Construction Machinery ME November 2013

ISSUE 25 2013 NOVEMBER

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

TAKEN FOR A RIDE

Transportation sector overview

KEEP ON DIGGING

Excavator Raw Power special

FROM PORT TO POOL The two sides of RAK

THE sTATE OF THE INDusTRY

STILL IN A SPIN?

Staying on track for 2014 Plus: ACROss THE INDusTRY

* NEWs & VIEWs * CRANE ACCIDENT * TRuCK REVIEW * AND MORE

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Saudi Arabia GE NERAL TR ADING & EQUIPMENT +966 Sultanate of Om 38980920 an INTERNATIONA L HEAVY EQUIPME Syria INTERIMEX NT L.L.C. +968 245 +963 113331808 27653 United Arab Emira tes THE KANOO GR OUP +971 431566 48

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Contents

52 IS S U E 2 5 R 2013 novEmBE

02

Editorial An industry that can afford to look ahead.

04

NEws What’s happening across the region in construction machinery?

10

NEws aNalysis What caused the crane collapse at the Address:BLVD development in dubai?

page 52 The importance of Taiwan to the industry:

“In 2012 the UAE was the 23rd largest buyer of machine tools from Taiwan, and Saudi Arabia the 24th.”

18

16

tHE statE oF tHE iNdUstry CMME joins the PMV Live roundtable event with some of the most knowledgeable and opinionated members of the dealer and manufacturer community. Essential reading.

24

dowN to PaciFics Why one of the region’s leading premium suppliers has entered into the value end of the market.

36

sEctor aNalysis: traNsPortatioN CMME reviews the region’s efforts to upgrade its transportation infrastructures.

36

sitE Visit: raK Special look at what’s going on in the Northern Emirate.

26 56

08 44

Raw power

49 TOP TEN: GUIDE TO MAKING THE MOST OF THE BIG-5 AND PMV LIVE CMME’s guide to ensuring you save shoe leather. Page 52 SPECIAL REPORT: TAIWAN MACHINE TOOLS Stian Overdahl goes up the supply chain to Taiwan Page 56 TRUCK REVIEW Taking the new and improved FMX truck for a spin. Page 62 THE LAST WORD CMME and Resale Weekly team up to help you source used equipment.

Page

33 NEW RELEASE ROUND UP What’s hot in new machinery this month?

Page

Editor’s Letter

PubliSher Dominic De SouSa GrOuP COO naDeem HooD ManaGinG DireCtOr RicHaRD JuDD eDiToRiaL GrOuP eDitOr STepHen wHiTe stephen.white@cpimediagroup.com +971 56 795 8740 internatiOnal eDitOr STian oVeRDaHL stian.overdahl@cpidubai.com

digging deep into the industry ahead of pMV LiVe

T

hanks to an invitation from the team heading up PMV Live, I had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable panel discussion examining the state of the industry in the lead up to this month’s show.

Over the course of almost five hours we were able to get a rare opportunity to dig deep into the issues currently affecting this industry. Over the past couple of years, we’ve attempted a number of different approaches of these get togethers but this was by far the best yet – and I thank Jens Bawidamann of Putzmeister, Martin Kirby of Wolffkran Arabia; Talal Al Mahroos of MH Al Mahroos; Abdul Qader Mohamed Al Ali of Al Wasit Machinery, Nabil Al Zahlawi of NFT Cranes for sparing time and their thoughts.

I have attempted to squeeze as much as possible into this issue and I can only regret the material that we simply had no space to include. Whether it is by posting the extra material on the website or disseminating the information into other issues I promise I will do their comments justice and find some way of sharing it later on down the line.

November is a special month for Construction Machinery Middle East as it coincides with our birthday celebrations for the magazine. As we enter our third year, it is a relief to be able to not only feel but see improvement in the market. Machines are moving again, but we are still far off the numbers of we saw pre-downturn.

Serious challenges lie ahead before we can start celebrating a brand new boom. Improvement in the UAE has masked cash flow and contract problems in Saudi Arabia. Likewise the Qatar market faces an uphill struggle to supply raw material and keep costs down as its neighbours continue to recover.

And returning to the UAE, the momentum that has picked up needs to be founded on more than project restarts.

As Martin Kirby told the other panellists, the fundamentals are there. But if it is to be sustainable, the machinery contracting and supply sector needs 2014 to be based on new contracts and new projects.

Only then can prices rise and value return to the market.

Eagle-eyed observers will notice Construction Machinery ME proudly boasts the Expo 2020 logo this month as we put our full support behind the bid. I’m told it’s neck and neck with Izmir, but I think it’s worth pointing out that all the panellists agreed that we can look forward to 2014 with confidence even if it goes elsewhere.

Personally I can see no better location than the UAE. Speaking to all of you makes me realise that should Dubai get chosen there is an industry ready, willing and able to make it a reality.

DePuty eDitOr GaVin DaViDS gavin.davids@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5480 maRKeTinG & aDVeRTiSinG PubliShinG DireCtOr RaZ iSLam raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5471 COMMerCial DireCtOr micHaeL STanSFieLD michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5497 MarKetinG ManaGer caRoLe mccaRTHY carole.mccarthy@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5498 DeSiGn JuniOr GraPhiC DeSiGner peRciVaL manaLaYSaY percival.manalaysay@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 375 5712 ciRcuLaTion & pRoDucTion CirCulatiOn anD DiStributiOn ManaGer RocHeLLe aLmeiDa rochelle.almeida@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 368 1670 DatabaSe anD CirCulatiOn ManaGer RaJeeSH m rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147 PrODuCtiOn ManaGer JameS p THaRian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146 DiGiTaL www.constructionmachineryme.com DiGital ServiCeS ManaGer TRiSTan TRoY maaGma Web DevelOPer JoeL aZcuna online@cpidubai.com +971 4 375 5714 pubLiSHeD bY Registered at impZ po box 13700 Dubai, uae Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409

pRinTeD bY printwell printing press LLc © copyright 2013 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 25 2013 NOVEMBER

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

TAKEN FOR A RIDE

Transportation sector overview

KEEP ON DIGGING

Excavator Raw Power special

FROM PORT TO POOL The two sides of RAK

Stephen White, Group Editor, CMME

2

CONSTRUCTION

MIDDLE EAST

November 2013

THE sTATE OF THE INDusTRY

STILL IN A SPIN?

Staying on track for 2014 Plus: ACROss THE INDusTRY

* NEWs & VIEWs * CRANE ACCIDENT * TRuCK REVIEW * AND MORE

nOW Online You can now catch the online edition every month at: www.constructionmachineryme.com

News Round-Up

NEWS New machines, new offices, new projects, new initiatives – we look around the region at what’s new this month.

AIRpORT CAST IN NEW LIGHT TAV says that more than 180,000m 3 of concrete has been cast for the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).

Abu Dhabi Airports CEO Tony Douglas says MTC could be expanded after completion in 2017.

Cat sheds 13,000 staff as sales drop heavily in Q3

Caterpillar has announced a large drop in Q3 sales for 2013, with sales tumbling to $13.423 billion, down from $16.445 billion in the previous year’s Q3.

The sales drop is largely due to decreased purchasing of new machinery by the mining sector worldwide, as the cyclical market experiences depressed demand and low prices.

“This year has proven to be difficult, with expected sales and revenues nearly $11 billion lower than last year. That is a 17% decline from 2012, with about 75% of the drop from Resource Industries, which is principally mining,” said company chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman.

The drop in purchasing activity by the mining industry is hitting Caterpillar’s bottom line hard, since the mining products are lower volume, higher margin.

As a result of the dropping sales, the company has carried out a number of cost reduction measures, said Oberhelman, including many temporary plant shutdowns, a reduction of more than 13,000 of its global workforce, temporary layoffs for thousands of salaried and management employees, reductions in program spending, substantially lowered incentive pay, lower capital expenditures and implementation of general austerity measures.

Speedy results from Qatar and MENA region

UK-based rental firm records 28.5% growth in international markets

S

peedy Hire, a UK-based rental company with a major presence in the GCC, has recorded a 28.5% growth in H1 its International division, including its new operation in Qatar. The period covers six months, ending in September 2013.

Last year the company won a $50m, five year contract to supply plant and equipment servies to ESNAAD, the support services subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), with the option of a further two -year extension option.

According to Steve Corcoran, chief executive of Speedy Hire, during the first half of the year the company worked to “establish a presence in Qatar to work with our teams in the MENA territories to capitalise on attractive opportunities in both the oil and gas sector and government-backed infrastructure initiatives across the region”.

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The company’s international growth came at a time when the UK and Ireland construction market conditions remain challenging, and its H1 revenue there fell 2.1%.

Speedy is a relative newcomer to the Gulf, first opening an office in late 2009, but since then has made rapid in-roads into the rental market, priding itself on the newness of its plant fleet, its rigorous servicing regime, and its ability to offer a ‘total solution’ to customers, including evaluation of their existing plant fleets and ongoing fleet management services.

Corcoran said that the company’s diversification into the MENA region is bearing fruit: “Whilst the UK market, particularly in construction, remains challenging, our strategy to diversify the Group’s revenues to secure both hire and service agreements from companies in nonconstruction related activities and internationally in the MENA region is generating results.

Company intelligenCe Bauer aG, producer of trenching equipent and with a major civil engineering business unit, has said it expects a net loss for 2013, due to “complex conditions” surrounding the company’s group’s Resources segment in Jordan, where it has been involved in an extensive well construction project. With the completion of the well construction project, the earnings forecast for the project has had to be adjusted downwards by some $27.4 million.

Bauer has previously reported “wideranGinG proBlems” in Jordan, saying in its recent report that construction costs have substiantially increased, and that “the financial difficulties being experienced by Jordan have meant that no amicable settlement has yet been obtained”. manitowoc cranes has reported a stronG third quarter, with total sales up more than 10%, risinG to $612.6 million, up from $555m the same period in 2012. the main drivers of business were continued growth in the americas region through increased crawler crane activity, as well as ongoing success with manitowoc Crane Care. manitowoc Ceo and chairman glenn tellock commented, “While the global markets have not rebounded to the degree that we had expected, we Generated solid thirdquarter sales Growth and notaBle marGin improvement, driven by strength in our crawler crane product line, the success of our new products, as well as the execution of our product quality initiatives.” scania is to conduct trials of electrically powered trucks, with the electricity delivered by lines overhead, similar to trains and trams. Carried out in partnership with Siemens, the trials are investiGatinG the possiBility of power trucks with overhead lines BeinG used where reGular transport routes exist from point to point, such as between steel mills and ports and between mines and processing plants. trials with Scania’s truck will be carried out at Siemens’s two-kilometre long test track in germany, following the truck’s preparation in Sweden.

tendeR updateS

1

the design and construction tender for a $207.8m laBour accommodation proJect in duqm, oman, will be awarded by the end of october, according to the chief executive of the company developing the project.

2

oman’s tender Board has floated a tender for phase two of the 32km iBri to yanqul dual-carriaGeway proJect.phase one, 6km of road, was awarded in august this year to a joint venture of desert convoy and khalid Bin ahmed and sons. delivery is expected in the first quarter of 2016.

50 years for hydraulic breaker

It’s hard to imagine carrying out a construction or mining project without a hydraulic breaker, but this month Atlas Copco Construction Tools, Essen, Germany, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the hydraulic breaker.

Krupp Berco Bautechnik, acquired by Atlas Copco in

2002, developed the rigmounted hydraulic breaker and took out a patent in 1963.

The first machine, the HM 400, attracted huge interest at the Hannover fair in 1967 and more than 2,000 units were sold.

At the time, pneumatic tools were widely used, and the aim was to save time and labour

in demolition and mining operations.

The new concept was highly successful, as it meant that one person operating a rigmounted hydraulic breaker could do the same amount of work as several operators with pneumatic tools.

This innovation was the start of a major transformation in the construction and mining industries.

“It is our belief that there is always a better way of doing things. That innovative spirit is a vital part of Atlas Copco’s identity, a vital part of our way of conducting business. It is also the driving force, which has made us a leader in our industry.

Innovation is the ultimate driver for long-term profitability and growth,” said Gordon Hambach, product line manager for power demolition tools, Atlas Copco.

Linden ‘surprised’ it took the onLy crane to Bauma africa linden comansa has capped off the first edition of the bauma africa tradeshow saying that it was happy with the quality and quantity of visitors from across the continent. but it noted surprise that it was the only manufacturer exhibiting a tower crane – perhaps to the spanish manufacturer’s advantage.

“The quality and quantity of the visitors have been better than expected, and we have made many new contacts with african companies and contractors,” said Martín echevarría, linden comansa’s sales director. “it has been our first participation in a tradeshow with our distributor Tower crane services and the experience has been very positive, as it allowed us to strengthen ties in the area as well as to meet new potential customers.”

The 21lc290 showcased by linden comansa and Tower crane services was surprisingly the only tower crane at the show, said echevarría.

