ISSUE 43 MAY 2015
Show Stopper
Al Qahtani on their impressive CM show stand
InterMAt revIew highlights from the paris show
hEAvy hiTTER
perforMAnCe hitachi steps up its game in the big excavator business Plus: RAW POWER
* NEWs & ANAlysis * ThE lAsT WORd * siTE visiT * ANd MuCh MORE
Contents
page 26 INTERMAT highlights
IS S U E 4 3 M ay 2 0 1 5
A round-up of some of the machinery and interview highlights from the Paris show.
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Editorial Contractors are looking for machines with better fuel efficiency and air-conditioning in a bid to raise productivity.
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NEws What’s happening across the region in construction machinery?
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kit spottiNg A pair of Geda construction hoists working on the tallest building in Warsaw, Poland.
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al QahtaNi at CM show Al Qahtani explains the intent behind its impressive stand at the recent Construction Machinery Show in Dammam.
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hitaChi oN a high Hitachi on the strength of its earth-moving equipment and Hitachi Sumitomo crawler cranes.
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fuNdiNg your kit How availability of finance can make purchasing new equipment a lot easier.
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spECial rEport: hEalth aNd safEty How contractors and consultants are working together to change the GCC’s approach to health and safety in construction.
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Raw power Page
40 NEW RELEASES
The latest and greatest new releases in the world of construction machinery. Page
tips to boost your work-site safety, improving employee well-being and productivity. Page technologies can result in cheaper running costs. Page
47 TOP TEN CMME lists 10
50 PRODUCT FOCUS New light tower and generator
56 THE BACK PAGE Renters call for easier and cheaper-to-repair machines.
POWER OUTSIDE,
COMFORT INSIDE
powerful performance Best-in-class breakout forces increased lifting capacity
comfort driven productivity 25% more space in the cab controls at the operator’s fingertips
outstanding visibility Clear line of sight all round and to bucket cutting edge
excellent serviceability Ground access to all service points easy to open tilting cab
Online
LAUNCH PARTNER
Construction Machinery ME’s home on the web MOST POPULAR
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EDITOR'S CHOICE
READERS' COMMENTS
Construction workers torch building site,
17 cars in UAE strike Protest in Ras Al Khaimah apparently sparked by death of worker after fall from fifth floor of under-construction building
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Dutco Balfour Beatty wins $408m Dubai Creek project
Meraas appoints contractor to build waterfront hotels, markets, restaurants and retail outlets
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PHOTO GALLERIES
Site visit: Volvo CE road machinery on show in Abu Dhabi FAMCO, local distributor for Volvo Construction Equipment (CE), organised an event for customers in Abu Dhabi. See photo galleries at: meconstructionnews.com/photos
Migrant workers “forced to run Qatar marathon”
Workers allegedly “press-ganged”
It is certainly a good thing that this website has addressed the issue of the psychological impact of construction work – which is, as you say, a labourintensive, high-stress environment. And while I would applaud more focus on this in the Gulf, it is surely worth noting that the availability of easily accessible mentalhealth services is lacking across the board, not just in construction.
organisers deny claims of coercion
Simon Crompton, comment to the story, ‘Mental health of construction workers needs more thought’
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READER POLL
into participating, although
Nakheel unveils threeyear plan for Dubai
Are Gulf governments doing enough to ensure fire safety?
projects worth $3.8bn Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed
12% 12%
briefed on developments, which include extensions to Dragon Mart and Ibn Battuta Mall
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Dubai property prices drop, rents flat in Q1, says JLL
VIDEO
sale prices see “marginal
‘Spiderman’ climbs world’s tallest twisted tower in Dubai French climber Alain Robert, also known as ‘Spiderman’, scaled Dubai’s Cayan Tower without a safety harness.
decline”, consultancy says
See videos at: meconstructionnews.com/videos
Residential rents remain “relatively flat” while
Yes: Regulation in place is adequate
Yes: It’s up to the private sector to address
31%
43%
No: Better legislation is needed
No: There should be stricter enforcement
Log on for the latest from across the Middle East construction sector. Write to the editor at contact@meconstructionnews.com 4
CONSTRUCTION
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May 2015
AFGHANISTAN FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC) + 971 4 213 5100 (UAE) famco@alfuttaim.ae AZERBAIJAN Aztexnika Ltd + 994 502 452 555 a.aslanbayov@aztexnika.az BAHRAIN A.A. Bin Hindi B.S.C (c) + 973 17 703078 ciesales@binhindi.com GEORGIA Elite Motors Ltd + 995 577 769 615 zantelidze@elitemotors.ge IRAQ Sardar Automobile and Machinery Trading Co. + 964 750 344 4701 ihsan@sardarmachinery.com KUWAIT Al-Zabin International Group Co. For Heavy Equipment + 965 2433 4721 alzabin@alzabinkuwait.com LEBANON AMTRAC (Abdelmassih Trading Company) + 961 3 425625 michel@amtrac-lb.com OMAN GENSERV (General Engineering Services Est) + 968 244 90755 sales@genserv-oman.com
the power behind construction – volvo
PAKISTAN VPL Limited + 92 42 111 875 875 uzair.shahid @panasiangroup.com QATAR Arabian Agencies Company WLL + 974 44 50 0925 araco@araco.com.qa SAUDI ARABIA FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC) + 966 12 680 4444 famco@alfuttaim.sa SYRIA Nassib Saad Est. Trading & Import + 963 11 222 5432 g.ali@saad-syria.com TURKEY Ascendum Makina + 90 216 581 80 00 info@ascturk.com TURKMENISTAN Ez Aziya-Hyzmatdash + 993 124 37278 h.hangeldyev @aziya-hyzmatdash.com UAE FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co. LLC) + 971 4 213 5100 famco@alfuttaim.ae UZBEKISTAN C&H International + 998 711 475 003 hojinhan88@gmail.com YEMEN Elaghil Trading Co + 967 1 207 470 elaghil@y.net.ye
Make Volvo the power behind your construction projects. Outstanding quality, safety and consideration for the environment makes Volvo a sensible choice all round. And the picture above shows just a small sample of the wide range of products that now carry the Volvo name. All backed up by the legendary Volvo after sales care. Go online and take a closer look at the Volvo range of construction equipment. Building tomorrow.
volvoce.com
Editor’s Letter
GROUP GROUP CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA GROUP CEO NADEEM HOOD
plenty of good news to chew over
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ast month’s INTERMAT show was a good chance to gauge the confidence of construction machinery sellers, and a chance to learn of new developments, whether investments in the network or new releases. While the first day of the show was certainly a little slow, the number of visitors grew across the week, and it appeared to be a good balance between quantity and quality. After all, when shows are too busy there isn’t enough time to give new potential customers full attention.
Questions for executives from OEMs about the impact of the drop in the oil price revealed that as yet there has been little drop in demand for machinery. This is due to the enormous scale of infrastructure projects underway (and planned), many of which have significant importance to social and economic aspirations. These projects often have a significant work load and duration, giving contractors the confidence (and incentive) to invest in large fleets of new kit. One exception to this rule seems to be Qatar, where I am told project awards have slowed down or even stalled since the beginning of the year, while slow payments are a perennial problem.
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713 EDITORIAL ACTING EDITOR STIAN OVERDAHL stian.overdahl@cpidubai.com +49 176 271 203 87 REPORTER JERUSHA SEqUEIRA jerusha.sequeira@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5477 SUB EDITOR AELRED DOYLE MARKETING & ADVERTISING COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR MICHAEL STANSFIELD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 MARKETING MANAGER LISA JUSTICE lisa.justice@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DESIGN ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON DESIGNER LUCY MCMURRAY
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As to whether 2016 will bring smaller spending from the state budgets, whether the oil price will rise, or whether spending on social infrastructure will remain steady – the best answer was given by one executive, who remarked, “We just don’t know!” On the equipment side, quite apart from any of the new launches, it was pleasing to hear that contractors and plant users are increasingly invested in taking advantage of latest-generation technologies. Especially in the UAE, fuel efficiency is now a key consideration when buying a new machine. After all, it adds up to a significant cost over a machine’s life, and nobody is certain what the price of diesel will be in three years, when the machine is still a part of your fleet. Operator-friendly features, ergonomics, air-conditioning and effective climate isolation are also increasingly sought after, with the awareness that comfortable operators are more productive across a long shift. The attitude of ‘my operators don’t need AC’ still exists, but belongs to the older generation of plant owners, one regional director explained. With the pace of projects and the volumes of material to be shifted, maximum productivity is required to complete projects quickly and remain profitable. Meanwhile, the shortage of skilled operators in the region means that buyers are looking for machines that will keep their top operators happy and productive. As has long been the case in Europe, operator preferences are starting to factor into machine purchasing decisions, which seems to be a case of winners all around.
CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION CM
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER SUNIL KUMAR sunil.kumar@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5476 PRODUCTION MANAGER VIPIN V. VIJAY vipin.vijay@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5713 DIGITAL WEB DEvELOPER MOHAMMAD AwAIS WEB DEvELOPER UMAIR SHAMIM PUBLISHED BY
Registered at IMPZ PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 www.cpimediagroup.com PRINTED BY Printwell Printing Press LLC © Copyright 2015 CPI All rights reserved while the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein. ISSUE 43 MAY 2015
SHOW STOPPER
Al Qahtani on their impressive CM show stand
INTERMAT REVIEW Highlights from the Paris show
HEAVY HITTER
PERFORMANCE Hitachi steps up its game in the big excavator business PLUS: RAW POWER
Stian Overdahl, Acting Editor, CMME
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* NEWS & ANALYSIS * THE LAST WORD * SITE VISIT * AND MUCH MORE
NOW ONLINE You can now catch the online edition every month at: www.constructionmachineryme.com
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News Round-Up
NEWS
Zoomlion signs tower crane agent
New machines, new offices, new projects, new initiatives – we look around the region at what’s new this month RACInG By LIGHT Pramac has renewed a generator-supply agreement with the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), to supply 44 gensets to light up the Losail International Circuit in Doha, hosting events such as the MotoGP.
