Construction Machinery ME May 2022

ISSUE 124 MAY 2022

PLUS

RS MARKET MLOPVLEA YERS:

RENTA ES AND G N E L L A CH NITIES U T R O P P O

L A T REN S E O G L A T I DIG

MYCRANE

IEW V E R P E V I EXCLUS IGITAL FUTURE OF THE D

CONTENTS MAY 2022

6_NEWS The latest news from across the region and further afield.

14_THE RISE OF CLOUD With Saudi Arabia’s cloud market set to surge, market-leader Infor continues to drive digital transformation in the Kingdom’s heavy machinery sector.

18_MARKET MOVERS CMME takes a look at some of the main players in the rental sector, the key moves being made and the challenges of entering new markets in the region.

20

22_RENTAL GOES DIGITAL

12

New-kid-on-the-block MYCRANE taps into a growing appetite for

SAFETY FIRST

digital procurement in the equipment rental industry.

R E W O RAW P ery.

ELEASES tion machin 32_NEW R s from the world of construc The latest

12

uda bia’s Joy Ab ra A n o s n h Jo r ating a safe sums up cre nt for the environme user rental end

release

e

r th eed to ente CLASS? N ness you n I si u T b r S u E o y B f 34_ tion o fair descrip ntly. that’s a ards – urge If you feel ery ME aw in ch a M n o Constructi

MATTER ck of year-on-year growth.

R E V O E N n the ba 36_MI rds Saudi o a w to ks o lo Weir Esco RE THE FUTU turistic jobsite.

O T N I S P fu achine for TSU STE 40_KOMA turer brings out concept m an Japanese m

18

22

36

ufac

26

2

EDITORIAL M AY 2022

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR RAZ ISLAM raz.islam@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5471 MANAGING PARTNER VIJAYA CHERIAN vijaya.cherian@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5713 DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & BUSINESS OPERATIONS SHIYAS KAREEM shiyas.kareem@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5474 PUBLISHING DIRECTOR ANDY PITOIS andy.pitois@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5473

CONGRATS TO THE SMES - BUT LET’S NOT FORGET THE PROS AND CONS

EDITORIAL ACTING EDITOR PAUL GODFREY paul.godfrey@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5470 ASSISTANT EDITOR MARK DOWDALL mark.dowdall@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5496

Perhaps some of you reading this may remember that for nearly a decade, I was closely associated with media channels focusing on the role of SMEs in the UAE economy. So no-one could have been more pleased to see a recent story in The National, explaining how, in the final analysis, Dubai Expo 2020 awarded AED6.8 billion (US$1.8bn) worth of contracts to small and medium businesses, representing more than 27% of all the contracts awarded - thereby exceeding the commitment first made in 2016 to cede at least 20 per cent of direct and indirect spend to the SME sector.

In fact, when we assess the sheer number of contracts awarded, rather than their actual value, of the overall total of 3,245 contracts, 66 per cent, or 2,150, were awarded to SMEs, including 1,390 local businesses. For the remainder, suppliers from outside the UAE were sourced from no fewer than 94 countries. So far, so good - and indeed, we can scarcely expect less, since here in the UAE (according to a 2020 report by Dubai Chamber), SMEs represent more than 94 per cent of total companies and employ more than 86 per cent of the private sector workforce.

Yet what is often forgotten - and herein begins my message to construction machinery manufacturers, renters and resellers - is that SMEs also contribute less than 60 per cent in terms of overall GDP, because they are, in general, considerably less efficient than the large corporates they massively outnumber. In a construction context, SMEs will most likely be found in the subcontractor mix, actually delivering work at the proverbial ‘coalface’, working as specialist outfitters in a localised setting

and purchasing or renting the machinery and equipment to get the job done. Yet here comes the warning: SMEs can also present machinery providers with four classic difficulties, namely • Cashflow issues: according to the ACCA, SMEs are 15 times more likely than large corporates to get behind with their statutory payments (crews, suppliers, etc.)

• Training concerns: are staff on-site comprehensively trained for the settings they are working in?

• Regulatory gaps: SMEs - especially the smaller and micro businesses - may not have the resources or infrastructure to communicate the latest regulatory requirements to teams.

• Risk management: are staff properly briefed on risk avoidance, and has the site been fully inspected by a qualified risk manager?

Now translate all that to an environment using your machinery and equipment.

It’s a fairly basic truism that SMEs can all too easily present concerns in terms of equipment usage, correct maintenance and the ability to pay for work-in-progress.

Notwithstanding, the efforts of Dubai Expo 2020 are to be loudly applauded: the ball is now firmly in the court of the SMEs to keep following through.