“[This was] an excellent showcase for all professionals who were looking for this type of machinery. in addition, the crane was erected with a height of only 15 meters, a perfect distance to see the improvements in the lc2100 series, as the cabin’s platform or the new electrical cabinet, redesigned due to the application of frequency variation in the slewing movement.”

There was wide interest in the crane, said richard fletcher, owner of Tower crane services, and the official distributor of linden comansa in south africa, “many visitors were south african construction companies that we had not made contact with before, and who have a real need of tower cranes for their projects.

“There was also interest shown by visitors from various african countries, the Gulf and even as far as india. We hope to develop long and meaningful business relationships with contacts made at the show.”

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55

News Round-Up Shantui‘s value proposition made Shantui a leader in China’s fast-growing construction machinery industry.

Now, with a fully diversified line of products and a mature international sales network, Shantui is uniquely able to put that value proposition to work globally, meeting the need for value and exceeding the performance expectations of heavy construction machinery customers around the world.

It’s the Shantui Way.

THE SHANTUI VALUE PROPOSITION

No one else offers the unique balance between high performance and great price that Shantui delivers.

Tunis Société Commerciale de Matériels (COMAT) www.comat.tn +216-74468710 Azerbaijan Grand Motors LLC www.grandmotors.az +994-125647494

United Arab Emirates General Navigation And Commerce Company (GENAVCO) L.L.C (Member of Juma Al-Majid group)

www.genavco.com +971-43961000 Saudi Arabia -Arabian Bugshan Group (Earthmoving machinery)

www.abugshangroup.com +966-14931018

-Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Co., Ltd. (Concrete machinery)

www.kanoocom.com +966-22632959 Oman General Engineering Services Est. (Genserv) (Member of Juma Al-Majid group)

www.genserv-oman.com +968-24490755

Qatar Al Arabia Heavy Equipment Co. L.L.C. (Member of Al Fardan Group)

www.alarabia.com.qa +974-44971090 Bahrain ZAYANI MOTORS W.L.L. www.zmotors.com +973-17703703

Kuwait Bahrah Trading Company W.L.L. www.bahrahtrading.com +965-1802008 Iraq Al Ittihadia General Trading Co. ( Member of Sardar Group)

www.sardargroup.com +964-662569888 Algeria S.A.R.L. SOCOPE www.socope.net +213-43273939

www.shantui.com 6 6

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GOLD POWERLOCK 5m UK The Gold ribbon Powerlock, the world’s number one selling tape rule, the Stanley Powerlock is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Sany’s overseas success Sany Heavy Cranes has reported strong growth of its products in overseas markets, with foreign sales accounting for 36% of total sales in the first half of 2013. Key products have been the 30- and 55-tonne capacity truck cranes, especially with models that have been specifically tailored for markets in Asia including Thailand and Singapore.

ADSSC CompleteS Drilling of worlD’S SeConD lArgeSt grAvity Driven Sewer tunnel The Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC) has announced the completion of drilling work on Abu Dhabi’s 41km main sewer tunnel.

The final segment – the eighth in the project – runs 4.7km from the Officer’s Club area to the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre. Drilling as deep as 32 metres, the structure is the world’s second-longest gravitydriven tunnel and stretches from Al Mushrif to Al Wathba.

The Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) broke through near ADNEC, marking an end to the drilling process.

A ceremony marking the completion of the project was attended by Sheikh Diab bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Sanbio Kim, the Korean minister of state, Mohammed Al Bawardi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council’s executive committee, members of the Executive Council and officials from the Abu Dhabi Government.

The sewer’s construction is part of the Strategic Tunnel Enhancement Programme (STEP), which includes 16.1km of the tunnel that was divided into three segments – 41 km of deep sewer pipes, 43 km of smaller diameter link sewers and a pumping station adjacent to the Al Wathba Independent Sewerage Treatment Plants.

A report by Gulf News stated this project is in line with the emirate’s Vision 2030.

“It is meant for the increased population by 2030; however if the

population growth is slow, this system may be enough until 2040 or even beyond,” the officials of ADSSC were quoted saying about the tunnel with a capacity of 1.7 million cubic metres sewage, the expected demand for 2030.

Expected to reduce the carbon footprint of the emirate’s sewerage system, the environment-friendly tunnel is expected to save $1.1bn (AED 4.2bn) on energy and maintenance costs for the next two and half decades.

The report added that the tunnel – starting 27 metres underground continuing to a depth of 100 metres – will not require regular maintenance over its lifespan of 80 years.for monitoring control on our remote sites. We can still collect performance information and maintenance criteria wherever the machine has mobile phone coverage; all this helps to increase our efficiency.”

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Municipality (ADM) has announced the launch of tenders inviting the private sector to develop and operate a network of new community centre projects in the emirate. Intended to serve as community hubs for residents and boost local services and amenities, these centres, to be located in Al Wathba, Al Rahba, Al Falah and Mohammed bin Zayed City will feature restaurants, cafes and retail outlets along with government service counters and community centres.

Sany says the overseas sales growth has been a “pleasant surprise in the face of a softening Chinese market”.

Truck crack down 68 truck drivers in Abu Dhabi have had their driving licences revoked for dangerous overtaking, and fined up to AED 10,000 following action by the Abu Dhabi police.

“The achievements made

by SanyHeavy Cranes were first and foremost a result of the company’s policy of focusing on both key products and key markets. Guided by this policy, we did thorough research into the market and customer needs, gave more precise definitions to

our products, and were able to develop and sell the right products to the right markets,” said Jian Qi, GM of Sany Heavy Cranes.

Sany developed the 55-tonne capacity truck crane with a downward folding jib for the Singaporean market and the 30-ton and 55 tonne truck cranes specially tailored to the Thai market.

According to Jian, another key tool has been cooperation with Sany’s local dealers, including giving allround support to the dealer in areas such as sales, management, and service, and setting up powerful sales and service networks for the dealer. Dealers are encouraged to adhere to the principles of “service taking priority over sales, and parts taking priority over services.”

cumminS in ad Cummins says three enclosed C2000D5 gensets have been supplied, along with a PowerCommand DMC 300 Paralleling System integrated with switchgear to South Korean energy and construction company SK E&C, the lead contractor for a gas compression plant in Abu Dhabi’s Bab Gas Field.

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News Round-Up

tAdAnO’s lArGest delivery in KsA Y.K. Almoayyed and Sons’ Heavy Equipment division has handed over the first Tadano ATF400G-6 hydraulic all terrain crane sold in the Middle East, to Sayed Kadhem Al Durazi and Sons Group. The ceremony was witnessed by group Chairman Sayed Kadhem Al Durazi, Farouk Almoayyed, chairman of Y.K. Almoayyed and Sons, and Koichi Tadano, President and CEO of Tadano.

The crane has a rated maximum capacity to lift 400 tons at 2.7m, and a 5-section telescopic boom that extends from 15m to 60m. Its 49.6m fixed jib gives it an overall reach capacity of 109.6m. The crane superstructure is mounted on a special 12×8 all-wheel steerable chassis.

“We are proud to present the first ATF400G-6 Crane in the Middle East to Al Durazi, along with one 220-tonne and

two 110-tonne all terrain cranes,” said Gopi Subramanian, General Manager of YKA’s Heavy Equipment Division.

“We, at Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons’ Heavy Equipment Division, have built a sufficient spare parts inventory and have carried thorough technical training courses on these specialty cranes to better support our clients; our technicians have been trained by engineers from Tadano’s factory over the past month on various operations of these highly advanced machines, from regular maintenance and fault finding to diagnosis and rectification of hydraulic, mechanical and electrical systems,” he said. “These specialty cranes will be used for erection, fabrication and shutdown maintenance works in large projects, including BAPCO, Tatweer, ASRY and ALBA.”

Al MAsAood And ACTIon reACh VolVo PenTA AgreeMenT Volvo Penta importer in the UAE, AL Masaood Group, has signed an agreement with the regional pump manufacturer company ACTION International Services on delivery of Volvo Penta engines for operation of various types of pumps.

The agreement with Action includes deliveries of Volvo Penta VE 7-to 16-liter diesel engines for installation in high pressure pumps and centrifugal pump applications for rental. At present the Volvo Penta importer estimate that it expects to deliver about 100 engines per year to ACTION International Services.

“With this agreement Volvo Penta strengthens further its position as a supplier of high-quality, costeffective and fuel efficient diesel engines for this type of applications,” says Giorgio Paris, President EM & APAC at Volvo Penta.

“Volvo Penta has a long tradition of supply of equivalent products to, middle east, mainly S According to Padraig Nagle the MD of ACTION International Services: “This contract is a new milestone in our organisation, we wanted to standardize our fleet and we always look to companies innovation because innovation is in our blood at ACTION INTERNATIONAL Services because we operate in; emerging markets and engineering and design are a few of our the company’s core values we also looked at quality, safety and care for the environment and due to our rapid growth in these

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emerging markets also compliancy for engines and future technology played a major role in signing this agreement with AB Volvo Penta.”

Padraig added that also includes making our pumps maintenance simpler for customers and our in-house service team with the latest diagnostic tools and full support from Al Masaood. Padraig explained the company’s target which includes goals such as zero unplanned stops (breakdowns); zero accidents; intelligent machines; 10-timeshigher efficiency; meeting the latest emissions standards and total business solutions.

ACTION International Services, which has a commitment to the environment going back to its founding in 1996, demonstrates with the agreement that it’s an ongoing process and development in the ACTION organization.

“We’ve got a large fleet of VOLVO PENTA engines and that was a major factor in the decision to sign the agreement with Al Masaood” said Managing Director Padraig Nagle.

“The equipment is partly fleet expansion, along with an element of fleet renewal. We work 24/7, 365 days a year in the GCC and working hours on a machine can easily reach 7,000 hours per year.”

ACTION International Services, with a head office located in Dubai, U.A.E, is a company providing engineered solutions in the field of Ground Water Control/Dewatering.

BOMAG unveils new druM fActOry Plant manufacturer BOMAG has revealed its new state-of-the-art drum roller factory in Germany, which began production in June this year. The $30.4 million (€22.5m) factory represents the largest single investment in BOMAG’s history.

The large-scale drum project started last year in July. About half of the outlay represents buildings, the other half to machines, robots and crane systems.

“The decision to build a new drum plant was absolutely necessary.

We had already reached maximum capacity and the new facility enables us to double production output and, additionally,

to reduce the costs of external procurement”, explained Ralf Junker, manager production at BOMAG, at the company’s Asphalt Days event which took place in September.

With a short timeline from beginning of construction of the factory to the beginning of production, the factory has been built around innovative production technology and machine technology to provide a guarantee of quality.

“The new drum plant will continue to increase our competitiveness in the long term. Having the most modern drum facility in the world, we are again setting

quality standards in the production of our machines”, said Junker.

The whole concept of the layout follows the value stream design. This means short transport distances, reduced buffer stock at the production line and low stocks in the warehouses. A high value was placed on automation when designing the project.

A computer controlled, unmanned transport system ‘organises’ the material flow so that fork lifts are used rarely, he explained.

While there is increased automation, the new factory is still people-focused, with ergonomically designed workplaces.

As material is stored near to the assembly location, short distances reduce the workload.

Additionally, a state-ofthe-art ventilation system ensures that fumes are completely extracted so that clean air circulates at the workplaces.

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News Analysis

Why the Address Crane failed

Three dead after crane collapse at Address BLVD development close to the world’s tallest tower. CMME looks at why human error could be to blame.

W

ork came to a screeching halt on Saturday, 12 October at a construction site in downtown Dubai when a tower crane collapsed, killing three workers and injuring four others. It was a tragic reminder that there is a need for vigilance even as health and safety procedures continue to improve in the mature markets of the Gulf.

The accident happened on a weekend evening beside one of the city’s busiest roads, when hundreds of thousands visitors queue in heavy traffic to see both the world’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, and one of the biggest shopping malls, The Dubai Mall.

The cause of the accident was not immediately apparent, with conflicting accounts reported.

But photos from the site showed that the crane’s superstructure and jib had crashed to the ground below. A subsequent preliminary report by the Dubai Municipality suggested the workers were killed after the crane’s counterweight fell 45m onto the platform where they were working.

Developed by Emaar, the Address: BLVD site is operated by main contractor Brookfield Multiplex Complex (BM), who issued the following statement: “The contractor issued the following

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statement: “Brookfield Multiplex confirms that at approximately 7pm on Saturday evening, 12th October, an incident occurred on site, while workers were climbing an internal tower crane.

A detailed investigation is on-going and the company is assisting the concerned authorities.

We extend our condolences to the affected families, and will continue to extend our support to the injured.”

According to Gulf News, Police believed initially that the crane operator had “lost control” possibly causing the collapse. Major General Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, director of Dubai Police’s Criminal Investigations Department, said the operator was taken in to face charges of criminal negligence. As is standard procedure in the UAE, a number of managers and safety engineers from the company, and the site supervisor, were arrested as investigators began to unravel the cause of the accident.

One worker recounted that the ladder on the crane had collapsed – presumably meaning the mast – whilst it was climbing.