Chinese construction machinery manufacturer Zoomlion has signed a strategic cooperation agreement for tower cranes with Al Shawaf International, to appoint subsidiary Al Bawani Trading Company as its sales agent. The agreement was signed between Zoomlion senior president Zhang Jianguo and Mohedin Al Shawaf, executive manager at Al Shawaf International. Zoomlion hopes the agreement will allow it to further penetrate Saudi Arabia, the largest tower
crane market in the GCC. According to the company, while it currently enjoys a stable share in KSA, the absence of a local sales agent has hindered its commercial growth. The agreement will allow the Zoomlion Overseas Branch Company to use Al Bawani Trading’s large spare parts warehouses, and its skills to organise sales staff and service engineers, improving its sales operations and after-sales in a bid to expand its market presence.
Liebherr buys Hong Kong tower crane dealer Deal includes hire fleet, transfer of sales and service staff
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iebherr has purchased the business of its Hong Kong tower crane dealer, after its parent company, Shriro Group, announced it wants to focus on its core business. The deal sees Liebherr taking over the business’s hire fleet of 24 tower cranes and 20 staff, including the sales and service functions. “The takeover will enable Liebherr to place a permanent footprint on the Asian market as a manufacturer,” says Dominique Tasch, managing
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director at Liebherr-Werk Biberach, the Liebherr business division responsible for tower cranes. “The crane specialists are superbly trained and have already completed courses at the manufacturing plant in Biberach. That means that the transition will be very smooth, and existing contracts and obligations will be met without any restrictions.” Liebherr has a major office in Singapore, which will not be responsible for the
Liebherr tower crane business throughout Asia, said Tasch. “In addition to sales of new and used cranes, it will focus on expanding hire activities to acquire a stronger presence for Liebherr tower cranes in Southeast Asia.” The acquired Hong Kong company will collaborate with Liebherr-Singapore and focus on project business. “We are particularly focusing on project business and special building sites,” explained Tasch.
“Liebherr can provide excellent services for complex special projects using the expertise of its engineers from the Tower Crane
Solutions business unit. We work with the customer to find a safe, economical solution to technically complicated building projects.”
Big plans for Dubai Dubai developer Nakheel has unveiled a three-year plan for new and ongoing projects worth $3.8 billion, in a briefing attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
comansa Jie renames after pull-out
Ritchie BRos. sells two $3.3m lieBheRR cRanes A Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers complete dispersal sale for Energy Transportation, a major North American crane rental firm, netted $54 million, including the top price ever paid for an all-terrain crane, in a sale by the industrial auctioneer. With nearly 40 large cranes for sale, and row after row of heavy-spec trucks, trailers and other equipment lined up neatly in the yard, it was the largest single-owner auction in Ritchie Bros. history, enticing more than 3,000 on-site and online bidders. Of the $54m auction total, $20m sold to online bidders. The highest-priced item on auction day was a 2010 Liebherr LTM1500-8.1 that sold for $3.35 million – the most expensive all-terrain crane sold by Ritchie Bros. to date. Other notable sales included a
2011 Liebherr LR1600/2 crawler crane which sold for $3.3m, a 2013 Grove GMK7550 ATC which sold for $2.725m and two 2008 Manitowoc 16000 crawler cranes which sold for $2.325m each. The complete dispersal sale for Energy Transportation also included a number of expensive transportation units, including a 2010 Kenworth C500 6x6 off-highway prime mover (T/A) which sold for $400,000, a 2013 Kenworth C500 6x8 T/A T/A bed truck which sold for $375,000 and two 2002 Scheuerle 375-tonne 12-line platform trailers which sold for $420,000 and $395,000. The founder of Energy Transportation, Dan McGlade, sold his entire company f leet in a single day. “Bidder turnout was even bigger than we expected, which resulted in strong equipment values in the auction,” said McGlade. “Ritchie Bros. is the only company that could have put this sale together. Their marketing efforts alone were outstanding. They did everything possible to make sure people were aware of the auction, and the results today are evident.”
$12bn Value of Jeddah Metro, planned to be opened in 2020. 20km will run underground. Bidding for contracts will open later this year.
Chinese tower crane manufacturer Comansa JIE has been renamed after the “amicable exit” of one of its main stockholders, JIE Holding Group, and will now be known as Comansa CM. The Hangzhou-based manufacturer of flat-tops was founded in 2006 as a joint venture by JIE and Spain’s Linden Comansa, which is now the sole owner. According to a release by the company, the “change in the shareholding will barely affect the trajectory of the company”; the sales
and product strategy will remain as before, and the staff and the management team will be exactly the same. “A clear example of this continuity is the Comansa CM logo itself, which has undergone minimal changes in comparison with the previous.” Comansa CM’s flat-top cranes are sold mainly in China, India and in Southeast Asia. It offers 11 different tower cranes, all with flat-top design, with maximum load capacities ranging from 6 to 24 tonnes.
Famco rub al Khali video hits 1m views The youTube video of FAMCO’s epic feat in the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) desert in Saudi Arabia has notched up more than one million views. The video is available in both Arabic and English. The campaign’s popularity was also evident on Twitter, with over 600,000 impressions. 95 Volvo Construction Equipment machines supplied by FAMCO were used extensively on the construction of the road between KSA and Oman. The machines were deployed on 14-hour shifts in temperatures ranging from 50ºC to -1ºC, digging through thousand-foot-high sand dunes.
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News Round-Up
BoBcat s450 launches in Kuwait
The Bobcat S450 has officially launched in Kuwait, at a large open day held by Bahrah Trading Company (BTC), the Bobcat dealer for Kuwait. BTC is part of the Al-Sayer Group, and the event was attended by Al Sayer Group executives and Gaby Rhayem, regional director for Bobcat in Middle East and North Africa. “As well as providing an excellent launch pad for our new S450 skidsteer loader, the BTC event celebrates major
milestones for Bobcat with the sale of our one millionth skid-steer loader and our 20,000th telehandler in the last 12 months, reflecting the long and successful journey of the Bobcat brand,” said Rhayem. Over 150 guests from various institutions in Kuwait attended the event, held at the Kuwait International Fair Ground at Mishref. They witnessed impressive demonstrations of the machines by skilled operators. In addition
to the S450, Bobcat loaders, telehandlers, excavators and attachments were demonstrated alongside Doosan Heavy and Doosan Portable Power products, for which BTC is also the Kuwait dealer. Mubarak Naser Al Sayer said: “The Al Sayer Group values of trust, honesty and personal integrity, offering the highest quality products and services backed by the best after-sales service, are always at the heart of our business.”
iRonPlanet sales hit $46m in maRch IronPlanet, an online marketplace for heavy equipment and trucks, sold over $46 million in equipment at auctions held across its marketplaces from March 25-27. In addition to online auctions, the firm held on-site events in the US including a joint live unreserved public auction with Cat Auction Services in Iowa and a two-day sale by Kruse Energy & Equipment. Over 24,000 people registered for on-site and online auctions, and a total of 3,530 items were sold for $46.7 million in gross merchandise value. In Europe, IronPlanet’s endof-quarter sale attracted more than 2,800 attendees from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. “We ended the quarter with a strong week of auctions that sold
Photo for illustration purposes only.
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more than $46 million in equipment,” said Gregory J. Owens, IronPlanet Chairman and CEO. “I am very excited with the momentum that we have in the market and the value we are delivering to our customers across the construction, transportation, government and oil and gas sectors.” IronPlanet, which has about 1.3 million registered users globally, also recorded robust sales of oilfield and military equipment in the US. Its marketplace Kruse Energy and Equipment sold 17 rigs and surplus oilfield equipment in its two-day sale in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, GovPlanet, launched last year, managed to sell over 300 items, including 50 military Humvees and four Oshkosh M1070HET trucks.
KuWAIT’S ILC BuyS 10 GROVE GMK4100L CRAnES
Kuwait’s Integrated Logistics Company (ILC), one of the largest heavy lift companies in the Gulf, has purchased ten new Grove GMK4100L all-terrain cranes. The purchase was part of an order for 17 new Grove all-terrain cranes. ILC is the largest crane rental company in Kuwait, but its cranes are often used further afield, including travelling large distances to job-sites in Saudi Arabia. The 100t capacity class Grove GMK4100L features a 60m boom on a compact four-axle carrier that can travel on most highways without the need for special permits. Saleh Al-Huwaidi, CEO of ILC, said that the market demand for crane capacities of up to 100t is high, making the additional Grove cranes an invaluable addition to their fleet. “Our Grove cranes are strong, reliable and have exceptional resale value,” he said. “We recently bought 17 new Groves, including 10 GMK4100L cranes last year, as well as three GMK5130-2 and four GMK6300L all-terrain cranes in 2013, in order to keep up with demand for upcoming projects in the region. The four-axle model is compact in size and has a longer boom compared to other cranes of similar capacity.” The Grove cranes work on a variety of projects including oil and gas, fertiliser and petrochemical plants, steel
structures, refineries, wind turbines and power construction projects. During each project, the cranes are in operation daily for up to 24 months. The Grove GMK4100L is highly manoeuvrable and can reach almost any job-site thanks to its MEGATRAK suspension system and all-wheel steer. The cranes were delivered by Equipment Company W.L.L., one of the leading distributors in Kuwait for construction and industrial machines. “ILC is a key player in the Kuwaiti market which is always striving to have the best equipment in its fleet to meet the differing array of job both in the State of Kuwait and to a lesser extent in both the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia and Qatar,” said Waleed Raouf, Grove crane sales manager, Manitowoc Middle East. ILC’s fleet of over 500 cranes includes mobile cranes ranging from 25t to 1200t and crawler cranes ranging from 50t to 1600t capacity.
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Kit Spotting
GEDA PH 2032 650 TWin consTrucTion HoisT Where: On Warsaw’s tallest tower, under construction
W
arsaw, the capital of Poland, will soon have a new tallest building, the Warsaw Spire. The tower has been under construction since 2011, and the core building is 188m tall, while a spire will be built to take its height to 220m. Around 500 people and five construction cranes are working on the building, which will cost $280 million (EUR 250m). With a tight work schedule to be adhered to, the contractors selected a GEDA PH 2032 650 Twin personnel and materials hoist. The hoist has a lifting speed of 0-40-65-90m/min with a maximum lifting height of 400m. A total of up to 25 people or an overall material weight of 2,000kg can be transported on its 1.55 x 3.20m platform. On the Warsaw Spire, a PH double car is being used, which means that two cars – one on the left and one on the right side of the mast – can travel upwards and downwards independently of each other.
