ensuring superior performance and fuel efficiency. From roadways and large parking lots to airport runways, the versatile performance of the DD90B double drum asphalt compactor from Volvo CE provides flexibility to handle varying conditions, widths and flexible pavement compaction applications. Built for power and efficiency, the Volvo DD90B combines high centrifugal force, heavy drum weight and variable amplitude to produce the energy necessary for excellent compaction With the choice of dual amplitudes and frequencies, the 9T asphalt compactor delivers a smooth, finished mat in fewer passes for optimum productivity and profitability. Designed and built in India with versatility in mind, the DD90B offers unbeatable powerful performance across a range of applications in India. Volvo CE built the new model to ensure that compaction rates and pavement final density are suitable for a variety of operational circumstances, delivering high quality output.

To prevent pavement surface flaws, the drums are precisely machined to fullwidth concentricity, while the drums’ profile reduces edge marks as well as the need for finish-rolling operations. The automatic vibration start and stop system, Smart Vibration, also prevents surface damage to ensure a flawless finish. Utilizing dual frequencies and dual amplitudes, performance can be matched to a wider variety of applications for increased productivity. The Volvo DD90B brings productivity and safety to the fore in optimizing operator comfort and control. From the operator platform positioned high over the sloping hood, the forward view and adjustable seat offers a commanding view of the jobsite, as well as a clear view of the drum edges and full width of the drum for maximum safety and rolling precision. Visibility can be improved further by multiple adjustments to the operator seat. Meanwhile, the ergonomically-positioned controls and displays help the operator to keep an eye on the road at all times and avoid fatigue. For all-round operational efficiency, the DD90B is designed to work in conjunction with Volvo CE’s ABG pavers ET and PT200 pneumatic compactor.

The new DD90B built for power and efficiency, combines high centrifugal force, heavy drum weight and variable amplitude.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 61


Soft Solutions

Packing a Punch

Volvo CE and Caretrack put together forms a potent combination helping SDM reach great heights in their business.

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uccess in business means being open to new options, advanced technology and adapting the most suited system to better the performance. That’s what Shirur Dolomite Mines (SDM), which has been in the business of mining for over 16 years is upto. Operating its own mechanised dolomite - which is a double carbonate of magnesium and calcium - in Shirur village, the company has contributed immensely to two major industries of the country; one being the steel industry where dolomite is used as a flux and the other in the glass industry. SDM, on an average day, unearths 700 tonnes per day. More so, the unearthing begins only after the rock is exploded using dynamite and then crushed into different sizes and shapes making it easy for those around to begin the next process. Shirur Dolomite Mines credits its success to Volvo CE and Caretrack. Caretrack, offered by Volvo CE, is a system that gives an extensive insight into the machine by monitoring information, which eventually saves time and money. This system also helps in reducing fuel costs, optimising machinery and operator performance and proactively manages service and maintenance. All of which result in efficiency and higher profits. “We are absolutely satisfied with Volvo

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CE’s performance and ability to deliver and are delighted with the machine’s fuel efficiency,” says Santosh S Melligere, Partner, SDM. Caretrack works in such a way that you get utilisation reports, can refer to things in every 10 to 15 days, get regular service alarms from the machine and get warning signals of an impending problem which means you solve a problem even before it arises - all of this with some excellent support for the dealer. While Caretrack, in a nutshell, helps in equipment efficiency and better results, it also helps the business in some very specific ways. It helps save money and save time. It also offers infinite opportunities with its functionalities and the right features for your business. The system generates a wide range of reports via a web portal, as well as sending SMS / e-mail alerts. What’s more, you get tracking and status benefits, antitheft advantage, communications systems and API, to name a few. Encore from Karnataka has been the dealer for Shirur Dolomite Mines. Going by the word of SDM, Encore has time and again offered the best of services and support resulting in better efficiency for the company and happy faces ET from either side.

“We are absolutely satisfied with Volvo CE’s performance and ability to deliver and are delighted with the machine’s fuel efficiency.” SANTOSH S MELLIGERE Partner, SDM.


Spotlight

Northeast To Drive Equipment Demand A slew of projects announced by the Central and State Governments has brought plenty of opportunities for equipment suppliers, especially for small and medium size with high end technology.