An engineer quoted anonymously by GulfNews said that normally the company relies on third parties to fix its tower cranes, who “should be

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157 West 57th street stricken – again Residents close to a New York building that saw the collapse of crane during Hurricane Sandy at the end of 2012 were once again evacuated in October after a crane failed while hauling a 13T load up the building.

Part of the surrounding midtown Manhattan block was evacuated and 57th Street was closed for hours after a crane hauling up a load became stuck on the same building where a crane famously dangled after Hurricane Sandy last year.

The tower crane at became stuck, leaving its concrete counterweight hanging up above the street below, while it was being removed, officials and the construction management company said.

The street was closed between Sixth and Seventh avenues, and the immediate area was evacuated as the load was slowly lowered. It reached the street at about 3:30 p.m., six hours after the initial malfunction, and the street was reopened.

“It does feel like it’s jinxed,’’ said Joe Volpe, the master rigger on the swanky One57 skyscraper project at 157 W. 57th St. The massive block was being used to balance a crane when it became stuck at 9:20am, hanging 400 feet above construction scaffolding over the pedestrian-packed street, officials said.

It remained there — shutting the busy two-way street — until it was safely lowered at 3:30 p.m.

“It looked like a yellow box dangling from a string,’’ said resident Linda Natapraya.

“I was worried about the damage it could do if it crashed to the ground. Thirteen thousand pounds could do a lot of damage from that height.”

IT manager Tyrell Robinson, 28, who works nearby, told the New York Post that: “My whole office had to move to the 56th Street side of the building. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

A crane hung from the same luxury residential building after it gave way amid Sandy’s high winds last year. The block was shut down and residents disrupted for a week.

“It does feel like it’s jinxed,’’ Joe Volpe, the master rigger on the One57 skyscraper project told the New York Post newspaper.

The crane is owned by New York Crane and Equipment Corp, which also owned the crane that collapsed and killed two workers on the Upper East Side of the city in 2008.

specialised and ensure all safety measures”.

Tower crane collapses are rare in Dubai (and indeed globally), since contracting companies generally operate at a high level of skill, and the results of a collapse are known to be disastrous, in terms of loss of life and injury, lost productivity through site closure, and negative publicity.

CMME was told by one industry representative for a crane supplier in Dubai that third party contractors are frequently employed under supervision to erect cranes. They also suggested that structural failure of the Chinese manufactured crane is extremely unlikely with human error the most likeliest cause of the collapse.

“We’ve had our own technicians looking into the cause, but it could have been as simple as someone not remembering to fix the right bolt,” they said.

The theory that human error was to blame was corroborated by a preliminary report issued by Dubai Municipality.

The report suggests the accident was caused by the crane’s metal counterweight.

“The crane’s counterweight was tilted at a dangerously steep slope and because of its heavy weight, fell down at a height of 45m onto the concrete slab [where the construction employees were working],” Moawya Abdul Rahman, head of the structural engineering unit at Dubai Municipality reported. “The slab was broken due to the force, and then broke everything in its path while dropping to the floor — killing the workers in the process.”

Accordint to local reports the crane and other equipment used at the construction site had been deemed safe by Dubai Municipality. All equipment used on all sites in the Emirate has to be periodically verified and inspected between every six months and one year.

“All construction companies have to adhere to the latest revised Code of Construction Safety

Practice of 2011, otherwise hefty penalties will be imposed. This type of accident is a rare one as we take the safety of workers very seriously, and according to the preliminary report, we suspect that it was the mistake of the crane operator.”

Head of the Emergency and Crisis Committee Reda Salman, director of the Public Health and Safety Department, said that work continues on the final report.

“We are investigating the incident and have as yet to confirm what factors were the cause of the accident, and whether it was related to a technical fault or not. Once the emergency committee writes up the report, it will be sent to the Public Prosecution who will then take legal action against the party responsible,” he added.

The local media followed injured workers to the nearby Rashid Hospital recording first-hand accounts.

One man who suffered a broken leg from the collapse, told newspaper XPRESS that the crane’s motor mechanic had been killed after “being pinned down” said that it was fortunate that more lives were not lost.

“We had raised the crane by four metres since the morning before the incident,” he said. “At the time of the accident, most of the workers had already left for the day. We work on eight hour shifts, with a few hours overtime when needed. It could have been worse if the accident had happened during the day, when more workers are around.

“The crane was on standby and was steady, we were under the crane inside the mast section, when the incident happened. Our team had several members. The crane operator was sitting on top and the crane was not moving. All of a sudden, I saw part of the crane coming down on us. We scampered for cover, but there was no time.”

He added: “I’m thankful I survived. My family, wife and children still need me.”

September 2011 November 2013

CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION MIDDLE EAST MIDDLE EAST

13 13

The choice of MH professionals worldwide

Heavy Hitters

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doom or

boom?

The sTaTe of The indusTry

T

he global recession, the Arab Spring, Qatar winning the right to host the FIFA World Cup, the rise of China as a manufacturing powerhouse, the market’s collapse, Saudi’s boom, the rehabilitation of Iraq, engine emission regulations; if the heavy equipment industry had been wearing a sandwich board over the past five years, you wouldn’t be surprised if it had written “THE END IS NIGH” on the front and “…

OR IS IT?” on the back.

Striving to make sense of it all, CMME sat with some of the region’s most experienced, knowledgeable, and, most importantly, most opinionated manufacturers and dealers to gauge what effect the unprecedented events of recent years will have on the industry. As we

Organised with PMV Live, CMME sits with some of the region’s leading distributors to discuss the past, present and future for the heavy equipment industry look forward to 2014, are they expecting doom or boom for the year ahead?

Taking part of a lively discussion was: Putzmeister’s regional director Jens Bawidamann Martin Kirby, managing director, Wolffkran Arabia; Talal Al Mahroos, marketing manager, M H Al Mahroos (brands include: Putzmeister, Genie, Karcher, Yanmar); Abdul Qader Mohamed Al Ali, president, Al Wasit Machinery (brands include: Hyundai, Sumitomo); Nabil Al Zahlawi, managing partner, NFT Cranes (Potain, Orbit); and Nathan Waugh, event director, PMV Live.

“We all pray that Qatar is moving shortly, we all pray that we get the World Expo,” begins Bawidamann.

“We hope Saudi settles a little bit over the next few months as everything is a little slow. Everything was perfect until June, then we had the Holy Month, Ramadan, Eid. Normally everything picks up after Ramadan; full speed ahead.

“Unfortunately a couple of weeks before Ramadan there were new rules and regulations with regard to visa issuing which led to a drastic impact on the Saudi market. Often in the Middle East we think ‘ah!

I have an idea!’, then realise we’ve made a mistake a few weeks later.”

Continuing his look at the current situation in the Saudi market he describes problems with the flow of money on the construction chain: “I don’t know how many billions are not flowing and this is the first time we have faced such a situation.”

“As a supplier,” interjects Wolffkran Arabia’s Kirby, “A lot of the main contractors have always experienced cash flow issues getting paid.”

“But not in combination with everything (else),” replies Bawidamann.

NFT first started in the Saudi market before moving across the Gulf. Al Zahlawi sums up the historic difficulties of working in the country.

“Always you’ve worked six months and you’ve slept six months,” he jokes. “Over the last three years there have been a lot of mega projects KAFD, Princess Noura University and we’ve got used to these; there a lot of changes. For example one of our customers got a

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medical city (project). Everything was awarded and at the last minute, ‘we have problem with the land so we cannot build’. Imagine that you spend money in preparation and suddenly you have to change the location of the project by 45km. It will take three years to move it; the project won’t start; the down payment has not been received. The company is in difficulty.”

The Saudi market has traditionally been dominated by major contractors such as Bin Laden and Saudi Oger but this is starting to change with newer, smaller companies entering the fray.

“In between Bin Laden and Saudi Oger you see a lot of small contractors coming in. There are a lot of new customers coming,” says Zahlawi. “I have seen some of these one or two man private contractors get bigger taking on billion Riyal projects.”

Abdul Qader Mohamed Al Ali, president, Al Wasit Machinery points out the almost monopoly situation is beginning to break down in the Kingdom.

“Bin Laden is full, up to here,” he gestures, “taking the money and passing on the work to subcontractors. We are talking of tens, hundreds of sub-contractors and they are becoming contractors.

I have more than 20 or 30 customers from those people and they have ten billion dirham jobs.”

Lacking the scale of say, Bin Laden, presents problems. Al Ali says that late payment is a major challenge. With finance hard to find, he has to rely on trust when selling equipment.

“In Saudi there is no compensation. He pays or he doesn’t pay you. If I don’t know him and don’t trust him, I say no. They have changed the rules and regulations where before it moved automatically

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to (the big contractors) now it is more open and everybody has access. Things will hopefully move.”

While Saudi is progressively more open, Waugh explains that hosting advisory panels for The Big5 Show in Saudi has taught him that the biggest contractors still hold the biggest advantage.

“The jobs are still going to the big contractors.

Smaller contractors don’t have the cash flow to cope with slower payments,” he remarks.

“That was even an issue here (the UAE) when you think about it,” says Kirby. “Tendering for huge projects can tie up a large amount of your cash.

There’s the bid and then you are waiting another 12 months for it to be awarded.”

Kirby’s point is particularly pertinent in the UAE where bonds for contracts are often stipulated at 5% - ranking it one of the most expensive places to tender in the world. When losing bidders can wait up to a year to see the bond returned. Wolffkran Arabia’s status as one of the region’s biggest crane rental firms could make it especially exposed to issues with payments. However, he says, for Wolffkran Arabia it remains a market to sell into rather than rent.

“The Saudi market has been very good for the company, picking up slack when the market slowed elsewhere,” he says. “We don’t really see the big payment issues with the big contractors. In Makkah most of the cranes you see there are the Wolff. We’ve been fortunate.”

“80% of our turnover in the Middle East is in Saudi Arabia,” adds Al Zahlawi. “We did not leave the market. Every city has our cranes. It is a huge market but it is easy to operate from the UAE. If you receive

any goods in Jeddah you need two to three weeks to clear it. If I receive it in Jebel Ali, I can put it on a truck and have it there within 24 hours.”

Talking of logistics moves the discussion onto the enduring appeal of using the UAE as a hub in which you can serve the rest of the region. Soon talk around the table is whether the market is recovering as is being suggested from a raft of reports in the second half of 2013.

“I think so,” says Kirby. “I’ve been in the UAE for 11 years and I’ve always been a firm believer of the fundamentals we have here. For me it was always going to come back. Where it is coming back, frightens me a little bit: how it has come back so fast and so high. What’s going on the real estate market concerns me.

“Everybody was looking at Abu Dhabi – that was going to be taking up the slack. A lot of people went running there to set-up head offices. I’m glad that we didn’t – we opened new offices in Dubai in that period and it was the right decision. There are some big mega projects (in Abu Dhabi) and a lot of that has been taken up by one contractor.”

He continues: “We’ve had a good 2013 in terms of utilisation and I’m hopeful that it’ll pick up with a lot more smaller jobs. We can’t just rely on mega projects. I think that 2014 is going to be good.

There’s enough to go around for everybody.”

This month’s PMV Live and The Big-5 will be a litmus test of the strength of the market and Waugh says that the show has seen the return of strong local support.

“Seven weeks from this year’s event we were

“LOOK AROUnD EVERyWHERE IS In cRISIS, LOOK

AT SyRIA. EVERyOnE IS LOOKIng FOR A PLAcE THAT IS SAFE, THAT HAS A HOSPITAL, THAT HAS ScHOOLS, WHERE yOU cAn DO BUSInESS. THAT IS DUBAI.”

The panel’s hopes for 2014 Martin Kirby, Wolffkran Arabia: “Utilisation has been pretty good to me but I would like to see a change in the supply demand dynamic next year. Rental rates have reduced significantly I would like to see them increase but where the contractors are getting good value and it doesn’t make sense for them to purchase new equipment.

With the Expo 2020 we could see 2014 being very good. I think there’s enough for everybody and in two or three years we can do very well and have a healthy margin servicing and supporting our customers.”

Abdul Qader Mohamed Al Ali: “We hope with the World Expo it will be a better market. 2012 was a big change and so was 2013, we think 2014 will be a good year even without the Expo. The market is normalised.

We see a lot of potential in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Northern Emirates and Oman. New projects will inject into the market and more machines will come into the market.”

Nabil Al Zahlawi, NFT: “I think 2014 will be a transitional time – a little bit better than this year. Even if they are awarded the World Expo they need one year to prepare the drawings. I believe the activity will reach a normal scale by 2015. Our policy will

remain the same – move out of here and open new markets.”

Nathan Waugh, dmg:Events: “I think the latter half of 2013 has been the transitional stage and I think we’re going to see a real increase. I think the past could of years have been like a fire starting, smouldering. I think that in the second quarter we will see a fire in the market and lot of things in the pipeline.

From an event point of view we’re seeing that already with this year. I think we’ll see a lot more local people coming and buying at PMV Live.”

Talal Al Mahroos, M H Mahroos: “We’re very positive about 2014 and that’s why we have invested in expanding our facilities in Dubai.