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The GEDA PH series can be adjusted to the necessary specifications, such as platform size, lifting speed and lifting height, and on the Spire the unloading ramp was specifically adapted to the construction site conditions in the middle of the city centre. Due to the complex architecture of Warsaw Spire – the building’s shape is oval – a special mounting had to be developed to anchor the mast sections. Landing level safety gates in the Standard Basic design ensure safe transfer between the hoist and the 48 landings of Warsaw Spire. The doors are hot dip galvanised doors, which are simple to assemble and can be installed to open either on the left or on the right. Standard safety features include the speed-dependent GEDA arrester and overload protection, as well as limit switches at the top and bottom levels.
WE KNOW YOU WANT
THESE MACHINES. Hitachi Construction Machinery Middle East Corporation FZE http://www.hitachi-c-m.com/mideast/index.html
Heavy Hitters
HItacHI on a HIgH As the construction sector in the GCC continues to grow, Hitachi is eyeing new opportunities and stepping up its game. CMME reports
I
t’s a cloudy day in March at Hitachi’s Middle East headquarters in Jebel Ali, where prospective and existing customers are gathered outdoors for an Open Day. Towering above the 200 visitors, resplendent in blue and white, are four Hitachi Sumitomo Cranes (HSC) crawlers on display, alongside several bright orange Hitachi Construction Machinery excavators arranged in neat rows around the yard. The dull weather hasn’t quite dampened spirits at the Open Day, which comes as Hitachi is making progress across the region, including with its larger equipment, with two Hitachi EX1900-6 excavators recently sold for excavation work on a major Qatari infrastructure project. The machines have an operating weight of more than 190t. The Open Day kicks off with opening speeches by Hitachi CM senior executives, followed by musical performances and a live demonstration of one of the crawler cranes
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on display, the SCX1500A-3. In the centre of the yard, among the other machines, is a white-and-yellow SCX2800-2, custom-painted for Aertssen Machinery Services (AMS), a Belgian company specialising in heavy lift operations and crane rentals. The key to the crane is handed over later in the day by Hidefumi Sameshima, president of Hitachi CM Middle East, to Tony Nuyts, general manager of AMS. This hand-over ceremony, however, is more than just the delivery of a crane to a rental firm; it represents a larger trend in the market for crawler cranes, explains Piet Hein van Bakergem, general manager of sales and marketing at Hitachi CM Middle East, talking at the Open Day. “It's not often that companies invest in a crawler crane, because the investment is quite high. They depend on rental companies, which also have skilled operators, so that is a very important group of customers for us.” With over 200 cranes in place in the Middle East, HSC is eyeing a larger market share as it looks to tap
breakout performance in Qatar for large excavators Belgium firm Gulf Earth Moving (GEM) was awarded the contract for excavation at a major Qatari infrastructure project, requiring GEM to excavate over 30 million cubic metres of granular materials. GEM chose to use two massive Hitachi EX1900–6 excavators, with considerations including the project’s tight schedule and the fact that the machines had to be shipped in as separate parts and later assembled at the site. “We chose these particular Hitachi machines due to their huge break force; they have been fitted with a customised bucket, and we use this to break out the hard stones,” explains Ton De Kroon, project manager at GEM. To protect the workers from the extreme heat, the EX1900-6 has an isolated air conditioned cabin for a safe and efficient operating workstation. Strong support from Hitachi CM Middle East and the local dealer, Arabian Supply Centre (ASC), were also decisive, and high-quality support is often at the top of a buyer’s list. “After-sales support for such kind of projects is perhaps more important than the sale itself. The guarantee of an uptime all the time without any complications is very important to contractors,” explains van Bakergem. Assembly of the Hitachi EX1900-6 was a complex task, requiring effective communication between the dealer and GEM, with a crew of assembly staff, engineers and product specialists working together on-site to assemble the machines. GEMs has a large fleet of Hitachi excavators, including huge EX-2500s and EX-1200s from their existing stock. "The materials that we have to excavate here are sand to very hard limestone, and for this hard material we are using the heavy forces of the Hitachi equipment to break out the heavy rocks," said Koen Adriaensen, works manager at GEM.
Hidefumi Sameshima (right), president of Hitachi CM Middle East, hands over the key to a SCX2800-2 to Tony Nuyts (centre), general manager of Aertssen Machinery Services Middle East. To left, Hitachi CM general manager Piet Hein van Bakergem.
into the region’s burgeoning construction sector, especially with the much anticipated Expo 2020 in Dubai and 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he says. Although the company is also seeing demand from industrial applications such as steel factories, its crawler cranes are increasingly being used in construction activities, a market that is quite successful for rental companies. The infrastructure boom in the region requires heavy lifters. Additionally, as projects get more complex and ambitious, heavy lifting specifications are getting even higher, explains van Bakergem. “Years ago, if you would sell a 100t crane, it would be the talk of the town. Now, especially in Saudi Arabia and other markets, crane companies are more comfortable with having higher specifications." Currently, the 150t and 280t models are fast movers for HSC, van Bakergem says. There are also plans to
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Heavy Hitters
ams reveals demand for 280t Hsc crawler crane Aertssen Machinery Services (AMS), a Belgian company specialising in heavy lift operations and crane rentals, has revealed that its new Hitachi Sumitomo 280t crawler crane will likely be used for offshore work in Abu Dhabi. The crane was handed over to AMS at a recent open day in Jebel Ali for Hitachi Construction Machinery and Hitachi Sumitomo Cranes (HSC). AMS has about 30 HSC cranes in its fleet, and customer feedback has been generally positive, says Robin Vermaat, technical commercial manager at AMS. “The Hitachi is a very, very good machine and it’s a durable machine. It's also preferred as a crawler.” Oil and gas is a major application for the rental firm, and it supplies roughly 60% of its cranes to the sector. Construction accounts for another 30%, with the remainder made up of other applications like power projects. But as the construction sector undergoes rapid growth in the GCC with the much anticipated Expo 2020 and 2022 World Cup, demand in the segment is likely to pick up, Vermaat notes, adding that more and more clients are preferring to rent rather than own, particularly when working on a contract basis. In such cases, it is often unfeasible for a contractor to invest in a mobile or crawler crane for a project that lasts one to two years if the machine isn’t going to be used after that, he says. “They like to rent it, as it is easier because, after the renting period, they're done.”
Hitachi CM and HSC have their regional office in Jebel Ali, site of the Open Day, where they keep new machinery stock and spare parts, as well as holding training events.
introduce a 350t by the second half of this year, helping ensure the manufacturer has a line-up well suited to the needs of the local market. Many of the customers at the Open Day event have been invited by HSC and Hitachi CM’s dealers in the uAE, such as Middle East Crane Equipment Trading and kanoo Machinery. Middle East Crane Equipment, a branch of Belgiumbased luyckx NV, was founded in Abu Dhabi in 2012 and sells HSC crawler cranes and Hitachi excavators. The company brings a wealth of experience from Europe, making it a successful partnership for HSC, van Bakergem says. last year, HSC also signed with Saudi conglomerate rolaco Trading and Contracting as its distributor
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of crawler cranes in the kingdom. A key motivation behind the choice of rolaco was to improve HSC’s after-sales support, van Bakergem says. “rolaco has been established for a long time in Saudi, and we have selected them because they have very good coverage and they also have a very good name in the market. Crane business comes together with aftersales support [and] we have recognised that to be successful in Saudi, you have to have a local partner who looks after the product once it's been sold." After all, selling a machine is only part of the
equation, he points out. “Maintaining it is much more important, and you can only do that with local partnerships and having spare parts available in the country all the time.” rolaco is poised to handle aftersales support with their presence throughout the kingdom, ensuring greater productivity on-site and less downtime, he adds. In the earth-moving segment, Hitachi CM is seeing good results with its Zaxis-5 excavators as well as its wheel loaders and mini-excavators. The new -5 excavators feature engines designed to cope with the high-sulphur fuel in the region, as well as overall productivity advantages, such as a more ergonomic cabin and an improved hydraulic system, making the machine more responsive. “Contractors are looking for more production, better excavation, so higher specs. That is what we’re focusing on,” van Bakergem emphasises. The cabins feature high-powered AC, which he says is drawing contractors to their equipment. “If you have a very productive machine, but you have a cabin that is very narrow, very warm and very uncomfortable, then after two hours the production will drop. The ergonomics are just as important as the technical performance of the machine to achieve the best production.” The more modern fleet owners see the benefits of taking care of their operators, says van Bakergem, and it is these contractors who take the large contracts where there are huge volumes of materials which need to be quickly excavated.