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uge amount of work is to be done in the North-East which is possible only by large scale mechanization and infusion of technology. This would require adequate skilled manpower in the region and appropriate technology. States Dr. SS Porwal, VSM Additional Director General of Border Roads, “There are huge backlog of various infra projects in entire NE regions. We need large scale mechanisation and induction and deployment of latest state of art equipment in big way to meet the challenges in the demand-supply gap of infrastructure. There will be huge requirement for matching technical, supervisory staff and equipment operators. BRO had already contributed in big way by establishing basic connectivity to difficult and inaccessible remote area.” According to Anand Sundaresan, President, ICEMA there is a huge opportunity for small and medium size equipment and machinery, with high end technology. Unfortunately, many of the major players have not entered the space. To an extent, this huge demand is taken care by proprietary firms. However, it seems they are not able to upgrade technology and scale up production to match the demand. “Over the last three to four years there has been a major thrust on north eastern states by way of connectivity projects through rail and roads, and creation of physical infrastructure. The government has realised the importance of developing NE as rest of the country, and the renewed thrust is part of the inclusive growth agenda of the government. The high activity levels in the NE have opened up plenty of opportunities for the CE sector,” avers Jasmeet Singh, Head-Corporate Communications and External Relations, JCB India. Says Karan Parikh, Managing Director, Linnhoff India, “The ratio of north east to other zones of India contributed less than 5% over the last

10 years. But the trend has changed – in today’s scenario the contribution has crossed over 20%.” Speaking about bridging the skill gap HS Mohan, CEO, IESC had this to say. “IESC has certified training centres in North East with IESC certified Trainers. IESC is focusing in this important territory to undertake skilling process and work closely with the respective governments for employment generation and absorption of certified candidates. IESC has signed Memorandum of Understanding to train operators and mechanics of the contractors for the ongoing projects under RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) programmes. This is a short term training for experienced operators and mechanics from the field. The training will be held at their respective sites with duration of 40 hours/5days. The candidates will be assessed by our assessment agency, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as per IESC job roles and NSQF level. The candidates so successful will be issued certificate from Government of India, which will enable them for their career progression.” The following pages give a insight into ET the opportunities and challenges.

 The high activity levels in the NE regions have opened up plenty of opportunities for the CE sector.

March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 63


Spotlight

‘There is a huge opportunity for small and medium size equipment with high end technology.’ Anand Sundaresan President, ICEMA

The major manufacturers who are members of ICEMA are not able to participate in a big way in the border roads or rural roads projects because the pain points are not clearly known. Anand Sundaresan President, ICEMA

How do you assess the adoption of advanced technology in road projects, especially in NE regions? Over the years we have achieved international standards in road construction, especially in the national highway road projects. Ministry of Road Transport, Indian Road Congress, and ICEMA continuously interact and draw the specs of various types of equipment used in a road projects to ensure better quality output. There are also many multinational companies here chipping in with their expertise. When it comes to NE regions and rural and border roads a major challenge is bringing these advanced equipment and machinery to these projects. Since most of these projects are executed by small and medium contractors, accessibility and affordability are big challenges. How do you find the opportunities from these projects? The quantum of work is so huge that we need to speed up the projects in NE regions. There is a huge opportunity for small and medium size equipment and machinery, with high end technology. Unfortunately, many of the major players have not entered the space. Currently, to an extent, this huge demand is taken care by proprietary firms.. However, it seem today’s proprietary firms are not able to upgrade technology and scale up production to match the demand. What supportive role probably ICEMA can play? The major manufacturers who are member of ICEMA are not able to participate in a big way in the border roads or rural roads projects because the pain points are not clearly known, whether the demand will be stable so they can scale down to meet the specific requirements.

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And probably we need to change the specs of some equipment what organisation like BRO has already been using. We have passed the information to all the members. It is in their hands to take advantage of the opportunities. Does the L1 concept of tendering adversely impact the growth? True. This has to be done away with. What is more important is the life cycle cost of a machine rather than its initial price. For example organisation like BRO, which has been doing excellent work in the border roads always go for L1 tender and majority of the large players are not able to participate in this process. The matter has been thoroughly discussed with BRO. We would be working with BRO for developing specific requirement of equipment for the road projects undertaken by them. BRO has already signed MoUs with select companies such as Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Tata Hitachi & Bosch. Availability of spares and back up support seems to be a major issue, especially for NE projects. All of us have invested heavily in building up the service network to provide high end services to our customers. We have ensured timely availability of spares, training of operators and have come out with a variety of service contracts to suit the requirements of the customers. Especially the demands from private contractors are very high and we are well able to meet the requirements. So the same can be replicated even at the NE regions and boarder roads and rural road projects. In fact, many of members have already set up service centres, spares outlets and training centres in NE regions. Yes, we need to give the allowance of difficult terrains which has a bearing on the ET mobility of men and machinery.