If the Expo 2020 we will have to invest more: increase staff and service. It would be for everyone’s best interests.

Jens Bawidamman: “Without the Expo business will be better for everybody next year. We have seen the worst it cannot be less. The Expo would have a huge impact. If only half of what has been announced gets built there will be a big demand for equipment that will be sold and not rented and that will be good for us.”

“THEY HAvE lEArNED THEIr lESSONS.

BUSINESS IS NOW BASED ON FACTS. PrEvIOUSlY IT WAS BASED ON DrEAMS.”

practically sold out,” he remarks. “We obviously talk to a lot of exhibitors during the course of the year.

My feeling is we’ve seen a change from cautious optimism last year to genuine optimism this year.”

“We have seen the bottom, right?” adds Bawidamann.

“At Putzmeister during the good times of 2006, 2007, 2008 we saw more than 100 trucks per year.

It went down from 100 to one. So when we now talk about improvement in the market, we’re talking about seven or eight. Maybe this is reasonable. What is happening here is a few things have changed. A few projects that were on hold are now working. You can see pumps and cranes working. But then at the same time rents are up by 30%. Why?” “That is one concern and I can agree on that,” says Kirby. “But as we’re predominantly a rental company we tend to do well in a boom, because of the overburden, and during a recession. Four or five years ago people were buying and it probably wasn’t the right decision. They were forced into it because rental rates were a lot higher than they should have been and made the fundamentals of buying a tower crane much more viable.”

Bawidamann adds: “The rental market has been good in the past few years, because people could not see what was coming.”

“2009 to 2011 was very bad for us,” says Al Ali whose sales fell from 80 to 10 million AED. “Slowly, slowly it is improving now. New projects are coming.”

Kirby expects that dealers burned by having to sell stock at lower prices than was bought from the manufacturer to generate cash in the aftermath of the crash will make them reluctant to build up large inventories. Half joking, half warning he says: “Although people have short memories.”

“Now people will be extra careful,” adds Al Ali. “Now

people will look at what machine can they get, what can they sell? They will try to do market analysis.

We have some machine manufacturers producing machines (designed to regional specifications) for here but keeping the stock there (at the factory).”

Al Ali says that like many other companies at the front-end of distribution Al Wasit is offering a consultancy-style service for buyers; finding out what application they need and which machine would be best suited for the task. He says while customers are finding it easier to borrow money to build up their fleet, they also need more information than ever when looking to raise finance: “Banks are asking for a lot of information before giving loans.”

“Anything to do with finance – and banks do not have short memories!” jokes Bawidamann. “They have learned their lessons. Business is now based on facts. Previously it was based on dreams.”

As the needs of plant and fleets owners, contractors and, yes, banks have changed the Gulf’s distributors have also had to change.

Talal Al Mahroos of M H Mahroos explains that the Bahrain-based company has adapted by growing regionally and being focused on service and aftersales. Since 2007, the company has had dealers around the GCC for various products in Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi, Oman and Qatar. Pre-boom the approach was to assess the volume of construction work, the types of applications where Al Mahroos could supply and the number of machines required.

The downturn forced the company to reel back its book of dealers, however it is now rolling out a physical presence in Kuwait and Oman; complementing operations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“Our focus is more into service, serving our customers with the right technicians trained from the factories to be trainers. We have an office,

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warehouse and service centre in Dubai Investment Park, premises in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. Each country has different product lines in construction but all the technicians and sales teams share the same background.”

Among brands such as Genie, Yanmar excavators, Karcher, it also is a distributor for Putzmeister. (“We started off in light equipment, then compactors and now we have Putzmeister,” begins Mahroos. “…because we are very light and tiny!” adds Bawidamann.)

Bawidamann describes their relationship as a natural fit.

“What you can see in many countries is that there are dealers that sell, but what happens when there is a recession? How do you keep your business running when you don’t have sales? You have to have service,” says Bawidamann. “This is why we are working together. First and second Al Mahroos is a service provider.”

Both Al AIi and Mahroos whose respective companies operate in Oman agree that market still holds a lot of potential especially surrounding the Sultanate’s investment into infrastructure.

“That’s why we are planning on being there. In Muscat we have mini excavators, compactor, light equipment, and this moves,” he adds emphatically.

“We also have light machines there but we are only concentrated on Hyundai,” explains Al Ali. “When I think of Oman, I think only of second hand machines, what’s your experience?” asks Kirby.

All Ali answers describing some of the problems regarding the used market in the Gulf.

“I come from second-hand machines. 40 years in the business,” answers Al Ali. “Second hand machines used to be good when people weren’t marketing them. We source from Europe, Japan, everywhere. Sourcing is not easy. Here you buy a new excavator for $108,000. This machine if it is five years old and you buy from Europe will cost you $60,000, $10,000 to transport, $4,000 customs. Why not buy a new machine, use it for five years and sell it? Buying here is cheaper than anywhere in the world. Everything is 20% cheaper.”

“Another problem with buying in Europe is that the machines are not good for here. You get heat problems, diesel problems; they’re complicated.

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“WE’vE HAD A GOOD

2013 In TERMS OF uTIlISATIOn AnD I’M HOPEFul THAT IT’ll PIcK uP WITH A lOT MORE SMAllER JOBS. WE cAn’T JuST RElY On MEGA PROJEcTS.”

When we order from Hyundai they are designed by us as we try to minimise the machine for the market.”

“When the crisis hit people did not buy new equipment and they went looking for cheaper solutions like second-hand,” explains Bawidamann.

“Europe obviously had a huge market of equipment that they had to sell. For example, Spain was a market for us that went from 200 to one pump a year.

You had good machines serviced by Europeans with low hours. So many machines came from Europe to here, but today, the nice machines are gone. They’re already in the market.”

“I hope the contractors learn their lessons,” says Kirby. “During the boom there was a six months lead time for a brand new Wolff or liebherr, so they were buying lots of other equipment just to cope with demand they perceived was going to increase. Then in six to 12 months you had a huge amount of tower cranes lying idle. Purchasing all of these cranes and having to sell them off cheap because of the crisis or even during the boom time, it doesn’t always make sense.”

Fellow crane man Al Zahlawi adds that his business was once 80% sales and 20% rental. “now it is totally different,” says nFT’s managing partner. “It’s 95% rental and 5% sales. People used to be able to buy equipment because there was a plan. That is not the case anymore.”

One market that does have a fixed objective is Qatar.

Raising the country draws mixed views from the panel.

“I was there last week, drove everywhere and saw a lot activity,” says Al Ali. “A few years ago I got land for storage, and I noticed that now everyone else has built (their facilities) except me! Hyundai has sold 400 machines in Qatar. It’s a big market for earthmoving.”

While demand generated from infrastructure building may be good enough to shift excavators and wheel loaders, the panel agreed that other style projects were yet to kick in. A Fifa World cup boom is yet to happen.

“For me, rental rates are not where they should be,” says Kirby.

Bawidamann adds: “We’re already involved there with our clients but I would say that the market is very bad. Why? Well in Qatar you have more than 70 ready-mix companies, which is a lot. There are no projects announced, when there is 70 companies will bid. So there is no cash flow. I have to say I don’t see a proper plan. I see only promises.”

“If Dubai gets the World Expo, they will start right away. I tell you what will happen. Dubai will get the World Expo and from november onwards Qatar will not have any aggregates anymore,” he declares.

“They all come from Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.”

“And Saudi will not allow any exports,” Al Ali emphasises.

The winner of the World Expo in 2020 will be announced later this month. The panel agrees that awarding it to the country and host city Dubai could be a game changer for the market in 2014.

“During the peak time, there was something about Dubai everyday – Burj Khalifa, the world’s most expensive hotel, Atlantis. Then there was the crisis.

I think for Dubai it is a chance to say, hey, we’re here, the dream is still alive and we will do it better.”

“We need it,” agrees Al Zahlawi.

“One thing about Dubai for me, is that I’m proud to call it home,” says Kirby. “And I hope with this real estate boom is that the fundamentals have changed.

I hope people want to invest here and live here because it is a great place to live.”

Bawidamann concludes: “look around everywhere is in crisis. Everyone is looking for a place that is safe, that has a hospital, that has schools, where you can do business. That is Dubai.”

AT THE BIG-5

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VE

LI

DE M ON ST RA TI ON S Raz Islam Publishing Director raz.islam@cpimediagroup.com Mobile: +971 50 451 8213

Michael Stansfield Commercial Director michael.stansfield@cpimediagroup.com Mobile: +971 55 150 3849

16-20 February 2014

DAMMAM

Dhahran International Exhibition Center, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Show timings: 9:30-12:00 and 16:00-22:00

The Construction Machinery Show 2014 is the largest heavy construction machinery event in the region, showcasing a wide variety of products ranging from heavy equipment to machinery, from lighting to generators as well as dealers and service providers.

action via its programme of live demonstrations and the largest ever showcase of its type in the Middle East.

The event will provide an invaluable platform for customers in the Arab world bringing together manufacturers, distributors and buyers.

In 2014, the Construction Machinery Show 2014 is teaming up with leading Saudi exhibition organiser, Dhahran International Exhibitions Center (DIEC). This year’s show will run in conjunction with the popular BUILDEX event, now in its 16th year.

The Construction Machinery Show 2014 is also the only event in the region where buyers can see a huge range of equipment in

Both events will attract worldwide industry experts, investors and buyers to the largest tradeshow in the Eastern Province.

Gold Sponsorr

Dealers

24

Into the PacIfIc conStRUctIon

MIDDLe eaSt

November 2013

With the launch of Pacific Machinery, FAMCO has moved into the value segment of the market. Can it deliver on its promise of cheap machinery with premium service?

R

apidly expanding Famco has launched Pacific Machinery, a new subsidiary that formally marks the company’s entry into the value end of the market. While it makes sense from a commercial perspective, it’s a move that may raise some eyebrows in the market and surprise some industry observers as Famco is arguably better known as a premium brand distributor in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Managing director Paul Floyd explained the subsidiary has been in the planning for a year.

“The launch of this new business really creates a clear distinction in the way we want to reach out to the market; to different types of customers and applications,” explains Floyd.

Talking at the official launch event alongside brand partners Eicher and SDLG, Floyd was keen to stress how the new subsidiary will fit with customers who have grown to associate his company with the premium end of the market.

“Those who have worked with Famco over the years will know us for premium vehicles and machines with market leading technology. This will not change and is very much the Famco philosophy.

Pacific Machinery is something different,” he says.

“Pacific Machinery will be about simple technology products, low cost products but nevertheless reliable products. There is certainly a segment of

the market that this is reaching out to. Through Pacific Machinery we aim to offer a real value option, particularly to very price-conscious customers.

At the same time we want to ensure that we give parts and service support for these machines and vehicles that are above market norms for this type of equipment. We want to exceed expectations around price and performance of these machines.

They won’t be the only low-cost products in the market but we believe they will be the best low-cost products in the market.”

While Pacific Machinery will sit to the side of the existing Famco operation it will share the company’s existing network and service and part capabilities.

Floyd sees this an advantage for the new venture as it tackles other dealers that sit in the space.

“At this end of the market you don’t get that,” he says. “So that’s a differentiator for us.”

Given Famco’s long-standing arrangement with Volvo it is unsurprising that UAE-based distributor is moving into the value end of the market with a Chinese subsidiary and an Indian partner of the Swedish manufacturer.

Gurgaon-based Eicher produces a range of light and medium-sized trucks from 5t-40t, 15-60 seater buses, transmissions as well as Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines for Volvo at its recently installed engine plant. Arun Kumar Birla, EVP-Sales, marketing and

Biggest dealer moves in 2013

Al MAhroos Group ties up putzMeister deAl

The beginning of the year saw Putzmeister, the gigantic German concrete pump manufacturer, announced that it had

tied up a partnership agreed with a Bahraini company to distribute its equipment throughout the tiny Gulf kingdom.

The partnership with

the Al Mahroos Group will see the Bahraini company distribute and provide after sales services for Putzmeister products to the Bahraini

market, while eventually also providing technical support and customer training for equipment such as concrete pumps and mortar machines.

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Dealers

Biggest dealer moves in 2013 al areedh continueS Sany Spending Spree The thirst for mobile cranes in the Saudi market, has seen dealer Al Areedh continue its three digit annual expansion of its fleet of Sany cranes. Today the

company owns over 800 cranes. A major part of its strategy will be the continued expansion of its Sany mobile fleet.

Al Areedh’s general manager Ashrab Taleh

aftermarket was keen to not only extol the virtues of its new distributor but also those of the Indian commercial vehicles marque.

“The Eicher Group is among the leading group of automotive manufacturers in India. We started five decades ago and manufacture trucks and buses. We started a 50/50 JV with Volvo Group in 2008, forming VE Commercial Vehicles,” he says. “Eicher specialises in frugal engineering and products at competitive prices and Volvo is extremely strong in technology.

It’s a complementary fit.

Since signing the JV, production at Eicher has racheted upwards from 24,000 to 50,000 trucks per year. Drawing on its European expertise, Eicher claims it is best in its class in terms of fuel efficiency.