“THE AFTEr-SAlES SuPPOrT IS MOrE IMPOrTANT THAN THE SAlE ITSElF. BACk-uP AND SuPPOrT CAN MAkE Or BrEAk YOur rEPuTATION”
“The first challenge is to find the right operator. Then when you have found him, he can only make the best production if his working environment is in the same shape as all the technical features of the machine,” he explains. Fuel efficiency is another area where their equipment differentiates itself. Ignoring the cost of fuel is one of the biggest mistakes contractors can make in the Middle East, since this is perhaps the largest component of the overall cost of owning a machine. Van Bakergem says that with highly professional contractors able to have their equipment run continuously on a busy site, differences in fuel efficiency can mean large savings. Beyond the construction range of equipment, the company is targeting applications that require larger equipment, such as its EH1100-5 rigid-frame dump truck, a hauler with four AC motors with a 63.5t payload which was on show at last month’s INTErMAT. In the mining segment, the need for minimum downtime is crucial, as the machines operate around the clock throughout the year, he stresses. “A mining machine which stops for maintenance costs money. Because of that, companies are willing to make big investments to ensure good productivity and a return on investment. "Hitachi machines are known for high production, so they feed more dump trucks in a daily operation than other machines." Hitachi CM also offers a total cost advantage on its mining products, he notes. “For mining machines,
it's the production that counts. The price of the machine is important, but we don't intend to be the cheapest in town. What is important is the cost of the machine, the total cost. And the total cost is in our advantage.” The company is now making more noise about the availability of its large-size range in the region, especially its large excavators, which are used in a wide range of applications, including infrastructure, on projects such as ports or dredging. “We are the market leader in mining machinery for excavation,” van Bakergem says proudly, adding that
“YEArS AgO, IF YOu
WOulD SEll A 100t CrANE, IT WOulD BE THE TAlk OF THE TOWN. NOW CrANE COMPANIES ArE MOrE COMFOrTABlE WITH HAVINg HIgHEr SPECIFICATIONS”
the firm offers some of the world’s biggest excavators for the industry. As he explains, the Hitachi name is known globally in the mining sector, with global procurement frameworks in place with large mining groups such as rio Tinto. It's now a case of reminding potential customers of the expertise and abilities of the Middle East office – for both sales and service – whether the customer is working in infrastructure or mining. The target is companies operating locally, such as in the uAE or Saudi and even East Africa, who may not be familiar with Hitachi’s range of large excavators. Stronger contractors with plenty of work are still investing in new machines, says van Bakergem, and going after the business also means gearing up their product support. “For this part of the business, the after-sales support is more important than the sale itself. As an example, we have sold 1900s to Qatar, and the reason we were very confident about those purchases was that we had good back-up and support. Back-up and support can make or break your reputation.” Potential customers of large equipment normally look for spare parts as consignment stock, as well as the constant availability of technicians to support the product, even in remote areas. This can make finding the right staff a challenge. But for van Bakergem, the sale to Qatar is a sign of things to come. “We have the ambition to grow into the larger excavators, so when potential is there we are more than happy to look after them.”
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Feature
funding your kit
Equipment owners can now choose from several different options available to finance their fleets. Jerusha Sequeira reports for CMME
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W
hether a company is investing in a new mobile crane or a pickup truck, access to finance is undoubtedly a key consideration for fleet owners looking to expand existing fleets or build new ones. as construction activity takes off in the region, contractors and equipment companies may well feel the need to invest in more machines. as a result, banks and dealers are keener than ever to cash in on this market, and many now offer several facilities for customers looking to fund fleets of construction equipment or commercial vehicles. With a variety of funding options now available, customised according to their needs, fleet customers can obtain loans without much trouble and save their capital for other requirements, finance providers say. “traditionally, the sector has been slightly underserved, but now there are a lot of financial options available for fleet owners,” says vikas thapar, CEo of Emirates Money, the consumer finance arm of Emirates nbd. Emirates Money offers a comprehensive range of fleet financing solutions with loans of up to aEd7 million ($1.9 million) for commercial vehicles and construction equipment, he adds. payment options on the loans are customised according to customer requirements, and interest rates vary but are typically 3-5%. “on certain occasions we have tie-ups where we come up with joint offers which offer better value for customers,” thapar says. one example is the recent signing of a preferred partnership agreement with Cnh Capital, the financial services business of Cnh global. the agreement foresees financing activities for commercial vehicles and equipment sold under Cnh industrial brands, which include Case Construction Equipment and iveco. the partnership with Cnh Capital will help customise financial solutions for fleet owners, thapar notes. “We’re working in terms of giving competitive pricing, limits, services and turnaround times to our customers. We are also looking at some bundled options where we look at certain low down payment options for our customers.” Emirates nbd also has partnerships with other major dealers in the uaE through which it offers special financial arrangements to customers. other banks are looking to capitalise on the fleet segment too. abu dhabi islamic bank (adib), for instance, caters to a client base including car rental, transportation, logistics, trading and manufacturing companies, says Mahdi kilani, head of business banking at adib. the bank also provides heavy equipment financing, and offers up to 48 months finance at an interest rate starting from 4.5% flat per annum, he adds. dealers are also increasingly offering financing options for customers. al-Futtaim auto and Machinery Company (FaMCo) has a financial services division to help fleet owners with their funding needs. “Within FaMCo Financial services, we have a panel of banks that we’re working with,” says ahmad halwani, regional general manager for construction and agricultural equipment at FaMCo.
Mahdi Kilani, head of Business Banking at ADIB.
Vikas Thapar, CEO of Emirates Money.
“WE havE hirEd pEoplE FroM Within thE
industry to undErstand thE usagE oF assEts, thE MilEagE oF assEts, What kind oF rEturns and What kind oF rEvEnuE Can bE gEnEratEd FroM EaCh assEt” “because of our relationship with these banks and financing houses, we can try to get a high approval percentage and favourable rates as well.” in order to maximise the chances of approval, FaMCo studies the profile of the customer and works to pair him with the right bank. “and the good thing is we can package it with insurance, so you have a one-stop shop for your financing solutions. Customers can then focus purely on getting the job done,” says halwani. by taking care of financing and insurance needs, FaMCo helps customers save their capital for when they need it the most, he says. “you can save your cash and you can come to us, and we can offer you extended credit lines to finance your fleet.” despite the abundance of options available for existing and potential fleet owners, thapar notes that the segment is a niche one requiring professionals well-versed with the needs of customers. “at Emirates Money, we have been working in this industry for the past five to six years. We have hired people from within the industry to understand the usage of assets, the mileage of assets, what kind of returns and what kind of revenue can be generated from each asset. they can also advise our customers in terms of where to get the best pricing.” While it may be easy enough for customers to
get a loan, paying it back is generally where the challenge arises. additionally, the construction industry can often be unpredictable, and many contractors and equipment owners might have to deal with uncertain payment schedules. however, thapar is quick to assure that this has been accounted for. “We understand our customers’ payment schedules very well, and we understand the risks associated with their contracts. obviously, in any lending business, you come across certain industries, certain sectors where customers might have certain difficulties.” “We are able to do a full comprehensive evaluation of our customers’ [needs] and offer them better terms and conditions, better limits. We are also able to advise them in terms of what kind of assets should they buy.” about 60-70% of Emirates Money’s loans in a month are made to existing customers, he adds. Even when finance is readily available to meet your fleet needs, it is prudent to exercise caution when taking out a loan, thapar says. “First of all, [customers] should obviously match the financing requirement to the contracts which they have, so they should not over-leverage themselves. they should ensure that they only come to financiers if they have a genuine use of these assets.” Fleet owners should also consider the returns said assets can provide, he points out. “second,
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Feature
The Case 570T backhoe is designed for the Middle East, and appeals especially to smaller contractors. The new agreement between CNH Capital and Emirates Money will make it easier for these buyers to obtain funding.
“WE havE a panEl oF banks that WE’rE Working With.bECausE oF our
rElationship With thEsE banks and FinanCing housEs, WE Can try to gEt a high approval pErCEntagE and FavourablE ratEs as WEll” fleet owners should maintain their credit history with banks and ensure that they don’t miss on payments even for the short term, because that can skew their credit history in a negative direction, which won’t be good for the future. they should ensure that their credit history is immaculate,” he stresses. Meanwhile, kilani advises fleet owners to maintain a healthy cash flow and manage income and expenses through assigned bank accounts. although banks appear willing enough to lend to established customers, are they also keen on giving loans to first-time buyers? thapar says Emirates Money is, provided the applicants have been in business for a while. “What we primarily look at is at least one year of continuity in the business,” thapar says. “if they’ve had another company in any other industry which is doing well and which has got a stable financial performance, we can look at giving a loan to a new company based on the performance of the sister concern, where the partners are common.”
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Financing aids smaller contractors – Case The agreement between CNH Capital and Emirates Money will be an important tool in helping smaller contractors buy machinery from Case Construction Equipment, said its Middle East and Africa head, Franco Invernizzi, explaining that financing agreements are key for the brand’s growth, since more and more customers are looking for financing along with machinery sales. The deal covers financing on CNH Industrial brands – including Case Construction Equipment and Iveco – sold through authorised dealers in the UAE, and means that Emirates Money is able to offer local businesses captive-alike financing under the brand of CNH Industrial Capital for a wide spectrum of products. Speaking with CMME at INTERMAT, Invernizzi said that the agreement is working. “We are now at the beginning, but we have seen that there is a good commitment from Emirates Money. They are very open to working with us and our dealers.” The agreement also helps Case penetrate the market for smaller construction contractors, who often find it hard to source financing to purchase equipment. It also fits well with some of Case’s newer products,
such as the entry-level 570T backhoe loader, or the new compaction equipment it is rolling out. Nevertheless, the smaller contractors are a dynamic customer group, since many are able to quickly grow and expand their fleet. For Case, improved financing means being able to connect with these customers and provide machinery when they are starting off on their journey, said Invernizzi. “When it comes to Europe, there are the big guys, and they remain big, and there are the small guys, and unfortunately – especially now – they remain small. In the Middle East, you see people who start with one backhoe, and they come out after five years with a fleet of more than 10 machines. “So there is this growth, this dynamic, that unfortunately is no longer there in Europe. The market is much more conservative, so it’s not that easy to see that sort of dynamics.” CNH Capital is working on securing finance agreements with banks in the other GCC countries, said Invernizzi, with high demand for financing in Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Show Report
INTERMAT: Show JLG JLG used the show to unveil its 100,000th telehandler; the machine’s distinctive paint job featured the JLG logo 100,000 times. Later this year the machine will be auctioned to customers, with the full price of the machine donated to a charity of the buyer’s choice.
BoMAG BoBcAT Contractors and landscapers should look to the advantages of compact tracked loaders for the Middle East, which include gradeability and tractability, said Gaby Rhayem, regional director MENA for Bobcat. Bobcat and Doosan had large demonstrations at INTERMAT.
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BOMAG’s Economizer feature for light compaction equipment is the most advanced in the industry, having been fully developed in-house, and can prevent wasted productivity through over-compaction, said Dieter Pfaff, area sales director for Middle East & Africa. The Fayat Group stand featured BOMAG light compaction equipment with oversized Economizer indicators to demonstrate their simple light indicator function.
highlightS
CMME’s Stian Overdahl brings you the highlights from last month’s INTERMAT, held in the Parc des Expositions in Paris
AMMANN cAsE After working hard to improve the strength of its dealer network in the Middle East and Africa, with notable success in Saudi Arabia with Roots Group, Case Construction Equipment felt confident enough to launch specialised equipment for the Middle East and Africa, including the 570T backhoe loader released last year and a new compaction roller already for sale in KSA, said Franco Invernizzi, head of Africa and Middle East for Case.