Spotlight

‘Life cycle cost of equipment needs to be taken care in tenders.’ Jasmeet Singh Head-Corporate, Communications and External Relations, JCB India

We are committed to the NE and are in a position to take full advantage of the opportunities as we have set up an efficient network of local dealers, parts outlets, service centres, warehouses and training centres. Jasmeet Singh, Head-Corporate Communications and External Relations, JCB India

How do you assess the opportunities from projects in north eastern states? Over the last three to four years there has been a major thrust on north eastern states by way of connectivity projects through rail and roads, and creation of physical infrastructure. This increased momentum is driven by three aspects - the geographical and strategic importance of north east, defence and security, and huge potential for travel and tourism. The government has realised the importance of developing NE as rest of the country, and the renewed thrust is part of the inclusive growth agenda of the government. The high activity levels in the NE have opened up plenty of opportunities for the CE sector. Given the geographical challenges, product and technology wise to what extent JCB is geared up? JCB has products which can work in minus 40 degrees in Russia, and products which can work 55 degrees in Middle East. So product and technology wise we are fully prepared. For high altitudes we have turbo charged machines, for subzero temperatures we have machines fitted with cold start kits. We have aggressively worked upon various aspects of air conditioning, heating, ventilation and any JCB machine should be able to work any part of the country. In fact, machines made in India are working in 72 different countries, different terrains, a wide range of temperatures etc. We have been supplying to BRO, an organisation working on difficult terrains across the country. They have very stringent quality norms. Our offerings such as 4DX and 2DX, and most models of excavators are turbocharged and we also supply wheel loaders, compactors and skid steers. Capability of OEMs to meet the requirements of spares and services for

these projects seems to be in question. What is your take on this? From the industry perspective there are two important parameters – one is MTTR, which is ‘mean time to restore’ and MTBF which is ‘mean time between two failures. Northeast is a challenging market, especially in terms of mobility of equipment, weather, and difficult terrains. From our side, we make products that suit well for these terrains, and also back it up with timely spares and services. We are committed to the NE and are in a position to take full advantage of the opportunities as we have set up an efficient network of local dealers, parts outlets, service centres, warehouses etc. We have invested in the last 40 years in developing the product support network. It is one of the strengths of JCB. From the industry perspective the forthcoming conference and exhibition, Conmac, is a testimony to how committed the CE industry is towards NE development. How do you address the acute shortage of skilled operators and technicians? Yes, it is a major issue. However, from our side, we have already established two operators training centres – one in Gohatty and the other in Silichar in Arunachal Pradesh. How do you anticipate the future growth prospects? The growth trajectory is strong as there are lots of projects happening. Especially from the last year road projects are on the upswing, and there is no sign of decline in demand for equipment and machinery. The entire industry has picked up by 43 per cent, and this growth is coming from all across India, including NE regions. For the next ten years, the focus on infrastructure development should not be lost. We are committed make the best of ET the opportunities. March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 65


Spotlight

‘For northeast projects asphalt plants with output from 80 – 124 TPH are in demand.’

Karan Parikh Managing Director, Linnhoff India

We are taking continuous efforts to make further developments whereby we limit the emissions and have a safer way to control the fumes, dust etc. through dust collecting system. Karan Parikh, Managing Director Linnhoff India

Tell about the key market trends in asphalt plants in the north-eastern states? Being experts in understanding the client requirements, we help them ascertain the type of plant and capacity they require. Since it is capital equipment, it is quite straight forward and has various categories of output. Pertaining to requirement of the contractor and length of the road to be built they place the order and take equipment from us. Majority of what we manufacture is utilized for national highway roads. Overall, there is requirement of plants for both national and state highways. The demand for these asphalt plants is still quite low for rural road projects. Given the geographical challenges what type and class / capacity of asphalt plants are more in demand? There are various factors based on which the plant selection is made by the client. We thoroughly understand the requirement from them and decide mutually how to cater the requirement. Taking northeast into consideration, there are mainly requirements of plants giving an output from 80 to 124 tonnes per hour. This is based on the project length, availability of daily production hours and to a certain extent the dimensions of the plants. There was an interesting scenario where we had to cut down the two main modules of the plant, the drum and the cold feeder into three sections, airlift the components and then do the final assembly at site in Arunachal Pradesh. It was a challenging but a landmark project for us. Brief us on the equipment and machinery supplied by you for northeast projects? We have supplied over 20 asphalt batch mix plants ranging from 80 to 200TPH for these types of projects. Few of

66 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

these projects also have the hot recycling or cold recycling attachments. With our venture in maintenance material, we are now also looking to provide maintenance road laying emulsions which will improve the life of the roads by at least 4-5 years. Trials and tests are in progress throughout the nation. Where there is coal availability, we provide attachment to run the plant on coal instead of fuel which also reduces the operations cost drastically. How do you perceive challenges with regard to specific requirement of equipment to work in difficult terrains? There are definite challenges, and we work to resolve such issues as we develop various prototype models to meet the requirements at our R&D unit. The equipment can be changed to various