It is also concentrating on growing its left-hand drive range for export markets such as the GCC (on show at the launch were a number of 6t and 8t trucks).

“Going forward you will see a number of relevant products. Factory-built AC trucks are coming (as are) labour buses shortly. These trucks are reliable and built to withstand the rough and tough of India.”

While Eicher is starting to spread its wings globally, SLDG is already firmly establish in a number of markets beyond China. In the Gulf it is already the leading loader brand in Iraq.

The lack of a dominant value offering in the segment in the UAE presents an opportunity for the Volvo subsidiary. Per Anderson, aftermarket director, EMEA Hub East says that like Eicher, buyers can expect reliability and robustness from the machines.

“We have been in Africa and the Middle East for a long time,” said Anderson.

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told CMME in April that the company has been spending big on the Chinese machines to meet demand for rental. In 2011 it bought 132 units in an

order exceeding $100 million. Not only was the size of the order large, so were the machines. “[We bought] 30 100t machines. The biggest ones. All for rent.”

“Chinese products are a game changer in the Middle East and they are likely to be the preferred option for many customers in the fast growing loader segment in the region. It is against that backdrop that SDLG will be a powerful partner throughout the Middle East.”

SDLG wants to be the number one Chinese brand in the UAE and the best in terms of aftermarket operations across the region.

“Pacific Machinery will add real value to customers when choosing the SDLG brand,” argues Anderson.

“Historically there’s been a tendency to just move the product and then stop,” adds Floyd. “We’re not going to do that. There will always be products that are cheaper than us but these will be very competitive.”

With Famco currently expanding across the region Floyd hints that Pacific Machinery could soon be challenging for share beyond the UAE. “We will be rolling out in Saudi but with only the SDLG brand. The Saudi market is the biggest for Chinese brands in the region.”

Managing director Paul Floyd says Famco wants to ensure that it gives “parts and service support for these machines and vehicles that are above market norms for this type of equipment.”

Biggest dealer moves in 2013 Saleh & aBdulaziz aBahSain goeS upwardly moBile The growing cooperation between the Tadano Middle East Representative Office, based in Dubai, and its distributor in KSA, Saleh & Abdulaziz Abahsain Co.

Ltd. Earlier this year the two entities conducted a dedicated ‘machine repair and overhaul mission’ at the Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Company (YANPET) in

Yanbu, which is 340km north of Jeddah on the Red Sea coast. YANPET is a joint venture subsidiary of Saudi Arabian industrial giant Saudi Basic Industries

Corporation (SABIC).

SABIC is a prominent Tadano customer with a fleet of ATF 90G-4, ATF 160G-5, TG-3600M, TR400EX mobile cranes.

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Transport

W Long Road

ahead

With billions being invested into the development of transport infrastructure, leading experts explains where the GCC is headed. Gavin Davids reports

hen it comes to planning out the transport network for a city, it’s not as simple as saying that the system will run from point A to point B, with a dozen stops in between. While most engineers would love for it to be that easy, the reality is that the development of any transport network, be it a road, metro or light rail, is often one of the most complex urban planning tasks undertaken by a city.

The Middle East is undergoing this transformation as we speak, with cities all across the region planning an expansion of their road networks and railway systems. Leading this charge is Dubai, which is in the process of revamping its already massive road network and developing a tramway to complement its Metro system. There are also plans a foot for the RTA to expand the Metro even further.

In fact, the UAE is expected to spend as much as 13% of its total construction spend on transportation projects, Deloitte’s GCC Powers of Construction 2013 report says.

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Within the country, road and bridge projects are currently underway or at the planning phase. They amount to a total of $58 billion. Meanwhile, the $11 billion Etihad Railway is well underway and will link up with the wider GCC railway network, which is itself valued in excess of $100 billion.

In January of this year, Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority said that it would spend $1.68 billion in 2013 on 45 new development schemes, ‘spanning roads, marine transport, public transportation and operational buildings’.

It would also fund the completion of another 55 projects currently underway at the time, Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the RTA said.

“The Dubai Government is continuing with the

“TRANspORT INVEsTMENTs ARE NOT MEANT TO GENERATE INCOME, BUT TO fACIlITATE ECONOMIC GROWTH”

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development of the infrastructure, including road and transport projects, as it recognises that investment in the infrastructure is the core driver of the economy of any city worldwide,” Al Tayer says.

Not only are road networks being expanded and developed, but the region is seeing an increased interest in the development of rail transport. The success of the Dubai Metro has inspired other cities in the region to adopt rail technology as a solution to their mass transit woes.

Neil Walmsley, an associate director at Arup, leads the consultant’s transport sector activities in the Gulf. He points out that it’s very much a chicken and egg scenario for transport infrastructure in the region, where people are investing to accommodate existing growth, while also investing to encourage economic growth.

“To encourage economic growth requires investments in networks connecting cities together, and networks providing for movement of people and goods within cities,” he explains during a telephone interview.

“Transport investments are supporting investments – they facilitate other economic activities. They are not meant to generate income, but to facilitate economic growth. The value of connecting the region for movement of people and goods by rail can be seen in terms of improvements in cost efficiency, environmental impacts, safety and resilience,” Walmsley adds.

Vasile Olievschi, a railway specialist with the National Transport Authority in Abu Dhabi, and formerly the lead railway specialist for the World Bank, agrees with this and explains that the UAE in general has a pretty well developed road and shipping network, but that developing a railway could be the final missing link in creating a transportation network that would serve the entire region.

“What could be the goal of the UAE? It would be to shift part of the freight and passengers, which are transported by road today, onto the railways. If we could reach, I don’t know, 20% to 30% of the total market share, shifted from road to rail, that would be a very good achievement and it would bring huge benefits to the country,” he says.

Transport

CASE CRAWLER EXCAVATORS

THE THINKING

MACHINE ASK ME WHY

Productivity, reliability, comfort, safety, profitability.

Without wasting a drop of fuel.

It’s not simply digging.

It’s fulfilling the highest quality standards. Award winner around the world, a champion in every jobsite.

Including mine, obviously.

Bahrain Qatar KSA Oman Jordan Lebanon Kuwait UAE Egypt Turkey

Abdulla Ahmed Nass & Sons Nasser Bin Khaled & Sons Co Roots Group Arabia International Heavy Equipment L.L.C. The Commercial & Industrial Co (C.I.C) Someco Instant Access Co Al Shirawi Enterprises Unimar Egypt Cukurova Ziraat

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www.casece.com 34

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October 2013

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“BEfoRE you START THInKInG ABouT Any

quALITy of LIvInG, BEfoRE TALKInG ABouT HouSInG oR BEfoRE HEALTHCARE, you nEED To LooK AT TRAnSPoRT AnD InfRASTRuCTuRE”

“What we need now is to develop a comprehensive strategy for putting together all these modes of transport. We don’t talk about ‘competition’ (between the three forms of transport), we talk mainly about cooperation. These three modes of transport (road, shipping and rail) are actually complimentary to each other, because each of them are addressing, in the best way, specific segments of the transport and logistic chain,” he adds.

“So for railway, there are programmes in place, for interconnection with the big ports. Jebel Ali for example. The distribution and the feeding of the port could be done not only by roads, but also by railway.

And in the same approach, at some so called ‘dry ports’, we could create logistic centres in different locations in the country, in order to concentrate transport on roads and railways. Jebel Ali is a big port and so supported by the rail distribution chain, it could penetrate into the regional transport in the GCC area.”

With this in mind, perhaps it’s worth remembering the size of the task facing those responsible for heading up these transportation projects.

Consultants will have to work especially closely with both contractors and clients to ensure that the best possible project is delivered at the first time of asking, since going back and fixing it isn’t really an option.

Peter Dawson is the president of Bechtel Civil Infrastructure. His company was awarded (as part of a consortium consisting of Bechtel, Almabani, Consolidated Contractors Company and Siemens) a

ConstruCtion ProjeCt Value breakdown Per seCtor in the uae: Residential: 2%

Transport: 13%

Healthcare: 1%

$10 billion contract by the High Commission for the Development of ArRiyadh, to design and build two rail lines of the Riyadh Metro network. The team will be responsible for the development of Lines 1 and 2, which will be part of the six line metro system that will form the backbone of the city’s public transport network.

“I think one of the drivers, if you look at Saudi Arabia, is obviously population growth and industrialisation,” Dawson tells Big Project ME. “It’s definitely a big deal for the region. It would be the largest direct contractor package that we have done in Saudi Arabia for a while, probably the largest in our history in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“If you look at it as being $10 billion, you could say that about 20% of that would be systems, the tracks, the traction, the trains and so on. So you’ve got about 80% of it being civil work,” he says, outlining its scale and complexity.

Amjad Bangash, managing director of Bechtel’s global rail business, is intimately involved in the project as well, and he’s perhaps the ideal person to illustrate the scale of the challenge the consortium

ConstruCtion ProjeCt Value breakdown Per seCtor in ksa: Commercial: 1% Social Infrastructure:6%

Energy & Resources: 19%

Healthcare:1% Transport: 20%

Education: 8%

Industrial: 3%

Commercial: 62%

Energy & Resources: 47%

Industrial: 17%

(Source: BMI)

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CASE CRAWLER EXCAVATORS PROFESSIONALS RELY ON CASE

THE THINKING

MACHINE ASK ME WHY

Productivity, reliability, comfort, safety, profitability.

Without wasting a drop of fuel.

It’s not simply digging.

It’s fulfilling the highest quality standards. Award winner around the world, a champion in every jobsite.

Including mine, obviously.

SEE YOUR BUSINESS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE Bahrain Qatar KSA Oman Jordan Lebanon Kuwait UAE Egypt Turkey

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www.casece.com October 2013

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faces when it comes to the Riyadh Metro.

“It’s complicated by several factors. First of all, utilities are never where they’re shown on a drawing.

There’s a history of them being moved or the ‘as built’ being wrong. There’s a history of new utilities or even old utilities that have not been traced. So that’s definitely something that we have to watch out for, in terms of unexpected utilities that will have to be relocated to clear the land. I think the key here is to minimise. We’re looking at how to design our work so that we minimise the amount of utilities that we touch. That’s the key.”

“If you look at the lessons learnt from other big cities, when you start dealing with utilities, the solution isn’t always to move them. You can keep them in place and you can hang them, quite often as well. It’s easier when it comes to fibre optic cables and electrical cables and the like, but it’s harder to do when you’re talking about sewer pipes. So then you have to come up with a different solution. Depending on the type of utility, the solution changes and that’s where the engineering optimisation has to be quite critical,” he asserts to Big Project ME during an interview at Bechtel’s new Centre of Excellence in Dubai.

“Now let’s talk about the type of interfaces. We’ve discussed utilities, but when you look at challenges or interfaces with the local guys that are surrounding you, you can impact them by choking off their access, you don’t have to physically touch them,” Bangash adds, illustrating another challenge that contractors developing transport projects face, citing the example of Salam Street in Abu Dhabi, which caused large amounts of ire during its development.

“If you recall when Salam Street was being excavated, a lot of businesses, even though they weren’t affected by the excavation, they weren’t

happy because access was cut off to their businesses and people couldn’t come and shop. So we’ve got to deal with those.”

“You have the traffic diversions impact, which of course we’ll have to deal with. The other way that you impact a lot of these businesses is typically by ground movement, especially when you’re doing tunnelling work underneath,” he warns.

“If you look at CrossRail in London, we have a huge interface with old buildings and businesses. Because we’re working in clay and it moves during excavation.

That element here is less risky because we’re in limestone and the movement should be negligible.”

“You can have a pocket where materials are different, but from a stand point of physically affecting them through ground movements, we don’t see a significant risk.”

“Now you’re really down to where we have a job and we’re physically affecting another developer. We’ve got a station that’s excavating and right next door there’s a building that’s going up. It’s something that we have, through the negotiation phase, we’ve brought up. It’s something we’ve discussed with the client and they’ve agreed that as a contractor, you can’t really control the award of (a project). So from a

government standpoint, we’ll manage it, but private developers, they’ll have to help us. That’s one of those things we can’t handle on our own.”

With plans for a regional GCC transport network, Vasile Olievschi is quick to point out that if the GCC wants to develop a regional wide transportation network, then it needs to embrace this spirit of cooperation, or the entire enterprise would be doomed before it even began.

“You cannot develop our transport network without having in view the whole GCC area, because we need to have open trade and open transport in the whole region, which means that we have to work with the other member states of the GCC,” he warns.

“It is being done already, under the GCC umbrella, for the harmonisation of technical characteristics of the transport networks and the harmonisation of the border crossing rules, the immigration rules, safety regulations and licensing rules,” he adds.

“So in order to have mutual recognition of all these procedures, we could have a similar market in the whole region. There are technical and economic committees in the GCC working on these aspects, so it’s only a matter of time to put them in place,” he concludes optimistically.

Neil Walmsley oN smart Cities: Smart Cities are more than just technologically advanced cities. They are cities that are both efficient and resilient.

A key element of this is land use planning, and the interface with transport systems.