Ammann is adding staff and spare parts inventory to its Dubai regional office, in a bid to boost its service strength in the region for its full product range, which includes heavy and light compaction equipment, asphalt pavers and batching plants for asphalt and concrete, said Günter Tesch, regional director AME.
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Show Report
hARTL The patented quatro motion on the Hartl Crusher bucket hydraulic attachment produces a high-quality cubical product and avoids the flakiness problem that normally occurs with other jaw crushers, said Dominik Hartl, CEO. The company presented regular demonstrations of its products, and displayed its new mobile screen plant, the HSP 3300.
LoAdRITE Using a working quarry model built with scale machines, Loadrite, part of Trimble, demonstrated how their weighing technology can be used to measure performance across all steps of a quarry. The weighing systems can be installed on wheel loaders and excavators and on conveyor systems, allowing accurate measurement of blasting results, stock-piles and loading of road trucks. The system is trade-legal, meaning it can be used to invoice customers.
RITchIE BRos. Middle East-based buyers of used construction equipment can look to Ritchie Bros. auctions in Europe for cheaper deals, following the drop in value of the euro against the US dollar, said Jeroen Rijk, managing director, Europe. The euro has dropped by almost 20% against the dollar-pegged GCC currencies in the past 12 months.
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coNsTRUcTIoN
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May 2015
Driving the next century
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Kuwait: Al-Ahlia Heavy Vehicle Selling & Import Tel.: + 965 2 483 9210 /1 Oman: Arabian Engineering Services LLC Tel.: + 968 245 78 000 Qatar: Qatar International Automobiles Tel.: + 974 4603 288
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Show Report
ciFa CIFA was awarded the Reddot design award for its new tunnel concrete mixer, the Coguaro4. With its low profile designed for underground job-sites (the Coguaro4 is 2.5m tall and the drum has a maximum capacity of 4mÂł), applications in the Middle East include underground work such as metro projects or stormwater and sewerage tunnel projects, said Wajih Eit, vice head of area for Middle East and North Africa.
Wacker NeusoN Buyers of construction equipment in the GCC, and especially in the UAE, are increasingly aware of the benefits of compact equipment, including mini excavators, said Manhal Al-Chalabi, regional general manager of Middle East & North Africa. Higher fuel prices in the UAE are making buyers more attentive to the fuel savings of smaller machines. Wacker Neuson has also received Middle East enquiries about its new dual power mini excavator, which can operate in emission-free areas when powered by the external electro-hydraulic power unit.
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simulators Driver simulators of all types were at the show – driver training simulators for excavators or other machines, including a compaction simulator on the Hamm stand, and less technical simulators designed for a full range of ages. Hyundai HI featured a timed challenge on its excavator simulator, with prizes for operators with the best times.
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Show Report
TEREx TRucks Terex Trucks made its first appearance at a major show since its acquisition by Volvo CE. With two ADTs and a 55t TR60 rigid dump truck on the stand, the company aimed to show both customers and dealers its strong commitment to the business, and its stronger positioning under the Volvo CE umbrella. The company managed to sign two new dealer agreements during the week in Paris, with Eurasia Mashinery LLP announced as the new dealer for Kazakhstan and SMT appointed as the first dealer in Central and West Africa, with SMT selling and supporting the trucks in some 20 countries.
hAuLoTTE Celebrating Haulotte Group’s 30th anniversary, the company’s outdoor stand featured new machines including its HA20 RTJ Pro, rolling out improvements following on from the 16m range. The 20m rough terrain articulated boom machines are well suited for Middle East job-sites, said Arthur Danelian, general manager of Haulotte Middle East. The HA20 RTJ Pro has four-wheel drive and rugged tyres, meaning it can traverse tough job-site terrains.
WIRTGEN Wirtgen Group marked its first major show with its full cohort of brands, following its acquisition of concrete batching plant manufacturer Benninghoven last year. The company’s machines now encompass the full range of the road production cycle, from the quarrying of raw material through to rolling of the final asphalt wear course. Pictured is the Benninghoven Batchmix 1250, a mobile asphalt mixing plant.
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1/3 Meanwhile… itʻs make-or-break time at the demolition site.
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UP NEXT ... A DEEP SEATED PROBLEM
Safety
safeTy firsT
Construction projects in the GCC haven’t always had the best safety track record. Jerusha Sequeira investigates how contractors and consultants are working to change this
T
he health and safety of workers on construction sites has always been a hot-button issue in the UAE and GCC. The region has been subject to intense scrutiny from international entities for failing to pay adequate attention to worker welfare. FIFA president Sepp Blatter admitted last month that “more must be done in Qatar to ensure uniformly fair working conditions for all” on the 2022 World Cup construction sites, although some progress had been made. Closer to home, Abu Dhabi developer TDIC has also come under fire for mistreatment of workers on Saadiyat Island projects, including the upcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and New York University’s campus in the capital. Allegations made in a Human Rights Watch report released in February were strongly denied by the developer, which rejected what it called “unfounded conclusions” by the New York-based entity. However, despite the dubious reputation of construction projects when it comes to worker welfare, consultants and contractors say major gains have been made in the UAE and the region in terms of health and safety. “I’ve been in the UAE for eight years now, and I feel that there’s been some dramatic improvements in health and safety standards across the region. And a
lot of that is being driven by government,” says Rob Cooling, director of Health & Safety Middle East at WSP. John Milligan, QHSE Director at WS Atkins, has also been working in the Middle East for eight years and notes that he’s seen a steady improvement. “Part of the reasons for that is the maturing of regulatory enforcement,” he says. The statistics might indeed indicate an improvement. Last year, The National reported that there was a 32% reduction in the number of deaths in Abu Dhabi caused by work at height between May 2012 and May 2013. The decline was observed following the Height Aware safety programme, which aimed to highlight injuries in sectors like construction and oil and gas. CMME wondered, therefore, about the most common hazards and challenges that safety professionals have to deal with on-site, and how consultants and contractors create a culture of safety on projects.
Commonly faCed hazards The most fatal hazards, Cooling says, are lifting operations, work at height, excavation work and vehicle movement on sites. “We have a lot of cranes on-site doing some major lifting operations, and the quality and the testing of that equipment is a common
“IF WE FIND THAT A CoNTRACToR ISN’T oBSERvING THEIR METHoD STATEMENT, THEN WE WILL WITHDRAW CoNSENT To WoRk FoR ALL oF THE SAME ACTIvITIES RIGHT ACRoSS THE WHoLE CoNSTRUCTIoN SITE”
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Safety
issue that we’re having to face. So in terms of our fatal hazards it gets the most attention.” Moreover, in a country known for delivering projects at a fast pace, on-site accidents can also be chalked up to a lack of planning and tight timeframes, Cooling points out. “In the construction industry, there’s always a lot of pressure to finish projects quickly and not always sufficient emphasis is given to planning.” Health and safety requirements need to be made clear from the onset of a project in order to address this, he adds. Apart from obviously dangerous work like working at height or lifting operations, a common hazard across sites is something typically overlooked: housekeeping. “The common problems on construction sites, people refer to them as housekeeping and keeping the site organised,” says Peter Jolly, director – Health, Safety & Environment at Al Jaber Group. “Whereas really, when you look at the housekeeping problems, you see other things which aren’t even housekeeping in terms of keeping the place tidy but they’re actual hazards: fire hazards, trip-and-slip hazards, bits of wood with nails in it, shards with metal.” Paying attention to perceived housekeeping problems that are really hazards not only makes the A well-organised site free of hazards can drastically improve safety standards.
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“IN THE CoNSTRUCTIoN INDUSTRY, THERE’S ALWAYS A LoT oF PRESSURE To FINISH PRoJECTS QUICkLY AND NoT ALWAYS SUFFICIENT EMPHASIS IS GIvEN To PLANNING” site safer, it also organises it, he adds. “An organised site is an efficient site, not just a safe site, and so that improves productivity.” David Sweed, regional SHEQ & Construction manager, Mouchel, echoes Jolly’s comments about the link between safety and productivity. “In truth, a safe site is more efficient than an unsafe site. So the perception of safety being a hindrance, of safety slowing production, of safety costing money, is really not the truth. If you see a site that is safe, you know behind it that it’s well-run, it’s well-managed and producing a good product.” Moreover, Sweed notes, health and safety professionals can face a host of challenges on remote sites where easy access to healthcare facilities isn’t available. An example of this, he says, is one of Mouchel’s projects, the Um Al Aish liquefied petroleum gas filling plant in kuwait, 100km from kuwait City. From day one of the project, a trained nurse and a medical centre were available within the compound or confines of the site.
“When activities of high risk have been undertaken, then we’ve been able to arrange for a paramedic and an ambulance to be on-site, to be there in case there was a serious incident. If we’ve been doing quite a dangerous activity, such as confined spaces entry, then we need to have the right emergency rescue teams in place with appropriate equipment so that people can be safely removed if there was an accident.”
Training and ComplianCe While governments may do their bit in providing regulations, it is generally up to consultants and contractors to create awareness, uphold safety standards on site and ensure rules are being followed. “We do spend a lot of our time actually trying to raise health and safety awareness amongst contractors. So we get involved in providing regular toolbox talks, or short training sessions on health and safety topics,” Cooling says. But with multicultural staff on projects, training often needs to be adapted to be understood by all.