Spotlight

Linnhoff develops various prototype models to meet the requirements at its R&D unit.

sizes, specifications (Example as given above) but there are also ways in which the process itself can be changed by making use of the availability of resources from the location of where the installation has to be made. Such difficult terrains

Linnhoff has around 350 asphalt plant installations, over 8 main contractors and 220 service engineers to cater to the servicing requirements and 12 BRING DOWN spare locations pan India.

require more mechanization during the installation stages and we have advanced enough to meet the requirement. Have made 350 installations, we may have come across most challenges from transporting the plant till site, erecting the plant and also during the operations based on weather conditions. We have Linnhoff plants all over the world as well and in hilly terrains. We definitely understand that it is challenging to meet the needs and requirements of such remote locations, but given an opportunity we are quite certain of doing a good job. Brief us on the advanced technologies used in your product range? To reduce CO2 footprint we are working out on various attachments which go along with our asphalt batch mix plants. The most recent one and also running quite well at four locations across India is the hot recycling attachment. This attachment allows the top layer of existing road to be milled and this material by input at 70:30 ratio with virgin aggregates. This drastically reduces requirement of bitumen, requirement of heating to reach the temperature of mix thus becomes lower, finally leading to overall savings of fuel, aggregates, bitumen and lower exhaust gases due to lower fuel ET consumption on heating. March 2017 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | 67


Spotlight

‘There is inadequate capacity of OEM dealers and network for repair facilities.’

Dr. S S Porwal, VSM, Additional Director General of Border Roads (Addl DGBR) Border Roads Organisation MoD, Govt. of India

Based on the existing and forecasted population of various types of equipment OEMs can expand network as per ground requirements. Dr. S S Porwal, VSM, Additional Director General of Border Roads (Addl DGBR) Border Roads Organisation MoD, Govt. of India

What do you think the basic requirement to meet the challenges in infrastructure building in the north eastern states? There is a huge backlog of various infra projects in entire NE regions. We need large scale mechanisation and induction and deployment of latest state of the art equipment in big way to meet the challenges in the demand-supply gap. There will be huge requirement for matching technical, supervisory staff and equipment operators. BRO had already contributed in big way by establishing basic connectivity to difficult and inaccessible remote areas and same will facilitate the various agencies to contribute in entire NE regions. Many central and state government agencies are coming big way to increase the pace of construction. The government of India is paying lots of attention to increase the pace of construction through ‘Act East’ policy. The central agencies like BRO, MoRTH, Railways, NHAI, NHIDCL, NHPC, NEEPCO, NBCC, CWC and various state government agencies are now fully geared to increase pace of creation of all type of infrastructure works. BRO has been playing a pivotal role for the last six decades creating projects in difficult areas and terrains. BRO is mainly working in forward areas where other agencies are not able to work. Given the geographical challenges what type and class of equipment is more in demand? Majority of NE regions baring Brahmaputra valley and Imphal valley are hilly region, therefore huge quantum of hill side earth and rock cutting is required. The typical geographical changes are well known - high rainfall, unstable slopes, etc. Shortage of constructions material is another major challenge which can be met thorough new technologies; for example soil stabilisation and various chemicals to strengthen the sub base Typically the

68 | EQUIPMENT TIMES | March 2017

various types earth cutting machines i.e. tracked excavator , dozer , JCB type wheeled excavators, stone crushers, hot mix plant, WMM plants, vibratory road rollers, concrete batching plant are in demand. Generally medium size equipment are more suitable for roads work. There are a number equipments suitable for far flung and sub- Himalayan region. The majority of suitable equipment profile already tried by BRO, and BRO officers can share their experience regarding sizes and suitability of construction equipment. What are major challenges in terms of mobility of equipment? The steep gradients, sharp curves and low load classifications of temporary bridges are the main challenges for mobility of equipments in remote NE Region. What about the availability of trained operators? At present there acute shortages trained manpower and the skill India programme will help in big way. However, the special attention is required to be paid to bridge the gap in supply and demand. What are the challenges in terms of spares and services from OEMs? At present there is inadequate capacity of OEM dealers and repair facility of network. How do you perceive the potential and challenges with regard to specific requirement of equipment to work in difficult terrains? For high altitudes terrain suitable equipments needs to be with extra power and turbo chargers fitting to make up the low oxygen level and loss of efficiency due to high altitude effect; and for low temperature special fuels, starting capsules etc will be required to function in ET these areas.



RNI No. MAHEGN/2014/55864. Postal Regd. No. NMB/178/2017-2019. Posted at Vashi MDG, Post office Building, Near MTNL Exchange, Sector 16, Vashi, Navi Mumbai - 400703 on 9th & 10 of every month. Date of Publication 1st of every month.

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