In transient cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, there is a huge opportunity to transform urban travel behaviour by providing the ever changing population with new ways to travel, and by applying

policy measures to discourage the prevailing dependence on private car trips.

The Dubai Metro has demonstrated that mass transit can be successful in the GCC region. In the city today we know

that many employers see accessibility by metro as a key criteria in choosing officer locations. The knock on effect is that employees choose to live close to the metro too, so that they can adopt a less car dependent lifestyle.

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Site Visit

NortherN lights CMME travels to the UAE emirate of Ras Al Khaimah to look at the development of Saqr Port and the nearby Al Hamra Village development

36

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November 2013

S

aqr Port in the northern Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is the biggest bulk handling port in the Middle Eastern region. Not only is its scale almost daunting – it has 12 berths and an in port draft of up to 12 m, handling vessels up to 260 m in length – but its efficiency and productivity has seen throughput increased by an incredible 100% in the past two years.

Unique in the world – in that it handles an array of commodities such as clinker, silica, sand, coal, cement and crucially aggregates and limestone - Saqr Port boasts a berth occupancy rate of 85% across an operation that runs 24 hours-per-day, seven daysper-week, year-round. Due to its geological profile Qatar is one of the major destinations for vessels leaving the Port as the neighboring State is lacking in usable aggregate quarries.

“With the growth of infrastructure development in Qatar we have witnessed a real upsurge in demand for aggregates from here in the UAE,” said General Manager at the Port, Captain Colin Crookshank.

“Likewise, the limestone in the northern Emirates features an extraordinarily high grade of purity.

This has made it a much sought after commodity, particularly with regards to the manufacturing of steel in India. Indeed, last year I believe some 85% of the limestone used in Indian steel making came through this Port.”

Handling some 50 million tonnes of material in a year is a massive undertaking but it’s one that has been made possible in part thanks to Volvo’s efficient, powerful and operator friendly wheel loaders.

“Historically Saqr Port had Volvo L150 wheel loaders in its fleet – purchased around 1992/1993 and still running today with over 50,000 hours - but in more recent decades bigger machines from other OEMs took hold,” said Capt. Crookshank. “That is until about one year ago when we trialed a Volvo L350F for a month. With excellent support from FAMCO, the Volvo dealer here in the UAE, we soon took a second L350F and then a third in early June this year.”

Equipped with 6.8m3 rock buckets, the L350F wheel loaders are now working 22 hours-per-day, each and every day.

“I am extremely impressed with the performance and the rate of work,” said Capt. Crookshank.

“Essentially, each Volvo L350F replaces two ‘other’ machines so are kinder to the environment while making the site even safer thanks in part to less vehicle movements and also to the enhanced safety features that are standard on Volvo machines.

Furthermore our operators think the machines are fantastic and that too aids productivity.”

“Another key element that we’ve noticed with the Volvo wheel loaders is that there’s less degradation of the material than we’ve experienced with other wheel loaders. This is critical for a business such as ours where we should strive every day to reduce and ideally eradicate any damage to the materials we’re handling.”

While Saqr Port has a very good in-house maintenance department Capt. Crookshank says that FAMCO has proved itself to be an excellent partner to the Port, providing operator and technical training as well as all the reassurances that come with the Volvo Customer Support Agreements (CSA) and extended warranties that are in place.

He said: “With the Volvo CareTrack system monitoring the machines and the CSAs in place to take the strain we are absolutely confident that we will be able to turn to FAMCO should anything go wrong with the loaders. That said; so far all three L350Fs have run like clockwork and we’ve had no problems whatsoever, despite them always being in use, either loading cargo or clearing berths.”

Capt. Crookshank is proud of the Port’s ISO accreditation in respect of quality management.

“Our success to date and in the future is based on a high standard of operations without affecting the rate of return. I know the Volvo DNA has safety at its core, and we have already seen this with the L350F wheel loaders and the stance taken by staff from FAMCO. I certainly believe in the coming period you’ll see more Volvo machines at Saqr Port.”

Perhaps the final word should fall to one of the operators that spend 12 hours-per-day at the controls. Shovel operator at the Port, Sukhcharan Sing says of the Volvo L350F: “This machine is very good and powerful. It is comfortable, there’s great all-round visibility and the controls are easy

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Site Visit

to use. compared to other makes of machine this is definitely the most powerful and easy to use for pilling. it’s the machine i want to use when i come to work.”

Village life the tiny emirate of ras al khaimah isn’t really known as a hot bed of construction, as focus in the emirate has traditionally veered towards industry and manufacturing. while the likes of abu dhabi and dubai hog the limelight and attention of the world, this sleepy northern emirate has gone about its business with a minimum of fuss and fanfare. however, the emirate’s ruler and government have put in motion ambitious plans to redevelop and regenerate ras al khaimah by launching numerous real estate projects that are destined to put this most unassuming of emirates firmly on the map. central to this plan is the al hamra village project, a massive mixed-use development that stretches out over more than 120,000m2 along the ras al khaimah beachfront. with a built up area of 95,000m2, the project is intended to be a statement of intent for the emirate as it looks to become a choice destination. “al hamra village is the first freehold residential development in ras al khaimah,” says binoy kurien, general manager of al hamra real estate development, the developer behind the project. “we saw the potential in this place. initially we had only the al hamra fort hotel in this area and it was doing pretty well. however, we saw the potential of developing this whole area into something, and that’s how we started envisioning al hamra village,” he explains. this vision has grown to encompass not just the village, but an adjacent 41,000m2 shopping mall, an eighteen-hole golf course, a 200-berth marina and al marjan island, which is built on reclaimed land off the coast of ras al khaimah. four hotels are in the process of being built or refurbished on the grounds of the development; the waldorf astoria ras al khaimah, the al hamra fort hotel and beach resort, the banyan tree ras al khaimah beach resort, the al hamra village golf and beach resort,

“so far all three

l350fs have run like clockwork we’ve had no problems despite them always being in use.”

the al hamra palace beach resort and the rixos bab al bahr hotel. kurien points out that the project has seen significant investment from both the company and the ras al khaimah government. with more than $490mn sunk in to the village alone, there is a lot riding on its success, a situation not helped by the initial obstacles the developer faced. “one of the biggest challenges we had in this area was a lack of infrastructure, basically power, water and those kinds of things. to overcome some of these issues, the rak government invested in a power plant, which is run by the rak investment authority. that was commissioned to serve the area,

including the residential parts and the industrial parts (of the area). all of these were part of the big picture and the rak government decided to invest in infrastructure,” kurien says. “also, approvals were given to private players to open and set up water plants and utility companies. so we have more than one service provider giving us power, water and other utilities. that was one of the major challenges, and the government took measures to mitigate those risks and put infrastructure in place,” he adds. “we still do not have fewa power in the free hold properties. part of the village, yes, has got federal power, but the rest is from the local government, so that was one of the major challenges.” “apart from that, we thankfully have our own inhouse construction company, so we didn’t face many challenges on the construction side, because we were managing it ourselves. so whatever challenges, we handled it internally ourselves,” kurien says. this in-house company proved to be a major advantage during the completion of the project, he explains. despite being affected by the financial crisis, the developer remained committed to complete the projects they had announced, and as a result, having an in-house contractor helped keep costs down, while allowing kurien and his team to control the pace of development. “of course construction slowed down, but it didn’t stop. we’d already started construction and we had commitments with owners and with people who’d already bought properties. so whatever we had announced before the crisis, we had to complete,” he adds, pointing out that the last of those announced projects was the royal breeze buildings, which were completed in october of 2012. al hamra was faced with the task of refurbishing a number of hotels on site, including the al hamra fort hotel, a $30 million project which will see everything from mep systems to furnishing revamped and redone. this is part of a wider plan that will see the development grow to become a selfcontained mini-city. “we’ve engaged a master planner to plan out al marjan island. it’s a huge place and we’re looking at various options as to what we need to do on that island, feasibility studies are being done. we’ll announce the projects and go forwards,” he insists, adding that he was looking at 2015 for a potential completion date.

November 2012

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39

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Excavators suitable for quarrying applications.

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DIGGING AROUND

Raw Power crawls and wheels in its excavator special.

page 62 JUST LIKE NEW

CMME and Resale Weekly formally launch their online buying service for ME buyers.

page 56 OUT FOR A SPIN

Stian Overdahl takes a ride in the new Volvo FMX ahead of its launch next year.

Save shoe leather with Construction Machinery ME’s guide for readers venturing to The Big-5 and PMV Live.

page 52 TOOLING UP

Special look at Taiwan’s machine tool makers.

New Products

VolVo’s 35t heaVy hitter Why gET IT: ReinfoRced boom and aRm new electRo-hydRaulic system

SPECIFICATIONS: • Operating weight: 34.3-38.7 tonnes • Max digging depth: 7.48m • Max digging reach: 11.11m • Max breakout force (normal / power boost): 236/ 257kN • Max lift capacity: 13,560kg

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V

olvo CE has launched its all new heavyduty excavator in a new 35-tonne weight class, the EC350D, designed to upgrade operator’s maximum production and efficiency. Designed for heavy duty applications, the EC350D has a number of strengthening elements. The boom and arm, idler frames and travel motor brackets are reinforced with thick metal plates to distribute mechanical stress evenly. Additional side wear plates protect the arm-end bearing and, if necessary, can be easily replaced.Equipped with a new Volvo D8 six-cylinder engine, the high-performing unit is equipped with in-line vertical, electroniccontrolled, high-pressure fuel injectors. D8 has cooled external exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), a turbo charger with waste gate, and an air-to-air intercooler. Customers can select as an option a water separator protects the engine and increases resistance against impurities in fuel. The D8 has fuel consumption is as much as 10% lower than previous generations.

Other fuel-saving features include Eco Mode, conserving power with electronic pump control technology, able to reduce the amount of flow lost through overload relief valves while

maintaining digging power and maximizing swing torque. There are four different work modes in total - fine, general, heavy and power, and when the operator selects a work mode the rpm’s are set for maximum efficiency.

The machine has been designed with a new electro-hydraulic system and main control valve, which allows flow to be customized and reduces losses in the hydraulic circuit for better control and cycle times. The boom float uses gravity to allow the boom to float above the ground, freeing up hydraulic flow to be used elsewhere. This improves cycle times and provides greater control for grading operations. The in-cab monitor displays the service intervals, to keep operators informed about oil levels, filters and water separator levels. Large compartment doors that open wide provide good access to service points, making servicing the machine quicker and easier.

Machine operaters benefit from a pressurized cab, with 14 air vents for climate control.

The operator is protected by a ROPS-certified structure, and perforated anti-slip plates further promote operator safety. Control is enhanced with a new color LCD monitor and ergonomic switch layout, and a rearview camera.

Liebherr’s upscaLed r922 Why get it: EnhancEd hydraulics PrEcision handling for difficult tasks Liebherr has launched its new 22 tonne crawler excavator the R 922, which replaces the previous R 906 model. Powered by a Liebherr engine, the the R 922 is primarily designed for earthmoving and drainage work, as well as pipe and cable work.

Liebherr has signficantly upgraded the hydraulic systems on its new generation excavators, and the R 922 makes use of the Dual Circuit Positive Control hydraulic system, in order to make the necessary flow volume available quickly and without one area of machine performance significantly affecting another. This makes the well equipped for high performance in delicate or difficult tasks. The different power modes include economy, power, full power, and sensitivity mode, the last for accurate load-lifting applications According to Liebherr, the new system results in an improved driver experience, benefitting from the natural, harmonious movement cycles made possible by the load-dependent volume distribution principle. The machine is built with a highly durable undercarriage, with its cruciform

doosan’s big gun Why to get it: hEavy machinE for dEmanding jobs long-rEach oPtion availablE specifications: • operating weight: 51,100 – 52,900 kg • engine: Doosan DE12TIS • power: 238 kW @ 2000 rpm • bucket capacity: 0.93 to 3.6 m3

design increasing stability and disperses stresses more effectivel.

Large openings between the track carriers and the centre piece of the undercarriage make it easier to maintain. The machine has a tractive force of 190 kN making the excavator highly manoeuvrable.

Other maintenance features include grouping of maintenance points to allow for easier access and to shorten maintenance operation times. The maintenance of most key elements, such as the air filter, the fuel filters, the engine oil filter and the radiators, can be carried out from the ground, thanks to gull-wing hood openings.

The machine’s versatility is improved by the range of available Liebherr attachments, and its bucket utilises Liebherr’s patented tooth system, comprising a tooth holder, a tooth, a securing bolt, locking mechanism and protective plug, allowing teeth to be replaced quickly and easily, whether due to wear or if changing for a different application.

Operators of the R 922 will benefit from a slick and spacious design, with low noise levels and fully automatic air conditioning as standard.

Ergonomic controls and a colour touch-screen panel make the job easier. Safety-wise, the reinforced cab complies with ROPS regulations and a rear-view camera is integrated into the ballast weight as standard equipment; its highresolution image is displayed on the touch screen.