While governments provide regulations, training of the labour force is up to consultants and contractors, who uphold safety standards on-site.
long-Term healTh of workers needs more aTTenTion While strides have been made in improving safety standards across construction sites in the UAE, the health aspect of health and safety has yet to receive adequate attention. “The focus still is very much on safety as opposed to health, so I feel that quite often, and particularly in construction, there is a great deal of attention that’s given to things like the fatal hazards [like] working at height that kills a lot of people every year,” Cooling says. “But I think the next progression really is to focus more on worker health and worker health promotion and the occupational health hazards, things like noise, heat and humidity, occupational fatigue, stress, that are probably not given at the moment the attention that they deserve compared to safety.” The fact that several health issues associated with construction work tend to only show up over the long term adds to the problem, he notes. “The tendency is to focus on worker safety and I think quite often the challenge is around latency, that these health effects might not be apparent until later years in the life of the worker. So sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge to focus on things that might affect workers in the future when they may be back in their own country, as opposed to things that are here and now and could cause serious injury today.” Milligan echoes Cooling’s comments, stressing the role of pre-employment screenings in ensuring the health of workers as well as preventing the outbreak of contagious diseases. “What we’ve observed over time is that some of our mature contractors are already providing pre-employment screenings for workers. Most of the countries in the GCC where we work, they have good controls in place, especially with communicable or high-risk diseases,” he says, though he admits that worker health has “received scant attention in the past”. “We are expecting improvement over the coming years as the market matures, but we’re not seeing enough of it at the moment.”
“Quite often with the guys that are on-site, they’ll speak different languages. We deliver briefing in languages that are obviously appropriate for the target audience, to make sure that the message is understood.” Training, however, needs to go hand in hand with enforcement, the consultants note. In order to ensure compliance with safety standards, Milligan says Atkins has introduced a concept called “consent to work” on its projects, wherein contractors have to go through a two-step approval process to carry out construction activity. This is done by emphasising the importance of the method statement, a document often not given its due by contractors. “Method statements are produced by contractors to describe the methodology for a particular aspect of the construction. Commonly, contractors produce these method statements just for approval, and then they neatly get filed away. They’re no longer used as a reference document during construction,” he says. In Atkins’ consent to work procedure, the contractor needs to submit the method statement for prior safety approval to Atkins and then demonstrate that he can build according to the document. “If we find that a contractor isn’t observing their method statement, then we will withdraw consent to work for all of the same activities right across the whole construction site, which would be a complete nightmare. For instance, if it was block-laying on a high-rise and all of a sudden we stopped all blocklaying just based on a single infringement, then you could see that it would have a considerable impact on the contractor.” In order to overcome language barriers, Atkins also advises contractors to develop method statements with lots of photographs, he says. Moreover, the firm has developed a method of classifying contractors
according to maturity levels and refuses to work with contractors below a certain level of competence. “What we’ve introduced in Atkins is a method for classifying contractors according to [their] level of maturity. And there are four elements to that. So the most mature of our contractors we classify as 1, and then it runs to 2A, 2B and 3. The Tier 3 contractors are those contractors that we as a company have decided that we will not engage with,” he says, adding that Atkins has put in controls in the bidding process to ensure this. “If we are sufficiently assured that contractor is not capable of implementing and sustaining the health and safety management system for the life of a project, then there’s clearly going to be risk to their own employees and that will impact us massively,” he adds, defending the policy. “It’s not just about reputation loss. We don’t want our people working on a project where people are either being seriously injured or have died.” However, he notes that the firm might consider working with Tier 3 contractors if there were sufficient assurances from the client that the contractor would improve, along with additional resources available to Atkins to support the contractor’s safety management. While established or international construction firms may have a sound HSE policy in place, smaller players like local contractors or subcontractors may not. This is less of a problem than it used to be, but Jolly says disparities still exist. “Most of the time we have to look at costs, and therefore we could lean towards cheaper contractors. So basically the code of practice is if you don’t have a safety policy or if your safety policy is inadequate, then you use ours. It’s as simple as that.” “We link that to the contract, and if they don’t provide or issue standard protective equipment, or they don’t provide enough supervision, then we can bring it in and we can back-charge them for it,” he adds.
The nexT sTep When asked what improvements he would like to see in safety standards, Cooling points out that while legislation in the UAE – particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi – is detailed and prescriptive, the next step is proper enforcement. Moreover, HSE aspects of a project need to be taken into account right from the start. “It’s about getting health and safety embedded in the earliest phases of a project. Because when it actually comes around to the construction phase, typically that’s often too late. A lot of our focus is how you get health and safety embedded in the planning and particularly the design phase of projects, and how to mitigate health and safety risks when it comes to construction.” Additionally, despite the range of challenges that HSE professionals face, one of the key obstacles to be overcome is the notion that health and safety is only the responsibility of a HSE team, Cooling concludes. “Everybody has a responsibility for health and safety, but in particular project managers should be managing health and safety in the same way that they manage costs, that they manage schedules, and manage other aspects of a project. I think that’s an important point.”
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Product Focus
Raw power EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. page 44
pluS option
Mobile construction crane (Mcc) gains extra load capacity.
page 47
top 10 Safety tipS
page 40
CMME lists 10 tips to boost your work-site safety, improving employee well-being and productivity.
poweR DRive
the new c series articulated haulers from caterpillar.
page 54 Maintenance
cSn can repair cardan shafts on machinery and trucks.
page 50 pRoDuct focuS
new light tower and generator technologies can result in cheaper running costs for contractors and rental companies.
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Raw Power
TracTive power Why get it? Caterpillar’s off-road truCks have a proven traCk reCord and strong dealer support
C
aterpillar has launched three new C-series articulated hauler trucks, boasting increased reliability and durability. The 735C, 740C EJ and 745C have rated payloads of 32.7, 38 and 41 metric tonnes respectively. The 735C’s Cat C15 ACERT engine is rated at 337kW and the C18 ACERT engine in the 740C EJ and 745C is rated at 381kW. Meanwhile, the new 740C EJ ejector model combines the 745C’s tractor with a horizontaldischarge body, providing extra versatility and safety in certain operations. The 740C EJ can unload material to uniform depths while travelling at speed, potentially reducing the need for on-site spreading equipment, and can discharge the load with added stability in soft underfoot conditions, on side slopes and grades, and in environments
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where overhead obstructions are present. The new trucks are equipped with the Cat CX38 High Density Power Shift transmission, which has nine forward speeds, two reverse speeds and a number of electronic features that enhance overall performance and productivity. This includes the Electronic Clutch Pressure Control, which modulates transmission-clutch engagement for smooth shifting and extended component life, and the Advanced Productivity Electronic Control Strategy feature, which aims to optimise gear selection in all operating situations. Shift Torque Management, combined with the improved Shift Control Logic feature, maintains consistent torque flow though the transmission during gear-range changes, provides automatic shift selection tailored to machine operation, and automatically downshifts for acceleration. Part Throttle Shifting allows shifting at lower engine speeds, resulting in improved fuel efficiency, quieter operation and easier low-speed manoeuvring. All the trucks feature permanent six-wheel
745C SpeCifiCationS • engine: Cat C18 ACERT • Rated power: 381kW • operating weight: 74,070kg • Rated payload cap: 41mt, 25m3 • number of axles: 3 • Drive configuration: 6-wheel
drive and are able to deal with changing terrain and underfoot conditions through the Automatic Traction Control feature, which adjusts the level of engagement for the clutch locks in the inter-axle differential and in the three axle differentials. The system makes these adjustments while the machine is moving and does not require operator intervention. The system maintains optimum traction for steady production, relieves the operator of manually engaging the system, saves fuel by proportionally applying locks based on operating conditions and does not hinder tight-manoeuvre steering. Retarding control for the C Series models can now be set to fully automatic, in addition to manual control. In automatic mode, the machine manages retarding through a combination of engine brake, gear selection and service-brake application without operator intervention. The automatic system is available for both forward and reverse operations, and the manual system provides two levels of engagement for more experienced operators.
Al-Qahtani Vehicle & Machinery Co. Tariq Al-Qahtani & Brothers
Raw Power
fRom StatiC to tRaCkeD Why get it? sandvik ConstruCtion’s Qs331 has been designed to aCCept large feed sizes and aChieve high produCtion CapaCities Sandvik Construction has launched a compact tracked secondary cone crusher, the QS331. The S-type gyratory cone crusher has proven itself in stationary applications for over 30 years, and has now been incorporated into a self-contained, diesel-driven track-mounted plant. The crusher targets the most demanding aggregate producers, designed to accept large feed sizes and achieve high production capacities. Many direct customer benefits are delivered as the S-type gyratory cone is able to accept a feed size up to 90% larger than current standard cones. This enables maximum productivity to be enjoyed from a primary crusher, or facilitates the use of the S-cone as a primary crusher itself on gravel applications. The CS430 cone crusher has a choice of three concaves and four bush settings to control the closed side settings and material gradation. With
a large feed acceptance, jaw crusher production can be optimised by opening the CSS, which also reduces fuel consumption and wear. As a fully integrated mobile unit, efficiency and productivity are the key attributes of the QS331, and many other characteristics common across Sandvik Construction’s Premium range of crushers have also been incorporated. Features include an automatic level sensor above the
crushing chamber to control the feed rate and minimise operator intervention for maximum production and reduction. A metal detector is fitted to provide maximum stability and protection from tramp material. A remote camera provides visibility of the crushing chamber from ground level, while an optional hanging screen is available for recirculation or stockpiling to produce two products.
QS331 SpeCifiCationS • Weight: 36t • Engine: CAT C9 or C9.3 diesel engine • Cooling fan: Hydraulically-driven, with auto reverse function to back-flush dust from the radiator
tampeR time Why get it? More powerful engine MatChed with lightweight design Chicago Pneumatic has launched two new tampers, the MS 595 and MS 695, designed to address productivity and manoeuvrability challenges in compaction tasks. The new range, the most compact and lightweight range of tampers it has produced, provides users with powerful, highly manoeuvrable tampers plus the addition of a new 6” plate model, alongside the 9” and 11” models, which allows work to be carried out in smaller, more enclosed spaces, providing greater comfort and productivity. With a forward-leaning design, the MS 595 and MS 695 offer superior control of the tamper, allowing users to walk behind while the momentum carries the tamper forward. Additional features such as the easy-access
control lever enable the operator to switch to idle with just one hand. The compact, slim design makes the new tampers ideal for narrow trench work, able to tightly move around objects. “We have designed our new tampers range to provide enhanced efficiency whilst still keeping the tried and tested rugged reliability people expect from CP,” said Andrzej Mrozinski, product manager at Chicago Pneumatic. “Despite incorporating a more powerful engine, the lightweight tampers are easy to transport, while the reduction in noise and the ergonomic design provide additional comfort and safety.” The tampers are equipped with new four-stroke Honda GXR 120 engines offering improved fuel consumption. The engines offer 3.5hp and have been specifically designed for the new tampers range to ensure maximum power to perform in even the toughest environments. Thanks to the installation of a brand new muffler and the overhead camshaft design, noise levels have also been reduced.
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Raw Power
gmk5250l SpeCifiCationS • maximum lift weight: 250t • axle configuration: 12t per axle • full counterweight: 80t • max. boom length: 70m • max. jib length: 37m, including 21m hydraulic swing-away jib • max jib offset: 50° (compared to a typical 40°)
neW beSt-in-ClaSS Why get it? grove’s new five-axle all-terrain boasts Class-besting horizontal and vertiCal reaCh Manitowoc has launched the new Grove GMK5250L all-terrain crane in the 250t capacity class, saying that the model has the strongest reach and load chart of any five-axle crane. The ‘L’ designation in its name indicates it is a long boom all-terrain crane, and in this case the main boom is an impressive 70m, which also includes Grove’s Megaform shaping, which improves strength and stability. With its long boom length, the GMK5250L offers more reach both vertically and horizontally than any crane in its class, allowing owners to take on a greater range of jobs. The crane features Grove’s Crane Control System (CCS) and the highly intuitive new Boom Configurator Mode, which makes it quick and easy to select the optimum boom position for a specific lift. The operator inputs the lift parameters – radius, load and distance to be moved – and the system calculates the best boom configuration. Once the operator selects the preferred option, the boom automatically extends to the required length. The GMK5250L is powered by a single diesel engine which both drives the carrier and powers the
pluS-SizeD mCC Why get it? useful Crane for CraMped inner-City and MaintenanCe lifts Liebherr’s MK 88 mobile construction crane (MCC) is available in a Plus option which provides around 10% more load capacity at the jib head. In practice, the option provides greater flexibility and handling capacity. The crane is built over four axles, and, with
superstructure, and on the GMK5250L this is managed by one simple and reliable angular gear box. A single engine means lower fuel consumption during operation, reduced overall weight and less maintenance, making the crane far more economical. The crane also features a VIAB turbo clutch and integrated retarder – the first ever mobile crane to feature the system. The VIAB turbo clutch module eliminates both fluid overheating and clutch burning, while enabling wear-free starting and braking. It also
contributes to fuel savings; on the GMK5250L, fuel consumption is estimated at approximately 30% less than its predecessor, the GMK5220. Jens Ennen, senior vice president all-terrain and truck cranes at Manitowoc, said the new GMK5250L captures many years of improvement and innovation at the Wilhelmshaven factory in Germany, where the crane is built. “This new Grove is packed with innovations that we will also be extending to other new cranes, adding them as standard and giving our customers even more value,” he said.
its jib horizontal, has a normal load capacity of 1,850kg at a radius of 45m. The Plus option, which can be activated using the crane controller, provides up to 10% more load capacity, increasing the load capacity to 2,000kg. With its additional ballast, the MK 88 Plus can hoist 2,200kg at its 45m radius. This additional power is achieved by electronically
monitored operating conditions and reduced drive speed. The automatic monitoring by the PLC guarantees a high level of safety during operation. The Plus option is automatically disabled as soon as the required operating conditions no longer apply. These include the factors of a large support base, horizontal jib and maximum wind strength. “The MK 88 Plus mobile construction crane enables us to provide customers with some great benefits for many different jobs. Particularly when we need high handling speed, a large radius and are faced with constricted site conditions,” says Rocco Schimmel from lift company Eisele AG. “Moreover, the Plus option with additional ballast increases the load capacity by around 10%, enabling loads of up to 3,000kg to be hoisted even with a radius of 35m.” mk 88 pluS SpeCifiCationS • max. lifting capacity: 8,000kg • max. hook height: 30.2m • elevated jib: 15°/30°/45° • axles: 4 • max lift weight at radius: 2,000kg @ 45m (increases to 2,200kg with extra ballast)
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Ten Tips
prE-start MEEting Before work begins, the supervisor should outline the shift plans and note site conditions and any specific hazards. staff should use this as an opportunity to raise any hazards or safety issues which they noticed in the previous shift.
Top 10:
Operator Safety Tips
EncouragE spEaking out operators have the best view of a job-site, and encouraging them to proactively speak out about any hazards not only helps identify safety risks onsite, but also makes them more attentive about adhering to the safety measures in place.
Safety is the first rule of construction, and educating and training operators reduces accidents VisiBility Ensure that best practices are followed to improve visibility. try to have machines and trucks moving forward, rather than reversing over long distances. clean windows regularly. newer equipment normally has a better cabin design for enhanced visibility, and rear cameras are also an option or standard on many machines. BEat fatiguE fatigue lowers productivity and is a safety risk, so employ strategies to lower fatigue. this can include easier-to-operate machines with preset functions such as return to dig, better noise isolation and job rotation. incorporating an extra short break may also lower fatigue, raising overall productivity and safety.
MachinE walk-arounds Before starting the machine at the start of a shift, operators should check machines for signs of any obvious damage from the previous work-day, as well as hazards or items that need repair. using a checklist means this check will be thorough.
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Ten Tips
act quickly if there is a safety failure identified on-site, work quickly and efficiently to make the necessary changes before an accident can occur.
don’t usE MoBilE phonEs using a communication device while operating a machine massively reduces concentration and ability to focus on external hazards. don’t allow operators to use their phones for personal calls during shifts, and have them put the park-brake on during work calls.
hiddEn csaofesWotrks-site Monitor tyrEs and tracks tyres and tracks are essential to the safety of a machine or vehicle, and should be kept in good condition according to manufacturer recommendations. for tyres, this means not only regularly replacing them to have the required tread depth, but correctly inflating them to the target pressure for the load the machine will be operating under.
safEty first!
Building a strong workplace safety ethic is just as important as the correct rules and procedures. if there is a culture of bypassing these, then safety will suffer. companies which place safety as the top priority have better outcomes in terms of both staff and business.
ga While operatin over ve extra costs ha may seem to , ty fe sa titude to having a lax at harm ly on t no n es ca unsafe practic en ve large hidd Workers but ha s. es or lost hour fin as costs, such
control a major hazard is untrained drivers operating machinery. don’t allow workers to operate a machine they’re not trained for, and likewise don’t allow site visitors, such as a driver who wants to unload a truck, access to machinery.
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Product Focus
Lighting the way With the latest lighting towers and generators, rental companies and end users are seeing the cost benefits of environmentally-friendly new technologies
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LED bulbs are more durable when it comes to transport, meaning less cost associated with replaced broken bulbs, such as manpower, bulb replacements and downtime.
t
he Middle East is an important market for generator sellers, with power networks that are in certain areas underdeveloped, large projects that need temporary power to get underway, and of course cheap diesel. Lighting towers are also important on many of the major projects underway, and the hot summer conditions and need to have a job-site run 24 hours a day means there’s extra need for artificial lighting. A number of international manufacturers count Middle East dealers among their topperforming equipment sellers globally. Recent product launches also show that rental companies and end users in the Middle East are looking to new technologies which have environmental benefits in terms of less fuel used, or longer operational lifetimes, and have improved cost-benefit results too. George Darrous, regional sales manager for Middle East & CIS at Generac Mobile Products (formerly known as Towerlight), says that while the market is still dominated by metal halide, they’ve seen increased inquiries for LED lights, and he expects them to become steadily more popular. The company’s VT-LED range has been very successful in
the European market since its launch, says Darrous. The unit can be fitted with either 300W LED or 450W LED lamps, where the 300W lamps provide a very similar light intensity to 1000W metal halide lamps, while the 450W LED lamps have an even higher illumination factor. The LED towers use a smaller engine, reducing the power output from 9.0 to 5.0kVA and lowering fuel usage too. “The LED is definitely more expensive as an initial investment, but its cost of ownership makes it more economically viable due to its reliability, high life expectancy and lower diesel consumption.” One area where LED confers major benefits is transport, since the bulbs are far less delicate – halide bulbs are more likely to be damaged moving from one site to another. Broken bulbs, in addition to replacement cost, also require manpower and are out of action until repaired, factors which add up to higher costs over a lighting tower’s life. “[With the LED bulbs] there are cost savings over the life of a lighting tower, because it reduces a lot the breakdown time required to change bulbs which are usually damaged during transportation from one site to another. With LED lights, the vibration and shocks have less effect on it, not to mention that the life expectancy of the LED light is much higher to start with.” Darrous says that the savings in power consumption are second in importance, due to the lower cost of diesel in the region. With improved operational costs for LED, particularly in terms of transport, the technology appeals to rental companies, who frequently transport equipment. “LED is definitely more appealing for rental companies, because of its longer life and lower cost of operation,” affirms Darrous. “This is very true in Europe, but for the Middle East, cost of fuel is still relatively cheap and therefore the fuel consumption cost savings does not justify the higher initial purchase cost of the LED light tower. Eventually, the Middle East rental companies will slowly move to LED, and we have started noticing their interest.” In 2014, Atlas Copco launched its QLTS range of solar-power lighting towers, which are charged during the day by sunlight. Energy is captured by efficient solar panels and stored in heavy-duty batteries, and for many applications, regions and seasons, no extra charging is needed, while for 24/7 operations with less daylight, there is an external charge connection. The lack of rotating wear parts means the units can run for two years without maintenance. The QLTS range has models equipped with four, six or eight LED lights of different wattage, resulting in luminosity of 18,400 lumen, 27,600lm, and 36,800lm. The range isn’t likely to appeal to the market here yet, but the new QLB 60 light tower, built with four LED bulbs and launched at last month’s MEE show, will. Designed for the event and construction industries, the unit’s four 350W LED lights give more luminous coverage than typically delivered by a tower with four 1000W metal halide lights.