Doosan’s new DX520LCA was launched earlier this year, and is the largest crawler excavator in its new LCA range, which replaced the previous SOLAR range. The 51 tonne DX520LCA and the 48 tonne DX480LCA are at the large end of the excavator spectrum, and likely to find use in the GCC in the quarrying industries, demolition, infrastructure, and any highly demanding applications including mass excavation.

Key features of the DX520LCA are its lifting capabilities and its stability, which is improved thorugh extra conterweight, and a shorter front end which improves breakout forces. The standard version of the DX520LCA excavator offers a bucket capacity from 0.93 to 3.6 m3, a maximum digging depth of 6770 mm, a maximum reach of 10750 mm and a maximum digging height of 9600 mm.

The DX520LCA is available in an optional longreach configuration, ideal for demolition jobs or other applications including dredging/maritime, and elevated leveling. In the long reach specification it has a boom reach of almost 20 metres.

The new generation LCA machines share a common design suited to the specific needs of the Middle East and African markets, which combines

specifications: • operating weight: 21,350 – 23,600 kg.

• breakout force: 123 kN • digging force: 149 kN • bucket capacity: 0.55 – 1.45 m3

high robustness with a number of important new functionalities and technical improvements.

Doosan is known for its machines that minimise electronics, and are designed to be simple to service, as well as able to continue to operate in the case of minor faults. The hydraulic system has received an overhaul, with the incorporation of new generation components, and an optimal separation of the hydraulic flow output needed for travel and the front work group, which results in a significant acceleration of movements with better smoothness and proportional flow.

There are three different work modes, and in combination with these work modes, the new EPOS controller ensures a perfect interface and adjustment between the engine and hydraulic output that optimises productivity and also significantly reduces fuel consumption. The DX520LCA is powered by a Doosan DE12TIS 6-cylinder engine, with an air to air intercooler and 11 litres displacement, using a mechanical injection system. The engine is Tier II and produces 238 kW at 2000 rpm. In addition to the standard filters, the machine is equipped with a new generation turbo centrifugal air pre-cleaning system eliminating 99% of particle emissions.

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New Products

HITACHI’S nEw HEAvyduTy wOrKHOrSE wHy GET IT? Durability for DemanDing applications 550kg heavier counterweight Hitachi Construction Machinery Middle East has launched a completely new range of 5G excavators, which includes the ZX350H-5G, its reinforced, heavy duty variant of the standard ZX330-5G. Major improvements for the ZX350H include thickened steel plates for the boom and arm, reinforced links and reinforcement on the lower flange. Equipped with a 1.38m3 rock bucket (itself with thickened steel plates, additional lateral-type wear plates, and additional reinforcement plates at cutting edges), allows the ZX350H to work long hours in rough conditions preventing damage and additional wear.

SPECIFICATIOnS (ZX350H-5G): • Operating weight: 33,500kg • Engine: Isuzu AH-6HK1X • rated power: 184kW (246 HP) • Backhoe bucket: ISO heaped 1.15 – 1.62 m3

CATErPILLAr’S nEw 988K EnTErS PrOduCTIOn

LIuGOnG unvEILS ITS LArGEST EXCAvATOr

wHy GET IT: optimiseD Z-bar loaDer linkages for higher Dump clearance improveD fuel economy

wHy GET IT: suiteD for large scale jobs tough cummins engine

Caterpillar’s new 988K wheel loader is now in mass production, after first being shown at the Bauma show in Munich this April.

The K series is the 7th generation for the popular 988 quarryapplication machine, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of the 988. The 988K has received a major overhaul, including introduction of the optimised Z-bar loader linkages for the 50,530kg payloader. The new arm design, using solid steel lift arms in either a standard or high-lift configuration, reduces machine height at maximum lift yet increases dump clearance.

The design also shortens machine length for greater maneuverability (the Z-bar has been implemented in many other –K series loaders).

The loader is powered by a Cat C18 ACERT engine (Tier II), and fuel saving measures include a new electronic fuel control which

46

For heavy lifting applications the machine includes an additional 550kg of counterweight in the superstructure, which itself has a 6mm reinforced undercover and a lower cab front guard.

The undercarriage too comes in for extra strengthening, with a full track guard, 600 mm reinforced triple grouser shoes and reinforced idler bracket.

The ZX350H-5G, along with the ZX330 and other variants (including the demolition-focused 350K), has a number of internal improvements over the previous Hitachi CM excavator line, including advanced management of hydraulic flow through its HIOS III hydraulic system, to the benefit of cycle time and performance.

The excavator can be operated in either ECO mode, a new economical mode which can further cut fuel consumption by 9%, or Auto Power Lift mode, as well as a Power mode that allows the operator to surge 10% more digging force for powerful excavation by pressing a button on the control lever.

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ensures optimum performance and throttle response, delivering up to 20 percent greater fuel efficiency compared with the previous 988H. There’s also the 988K ECO Mode (on-demand throttle), engine-idle shutdown system, and engine-idle kickdown/auto-resume system.

Other features are a Cat impeller clutch torque converter using a lock-up clutch, and which provides a direct drive to boost fuel economy, trim cycle times, and reduce heat, especially in load-and-carry applications. The system allows operators to balance rimpull and hydraulic power for optimum loading efficiency, and the Automatic Retarding Control (ARC) system utilises the optional compression brake to maintain desired downhill speeds and reduce service brake wear. The hydraulics system uses a variable

displacement, electronically controlled pump to precisely apportion oil flow based on control lever movement.

And improvements for operators include reduced cabin noise (from 74.2 dB(A) in the 988H to 71.1 dB(A)), an automatic cabin temperature control system, as well as safety features such as a rearview camera system that provides crisp images via the in-cab monitor.

Externally,a remote panel houses a stairway light switch, engine shutdown switch, and lockouts for the transmission and engine starter.

SPECIFICATIOnS: • Operating weight: 50,530 kg • Bucket capacity: 6.4-7.7m3 • Engine: Cat C18 ACERT (Tier II) • rated payload: 11.3 tonnes • Bucket capacity: 4.3m3

LiuGong has unveiled a 70-tonne excavator, the largest in its range, at the BICES show in Beijing, just one of 17 machines on show as the company celebrated its 55th year of operations.

The 970E, suited to large scale quarrying and mining operations, has been built with the latest component technologies and many advanced processes, said the manufacturer. with an operating weight of 70,000kg, its Cummins QSX15 engine has gross power of 354kw, and a Tier II emission standard.

Kawasaki hydraulic components add to strong digging and break-out forces, with a max digging depth of 7250 mm and a max dump height of 6960 mm. In line with its product development

process, LiuGong used finite element analysis technology and dynamic simulations to carry out fatigue analysis to all major structural parts of 970E including operating device, slewing platform, moving frame and bucket.

The 4.3m3 bucket capacity is ideally suited for large excavations, and LiuGong says that the 970E is part of its product line that demonstrates its technical capability in designing and manufacturing largetonnage machines.

Other examples include large-tonnage products like the 888 and 899 wheel loaders, the dressta Td40E bulldozer and large mining dump trucks, with LiuGong now able to provide a solution to mining, quarrying and construction customers.

EXHIBITION. CONFERENCE. TRAINING.

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Ten Tips

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Ten Tips

senior O OftEn to catch G , Y L you want R if A the week k e E in e r w GO in the ime late t le t ib u s o s o k p c as blo

ly to go as ear prepared irst visit.= o plan to ry day, be or your f e f v d e n o u g o be sure t r ’t an t be a s. if you c at may no executive ntacts th o c h it w up to catch

mAkE An AppOintmEnt set appointments with any vendor you’d like to meet with during the show. plan to bring any employees who would greatly benefit from attending the trade show.

whAt’s in stOck? know your inventory needs before the show. more efficient purchasing will save you money by grouping your orders to take advantage of discounts and special offers, as well as keeping you within budget.

timE tO dO pRE-shOw pLAnninG Avoid the confusion by preregistering. have a goal of what you want to accomplish, such as who want to visit, and what you need?

Top 10 Make the most of The Big-5 Maximise and don’t waste your time at this month’s Big-5, PMV Live, and MEC 2013 with our guide.

BE cOmfORtABLE pack comfortable shoes, wear business casual clothing, and remember you are a representative for your business. Allow enough room in your case(s) for bringing back more than you take. this includes literature, freebies, and product samples.

dOn’t GEt LOst in thE cROwd An updated show guide will probably be provided when you arrive. take some time to revise your plan if necessary.

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Ten Tips

you can’t take it all witH you if possible, request literature and samples be mailed instead of having to carry them with you. Have a pen and notebook ready for notes and use business cards to jot down information on the back.

Stay in plain Site Make sure your badge is in plain sight while browsing trade show booths.

Make tHe MoSt of y If you pla nned you our tiMe r vIsIt to confIden the exhIb t In kn It

owIng th Ion, you w was wort e tIme you Ill be hwhIle. d h av e spent at o n ’t wear o aImlessly the show ut shoe le around t ather wa he show! lkIng

take wHat you need if you are looking for equipment for a specific role, pack relevant designs, plans and relevant spec files on a flash drive. Most vendors are equipped with laptops and can quickly send the data

tHe Sore feet SHould Be wortH it identify if your objectives were met and if attending the trade show has had a positive long-term effect for you and your business. if you had not attended the show, what would have been the cost and time to achieve the same amount of business?

How to network Bring plenty of your own business cards and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to others.

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Market Review

Tooling up

Taiwan is a major producer of machine tools, used in factories around the world in the manufacturing of construction machinery and vehicles. CMME international editor Stian Overdahl visited the island nation to learn how technology advances are improving methods for manufacturing componentry, contributing to improved quality standards for construction machinery 52

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T

hough a small island to the east of the chinese mainland, taiwan has always punched above its weight as a manufacturing base, despite its relatively small population of 23 million.

In the 1970s and 80s, before the rise of the giant chinese manufacturing industry, taiwan was a major producer of simple consumer goods, and many will remember the stamp ‘made in taiwan’ on cheap consumer items. but, with the rise of china, the factories producing volume goods moved across the taiwan straight, onto the mainland (foxconn, taiwan’s largest consumer technology manufacturer, which assembles Apple products amongst others, has most of its assembly plants in china), and taiwan has had to focus on more high tech manufacturing, becoming now the fourth largest manufacturer of machine tools in the world, behind germany, the UsA and china. taiwanese producers of machine tools are seeing some increase in orders from companies in the gcc, with manufacturing hubs in dubai, sharjah and in saudi Arabia. typical products manufactured in the gulf can include formed steel used in construction, such as frames for drywall, and other products used in infrastructure, such as the steel barriers used on highway edges, and lampposts. there are also industries such as stone cutting machinery and producers of paving stones which require large, often custom-built machinery. In addition, there are a number of automotive assembly plants in the region, who source some components locally, and as a sector its volume is set to increase, especially in saudi Arabia. while smaller size manufacturing companies will purchase small numbers of machine tools, once their volume increases it becomes more important to establish efficient manufacturing processes, in which high tech and precision tools play an important part. export figures from the taiwan Association of machinery Industry (tAmI) show that in 2012 the UAe was the 23rd largest buyer of machine tools from taiwan, and saudi Arabia the 24th, and the gcc is considered a future growth region, and of strategic importance, especially as the manufacturing industries grow. nevertheless, in terms of volumes, the gcc has only a fraction of the five largest buyers of taiwan machine tools, respectively china, the UsA, Japan, thailand and Indonesia. Another major regional buyer is turkey, with a relatively advance manufacturing base. for construction, this includes asphalt and concrete batching plants, generator sets, automotive brands including trucks, as well as major manufacturers that have plants there.

“In 2012 the UAe wAs the 23rd lArgest

bUyer of mAchIne tools from tAIwAn, And sAUdI ArAbIA the 24th, And the gcc Is consIdered A fUtUre growth regIon, And of strAtegIc ImportAnce, especIAlly As the mAnUfActUrIng IndUstrIes grow.”

Component suppliers Vertical integration is a key concept of classical economics – and for a manufacturing business it can take the form of broadening acquisition of its supply chain and also owning distribution outlets. Vertical integration exists in varying degrees in the construction machinery sector – compare

an OEM who builds its own engines and transmissions, with one who buys these from another manufacturer – and some of the major companies like Caterpillar, Volvo and CNH have highly vertically integrated supply chains, as well as cases of owning distribution, or having interests.

But in a manufacturing business, volume is king, and so it can make sense for manufacturers to outsource production of specific componentry, whether formed metal or the plastic in the cabin, to a first or second tier component supplier who manufactures components for a number of different industries.

In this scenario, price per unit drops as huge (and often nameless) manufacturers supply millions of components to the different OEMs, according to each company’s individual specification and design, while the manufacturing company does not have to invest as heavily in production facilities.

machine tools have a variety of segments, and taiwan produces a broad range of machines, with machining centres being the largest segment, followed by lathes, grinding, presses and shearing, and as well as precision tools such as linear actuators, and the switches and sensors used industries as construction (including batching plants) and petrochemicals. taiwanese companies are aided by government tax relief for expenditure on research and development, and in some segments of the machine tool industry r&d expenditure can be as high as 20%, a opposed to the normal 3-5% of r&d spend. finetek is a producer of level instruments – which are used to measure all sorts of variables, including temperature, water levels and pressure – and is one of only a handful of manufacturers worldwide with such a broad range. examples of applications include sensors inside concrete batching plants, temperature gauges inside nespresso-style coffee machines, sensors for measuring water content of ballast tanks inside ships, and numerous applications in the petrochemicals industry, including monitoring water presence in oil tanks. level instruments are often delivered as a custom solution for individual clients, and building a sensor to a required specification is a project that can at times take more than a year, especially if it is a demanding application, such as in the oil and gas

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Market Review

sector where the instrumentation often must be explosive proof.