22
number of QLB 60 light towers which can be loaded on a 13m truck
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Product focus
The variable speed engine in the Himoinsa hybrid generators means that the engine can run at lower RPMs when the required load is low, meaning a longer maintenance interval and lower service costs.
The savings for users come thanks to reduced fuel consumption, running at 0.5l/h for 260 hours fuel autonomy, which on top of lower fuel costs means reduced manpower required for refuelling. The unit also has different remote start modes available via the photocell and the weekly timer. Further contributing to a minimal total cost of ownership are maintenance costs that are up to 34% lower, due to improved serviceability, with four easy-access panels, cost-efficient consumables and a long service interval of 500 hours. Catering particularly to the rental market, the QLB 60 has the smallest footprint on the market to minimise transport and installation costs. Thanks to its compact dimensions, 22 units can be loaded on a 13m truck. “The QLB 60 incorporates all the benefits of the latest innovations in LED lighting,” says Sergio Salvador, product marketing manager, Atlas Copco Portable Energy. “The lights may only be 350W each, but they are more than equal to a typical 1000W metal halide light. Plus, the long service intervals and robust, quality components ensure high performance day after day.” FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co) has launched two new Himoinsa hybrid generators, the HPS 1500DCV and HPS 3000DCV, which can use an external renewable energy source (such as solar or wind) in order to reduce fuel consumption. Improved operational costs are an important aspect of the genset’s total ownership cost, designed for remote sites where regular fuelling trips are timeconsuming, expensive and even dangerous. Power can be generated in a range from zero up to 15kW. The hybrid generator uses up to 40% less fuel than a conventional generator and can run for 125 days without being refuelled. This calculation assumes that the renewable energy source powers the generator for eight hours a day while recharging its battery array, so that diesel is only required eight hours a day. There are a number of hybrid generators on the
1,000
hours for which the Himoinsa hybrid engine can be operated without maintenance
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“WE ANTICIPATE A STRONG RESPONSE FOR THE HYBRID GENERATORS” market, but Himoinsa says its generator uses 20% less fuel than its hybrid competitors. This is achieved in part through the use of a variable speed engine, supplied by Yanmar, which operates between 1,200 and 3,000rpm depending on the power demand of the batteries, since the engine charges the batteries along with the renewable energy source. “Normally, all equipment operating at 30% below its maximum power uses a fictitious dummy load resistance to prevent damage. We have designed equipment that can operate at 30% below its maximum power without any problem,” says Agustín Rodrigo, network development manager, Himoinsa. Because the engine does not run continuously at full power, maintenance costs are lower; the engine is the most expensive component of a generator when it comes to maintenance. The engine on the hybrid can run for up to 1,000 hours, allowing the unit to operate for four months without maintenance. And since the engine is only used when the batteries are being recharged, this greatly extends the life of the genset, because operating periods are divided into eight hours of genset operation and 16 hours of battery power every 24 hours. This triples the useful life of the equipment. As a vertical integrated manufacturer, Himoinsa developed all components aside from the engine, namely the canopy, electronics and CEM7V control
unit. The control panel monitors the batteries, including temperature and level of charge. Himoinsa believes that despite the increased capital investment required, this extra cost can be paid off in two years, thanks to lower operating costs. The product is aimed at the telecoms market, since telecoms frequently need generators to run continuously at remote sites, including to power cell towers. For such sites, travelling to regularly refuel is an expensive operational cost. The hybrid genset, which uses a solar array or wind turbine to power the batteries in order to reduce fuel usage, only requires fuelling once every 40 days. “Himoinsa is the world’s fastest growing power generator brand, and with the new hybrid generator we are proud to offer a power solution which is much needed in an energy-conscious region,” says Paul Floyd, senior managing director at FAMCO, which distributes Himoinsa in the UAE, KSA and Qatar. “The hybrid generators add to Himoinsa’s offering of power solutions which include generators and lighting towers. We anticipate a strong response for the hybrid generators, particularly from the telecom sector, which relies very much on uninterrupted, efficient power supply in remote areas.” Himoinsa can also advise customers on the best alternative energy sources, though solar panels are likely to be the main option in the Middle East.
Torn or worn out cardan sha�s? We offer the solu�on! For the rst �me in the region! exchange program old against new for trucks above 7.5 t star�ng from 3500 Dhs 1 year warranty unlimited mileage no �me loss - 24 hours produc�on for all cardan sha�s* European manufacturer standards vs. local repair with possible consequen�al damages • cardan sha� components sourced from Germany • assembled in the UAE • according to German manufacturing standards • for all trucks above 7.5 t & light commercial vehicles • general cardan sha� assembly & balancing * from point of order conrma�on delivered within 24 h in UAE/48 h GCC
CSN Middle East FZCO PO Box 35790 Dubai Silicon Oasis United Arab Emirates CSN Middle East is a partner of the WiCHMANN-group CSN is a brand of the WiCHMANN-group
Tel. +971 4 3333 731 Fax +971 4 3333 732 info@csn-me.com www.csn-me.com Leistung, die bewegt
Maintenance
Keep it rolling W
ith the heavy mileage trucks put in every year in the Middle East, plus regular offroad and rough road driving conditions, Cardan shaft failure is a fact of life for fleet managers. There have traditionally been a number of service options in the region, but now a new company, Cardan Service Network (CSN), is offering what it believes to be a first for the Middle East: 24hour delivery in the UAE or 48 hours across the GCC for new or remanufactured drive shafts. CNS is a partner of Germany’s Wichmann Group, which was founded in 1980 and began manufacturing Cardan shafts in 1985. CSN produces shafts for the full range of European heavy trucks on the road, as well as light commercial vehicles, construction machinery and industrial applications, explains Hans Georg Brune, managing partner at CSN, who has worked in the automotive sector in the UAE for the past 20 years.
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Cardan Service Network (CSN) produces drive shafts for a range of vehicle and machine applications, focusing on shafts for heavy trucks, explains managing partner Hans Georg Brune
The company set up operations in 2014, establishing production facilities in Dubai’s Silicon Oasis with a multi-million Dirham investment in its manufacturing plant. Production uses parts imported from Wichmann in Germany. With an initial focus on the UAE, the plan is fot the service to eventually cover the entire MENA region, says Brune. “We are concentrating on European heavy trucks and light commercial vehicles, but we can do any other kind of shaft as well – construction machinery or industrial – as long as they carry the standard flanges,” he explains.
The company can build any shaft up to a tube size of 150mm, and jobs have included large shafts for a cement factory. Brune says the primary focus is on heavy trucks, due to the large population in the region and the greater potential savings for customers. The shaft is manufactured with either a new housing or an exchange part. When an exchange housing is used, all the wear parts inside are exchanged and brought back to the manufacturer’s standard. This option is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly, and remanufacturing is
“WE HAvE A COST-EffECTivE, AND MOrE
iMPOrTANTly TiME-EffECTivE, SOlUTiON fOr CArDAN SHAfT rEPlACEMENTS”
How it works 1. CSN receives an order confirmation, at which point the defective shaft may not have been received. Sometimes the old part is only collected when the new shaft is delivered. 2. Based on the order confirmation, the system produces a work order that identifies the required components and measures to assemble the requested shaft, including a parts picking note with shelf locations. 3. The shelf system is arranged to always use a reconditioned exchange part if one is available; if not, a new part is picked and used. 4. The joints and bearings are pre-assembled. Individual units are then placed in the Cardan shaft production unit (CSP), where the components are hydraulically pressed into the Cardan tube, welded by a welding robot and finally electronically rebalanced according to manufacturer requirements. 5. Finally, the shaft is painted in the colour requested, a serial number is punched into the tube and the shaft is labelled, packed and ready to be delivered or picked up.
the favoured method in the automotive industry, whether for a shaft, gearbox or engine. The price is lower, but the quality standard (and warranty) are the same. CSN’s manufacturing service is a new option for local fleet operators, who were previously limited by the offerings in the region and forced to rely on their own machine shop to try to balance a remanufactured shaft before fitting it, says Brune. Balancing a shaft using machine shop instruments is virtually impossible, says Brune, which is significant since the shafts are under high torque when in operation, spinning at 1,5002,500rpm. “The vibrations will be back,” he says. “We can do this replacement in a professional way, and our method almost has the same cost as trying to do it with self-modified and scrap parts. We have a really cost-effective, and more importantly timeeffective, solution for Cardan shaft replacements.” Shaft manufacturing is highly precise and
demanding. Almost every shaft has a different configuration, even on the same truck model, since shafts are configured depending on truck options, including the engine and gearbox combination. “Because nobody stores these, you have to order them on demand,” says Brune, which can mean long wait times. CSN can ensure timeliness because the company has data on all European trucks, allowing them to build the correct shaft based on a truck’s chassis number or OEM part number. CSN doesn’t use the old shaft for measurement. for the remanufacturing, the shaft can be sent by the customer or collected by CSN. The company offers delivery in the UAE within 24 hours of the order being confirmed, and 48 hours in the wider GCC. Brune says they’re the first company of their kind to offer this service in the Middle East, perhaps because it’s a small market compared with Europe.
He expects demand to rise quickly as awareness spreads, especially because many second-hand trucks bought into the region are between five and eight years old. How long a shaf t lasts is highly dependent on mileage, as well as weight factors such as overloading, rough terrain conditions and vehicle speed. On an application such as a water tanker, the shaf t can degrade more quickly if it’s heavily laden and driving off-road, and especially if water is leaking on the shaf t, explains Brune. for long-haul applications, typical shaf t life before overhaul is 400,000km. Given the mileage expected of most trucks in the region, there’s likely to be healthy demand for shaf t remanufacturing from CSN. Brune says that longer term they’re looking to open branches in all the major markets, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and eventually the wider MENA region.
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The Last Word
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May 2015
Terex ÂŽ Trucks off-highway articulated and rigid trucks Terex Trucks has been designing and manufacturing off-highway trucks since 1950, delivering to customers all over the globe. Fully supported by a solid distributor network, Terex Trucks is committed to the long haul, providing a range of tough and reliable trucks that deliver the lowest cost per tonne in the most extreme environments. Full range of articulated and rigid off-highway trucks Backed up by a Terex Trucks distributor network Focused team dedicated to developing and supporting Terex Trucks
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