Chin Fong is the largest producer of presses in Taiwan, and its products include tandem press lines, which involves using numerous presses in a line to produce a high volume of formed metal parts, including the panels used in the automotive industry. The company first provided a tandem press to a Toyota plant in Taiwan in 1986, and the association with the Japanese automotive producer has continued (the tandem press line itself is still running), while it has also provided presses to companies that include Mazda and a ThyssenKrupp subsidiary in China. In China it has a factory with a production area of 32,000m2, a plant in the United States, plus five plants in Taiwan.

A slightly smaller player in the press industry in Taiwan is SEYI, which grew from building simple presses in the 1960s, to a full range of presses today, from 25 to 2,400 tonnes. It has worked with a number of major corporations including Hitachi Zosen Fukui Corp. for a Chinese production plant, and Nevertheless, due to competition from the Chinese market, which is able to build the smaller and cheaper presses at a competitive price, but not the larger presses which are more complex, SEYI has begun a process of positioning itself in the market as a provider of larger size presses, the higher margin, lower volume product.

One recent development in the field of presses is the utilization of a servo motor, which is a high torque, low rpm solution to driving the press, and has yielded new advancements in the methods for forming metals. A servo motor confers a number of benefits to a press machine, including delivering the maximum torque only when the press is actually stamping, saving on energy, as well as a vastly reduced noise signature. The servo drives are also able to be programmed with more precise and more complex stamping patterns, delivering multiple taps or presses within the pattern of a single stroke.

Looking to the machinery industry, while the forklift business segment is arguably the most

Benefiting from Japan and China Taiwan has had a complex history in the 20th century, including existing as a Japanese colony from 1895 until 1945, before it was occupied by the Chinese nationalists the Kuomintang, who fled there in 1949 after their defeat by the communist forces.

They established the

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Republic of China (ROC), which was recognized by most countries as the legitimate China, until 1971 when the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was recognized. In the 1970s and 80s, with the rise of its industry, many Taiwanese companies formed associations with Japanese companies,

including producing components for them and absorbing their engineering know-how.

As the tool industry has grown, major buyers are located where there is heavy manufacturing, including China and the United States, as well as Thailand. Relations between China and Japan

have always been strained, and Taiwan has been in a position to leverage of this situation. “The quickest route between Beijing and Tokyo is through Taipei”, goes a popular saying that captures Taiwan’s role wedged between the two economic giants, and leveraging off their distrust of one another.

competitive segment in the industry, Taiwan material handling equipment manufacturer Tailift is inside the top 20 companies globally in terms of forklift volume. This is in no small part due to its large presence in the Chinese market, where it has invested heavily in a sales network, support resources, as well as a large manufacturing plant.

Its range extends from electric counterbalance trucks, Gasoline and LPG powered, diesel, as well as pallet trucks and towing tractors. On the counterbalance trucks, capacities range from 1 tonne to 3 tonnes on electric, up to 5 tonne for the gasoline/LPG line, and up to 16 tonnes on its premium diesel-powered products.

The company also produces a range of machining centres, as well as CNC turret punch presses, used for complex perforation patterns in plated steel, its application sounding like bullets. When CMME visited their headquarters, now mainly an R&D centre, engineers were experimenting with the use of a robotic arm to use on a side-press machine, replacing the humans who place the metal for stamping. While Taiwan and China’s manufacturing industries involve large amounts of manual labour compared with practices in Europe, North America and Japan, the trend is towards increasing automatisation of processes, including replacing humans that interface with machine tools, with robots.

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43 55 43

Off-Road Test

Ready for work CMME had a hands-on test with the new FMX trucks for construction applications in a working hard rock quarry in Gothenburg, Sweden. The FMX range features boosted durability meshed with impressive high-tech solutions for improved driveability, writes Stian Overdahl. Photos by Lars Ardarve 56

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FMX Facts:

450,000km: New oil-change interval for the i-shift transmission 32 tonnes: Designed capacity for the cast iron towing eye, positioned above the bumper

speciFication list:

engines: Available with choice of 11 and 13l engines. The D11 has power outputs from 330hp to 430hp, while the D13 spans the range from 400hp to 520hp (Euro 3) Brakes: Disc brake and engine brake Tridem configuration: FMX is available with a hydraulically steered tag axle in some configurations, which can be raised for increased traction or to reduce wear when unloaded Max GVW: 66t on 10x4 transmission: Volvo Trucks’ I-Shift automated transmission with Economy and P+ power mode, as well as available with standard manual transmission

V

olvo Trucks is in the process of a major regeneration of its vehicles, from the FH launched last year (and recent recipient of the Truck of the Year Award for 2014), to the new FMX, FM and FL and FE models – all launched in a single week in September for the European markets, with the Middle East launches coming in January.

Designed for the heavy work in the construction and quarrying sectors, the FMX is the rugged workhorse of the Volvo range, whether to be used as a tipper in a quarry, hauling aggregate to a construction site, or for applications such as concrete transit mixer and other custom options.

In Europe, the model launches have been in response to the new Euro 6 engine cleaner air emission requirements, but since this doesn’t affect the Middle East, the big news for the new FMX isn’t the engine. Rather, Volvo’s engineers have given the truck a solid overhaul, focusing both on brute strength – it features a strengthened cab made from high tensile steel, and includes a cast iron towing eye above the bumper capable of handling 32t – and high tech solutions to improve the driver’s experience.

Much of the interest around the new FMX’s launch concerns the truck’s new smart features, including the new Volvo Dynamic Steering, the air suspension on the rear axles, and of course the growing acceptance of the advantages of I-Shift, the automated transmission built by Volvo, and carefully mated with the D11 and D13 engines.

There’s also a few cosmetic improvements, such as the prominent placement of the Volvo ironmark logo above the bumper grille, while the newly designed bumper is made of tough material offering better crack resistance during low speed impacts, as well as parts that are very easy to remove and replace – the idea being a truck that still looks as good at the end of the day as the beginning.

Configuration-wise, the FMX is available in the usual axle ranges, including the 4x2 to 4x4, 6x2 to 6x6, and from 8x2 up to 8x6, plus the 10x4 with a whopping 66 tonnes GVW. The range also sees the introduction of the new

Tridem option, which offers a hydraulically steered rear tag axle, which can also be raised off the ground when the vehicle is not under load to save on wear, as well as when increased drive axle traction is needed for difficult operating conditions.

Volvo is not a company that does things by halves, and for journalists to get a hands on feel for the new vehicles they opened up two test tracks in a working quarry in Gothenburg, near the Volvo headquarters.

“VoLVo’S EnGInEERS HAVE GIVEn THE TRuCk

A SoLID oVERHAuL, FoCuSInG boTH on bRuTE STREnGTH AnD HIGH TECH SoLuTIon.”

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Off-Road Test

The first track was ranged around the outside of the quarry, designed for experiencing typical rough-road conditions with speeds between 3060km/h. The second track was the extreme driving track – which featured a mix of extreme conditions you might find on poorly maintained haul roads, from negotiating tight turns between high piles of crushed stone, steep hills, extremely broken terrain, and even huge holes filled with water. all the trucks were fully loaded.

The new volvo Dynamic steering is easily the stand out feature on the fMX. Think of it as power steering for ordinary power steering – a highly sophisticated addition to the steering mechanism that adds a layer of intelligence to the control of the vehicle. volvo has produced a number of great movies around the launch of its new vehicles, and one of these shows a hamster wheel fixed to the steering wheel of a fMX in a quarry in spain.

The hamster is placed into the wheel, and the ‘driver’ uses a carrot to attract the hamster back and forth, to the left and right – and it is the traction created by the small animal’s movement that steers the truck, along a very hazardous road with a 40m drop to a lake on one side. it neatly illustrates the advantage for the driver – far less effort is required to steer the vehicle, while it also mutes the sharp jolts to the wheel that are normally experienced when driving in rough conditions.

The volvo Dynamic steering works with an electric motor attached to the hydraulic steering gear. but it’s not simply a case of motorising the driver’s instructions, as the electric motor is regulated 2000 times per second by its electronic control unit (ecu), which receives information both from the driver and the on-board sensors, allowing it to detect and balance out directional deviations. The test conditions were a good opportunity to carry out

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a direct comparison between with the new steering system and the fMX specc’ed with conventional steering. The Dynamic steering evidently makes steering a lot easier, with far less elbow grease required. This is most noticeable when driving on a severely uneven surface, of the type designed to test suspension longevity. while the conventional power steering provides a good work-out for the arms and requires constant steering adjustment, the Dynamic steering virtually controls the vehicle’s progress, and drivers can literally steer over the most unbalancing surface with only a finger (and no hands at all if travelling straight – the system will simply keep the vehicle on track). The other big improvement is that there’s far less ‘kick’ through the steering wheel when passing over broken terrain, and there’s no requirement to spend significant energy simply to keep the wheel in the correct position when moving straight ahead over uneven ground, as is normally the case. on the open road the Dynamic steering reduces any jarring of the wheel from potholes or irregularities, though it’s worth pointing out that the road is not entirely muted – there’s still good sensation of the surface (Dynamic steering is also available on the fM, and will be available on the fh from next year). another driver-friendly feature of the system is that the steering wheel automatically returns to centre position, whether traveling forward or in reverse. as far as a technology goes, the Dynamic steering won’t save directly on fuel costs, but it makes for a far more relaxed and comfortable driving experience, leaving the driver with more mental space to focus on safety while driving, as well as keeping them refreshed and alert to the end of the shift – no doubt a boon to work site efficiency.

The Dynamic Steering evidently makes steering a lot easier, with far less elbow grease required. This is most noticeable when driving on a severely uneven surface, of the type designed to test suspension longevity.

“There’s far less ‘kick’ Through The

sTeering wheel over broken Terrain.”

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Off-Road Test

According to Volvo, the system addresses the most frequent occupational injuries suffered by commercial vehicle drivers. Further driver comfort is offered through the redesigned cab, with an increased angle on the instrument panel for easier access to the controls, and the ignition key moved to the dashboard to free up legroom. The cab is set low relative to the chassis, offering easier entry and egress, and improves driver visibility around the truck.

The new FMX also introduced rear axle air suspension as an option, improving comfort and performance both when loaded and unloaded, but crucially has an automatic ride-height control, with 300mm of ground clearance. And the approach angle has also been improved for the models with a driven front axle, which has been moved 100mm further forward to the same position as a non-driven front axle, while the parallel rod has also been moved up to a more protected location, resulting in a shorter front overhang for the 4x4, 6x6 and 8x6 configurations.

Volvo Trucks is keen that customers consider the advantages of its automated transmission, the I-Shift. While on long-haul road applications there are the obvious improvements in fuel efficiency, in the construction sector there are the added safety advantages of automated gearboxes, since drivers have more attention on their environment outside of the vehicle. It’s a message that’s gotten through to buyers in Europe, where in 2013, approximately 80% of FMX sold have been fitted with the I-Shift. On the new FMX it is now also available on the 4x4, 6x6 all-wheel drive vehicles, while its oil-change interval

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has been extended to 450,000km. Performancewise, the I-Shift does its job, with smooth gear changes, so as to be almost unnoticeable by the driver, and excellent low-speed performance. Still, when hauling heavy loads up steep hills there are advantages of shifting into the manual mode and selecting a specific gear for the slope – the I-Shift can downshift if the revs drop too low or if there is a plateau on the hill and the revs climb, leading to a loss of power on the incline.

It’s worthwhile to point out that stalling the FMX on a hill isn’t the end of the world, even when fully loaded – the FMX features hill start assist, with several seconds of automatic braking until the accelerator is depressed, plus automatic braking if the truck starts to roll backwards. The I-Shift features two drive modes for the FMX, the standard Economy mode and the P+ mode, which is designed for extra power when driving with a heavy load in difficult terrain. The P+ mode works simply by reducing the number of gear changes, and only changing gears when in higher engine rev ranges, basically ensuring that engine revs are kept as high as possible, and without frequent gearshifts, ideal for when heavily loaded and on difficult terrain.

There’s no use of a hydraulic engine retarder on the Volvo Trucks, such is their confidence in the braking power of the disc brakes plus the engine brakes, and the engine brake can be controlled with a lever as to whether hard or soft braking is required. With the power of the engine brake, a hydraulic retarder can be considered an unnecessary additional cost.

Further driver comfort is offered through the redesigned cab, with an increased angle on the instrument panel for easier access to the controls, and the ignition key moved to the dashboard to free up legroom.

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The Last Word

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