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER BRIAN FERNANDES brian.fernandes@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5479 DESIGN ART DIRECTOR SIMON COBON simon.cobon@cpitrademedia.com DESIGNER PERCIVAL MANALAYSAY percival.manalaysay@cpitrademedia.com MARKETING EVENTS & CONFERENCE PRODUCER PAUL GODFREY paul.godfrey@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5470 EVENTS EXECUTIVE MINARA SALAKHI minara.s@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 433 2856 SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING EXECUTIVE GLADYS DSOUZA gladys.dsouza@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5478 CIRCULATION & PRODUCTION DATA & PRODUCTION MANAGER PHINSON MATHEW GEORGE phinson.george@cpitrademedia.com +971 4 375 5476 WEB DEVELOPMENT ABDUL BAEIS SADIQ SIDDIQUI FOUNDER DOMINIC DE SOUSA (1959-2015) PUBLISHED BY

The publisher of this magazine has made every effort to ensure the content is accurate on the date of publication. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the publisher and editor. The published material, adverts, editorials and all other content are published in good faith. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publisher in writing. Publication licensed by Dubai Development Authority to CPI Trade Publishing FZ LLC. Printed by Printwell Printing Press LLC.

Paul Godfrey Acting Editor, CMME

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Cover image: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool.

Date

Venue

25 May

Radisson Red

Website

cmmeawards.com

RADISSON RED / DUBAI / UAE

Honouring the Machinery at the heart of every project, rewarding outstanding performance 25 May 2022

About

Annual Event

Judged

Winning an inaugural Construction Machinery ME Award will be a recognised badge of excellence amongst clients and peers.

Given that the awards are targeted at the machinery industry, the editorial team take considerable efforts to ensure that nominees are assessed by the appropriate experts who have a chance to assess nominations both individually, and in a group discussion. This ensures that winners are chosen on the basis of the work they do over the course of the year, and on the reputations, they develop with the industry.

By Professionals

These awards celebrate the champions whose machinery plays a key role on-site in the projects at the heart of the GCC economy. They award the manufacturers and dealers whose equipment leads the way – whose out-of-the-box innovations deliver critical commercial ‘edge’, day in, day out. They honour the achievements of the key players responsible for the industry’s dramatic post-Covid re-set.

The inaugural Construction Machinery ME Awards is brought to you by Construction Machinery ME, one of the leading trade titles in the region.

Most importantly of all, in a competitive and contract-driven environment, the Awards are a snapshot of the touchstone equipment enabling operational performance and safety.

At CPI Trade Media, we are proud to state that our awards are unbiased, transparent and fair, with no external influences on the decision-making process.

To ensure complete objectivity, the Awards are judged by a mixture of public votes and a specially recruited judging panel; they are influenced by one criteria only – the informed decision that they are truly the best-in-class.

Scan here

Nominate

now

We look forward to honouring your business in the days to come.

Get in touch

Contact us

Award Nomination Enquiries

Table Booking & Sponsorship

Paul Godfrey | +971 55 472 9717 paul.godfrey@cpitrademedia.com

Brian Fernandes | +971 4 375 5479 brian.fernandes@cpitrademedia.com

Event Partners

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© 2022 CPI Trade Media. All rights reserved.

4

ONLINE M AY 2022

MOST POPULAR

FEATURED

CONSULTANT

WORLD CEMENT ASSOCIATION CALLS FOR MENA CEMENT FIRMS TO DECARBONISE

NPCC-led consortium awarded major carbon capture and storage project contract

CONSULTANT

Mahmoud Abougabal joins HKA’s Expert Services Team as Director

EXPERTS: Overcoming resistance to new technology CONSTRUCTION

Akar Technical Services completes $14.9m contract work at Dubai Properties’ Villanova in Dubailand

FLEET

RTA unveils five-year sustainability plan

CONSTRUCTION

Kuwait’s HEISCO and Mitsubishi Power emerge as lowest bidders for 2,400MW Sabiya Power Plant project

READERS’ COMMENTS

INSIGHT: Facilio reveals its data-driven vision

It is a welcome intervention that The World Cement Association (WCA) has called upon cement firms in the MENA region to take decarbonisation action, ahead of COP27 in Sharmel-Sheikh, Egypt and 2023’s COP28 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. However, it is worth noting that this is as much of a balancing act as decoupling from fossil fuels and will have a global impact. Even I was surprised to read that cement manufacturing in the MENA region makes up 15% of the world’s total production. It is great to see that the UAE and Saudi Arabia at least seem to be taking this seriously have both made pledges to reach net zero half way through this century but will they find themselves priced out of the local market if the construction industry is able to find cheaper imports from neighbouring countries? Financially and ethically it makes sense to reach a region-wide agreement on how cement is produced, backed-up by tariffs on high carbon imports – and possibly even penalties for firms that choose their bottom line over a greener future.

Name withheld by request

S W NE 6

NEW FACILITY

JCB OPEN “GENDER DIVERSE” MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN INDIA

JECTS, O R P W E N OFFICES, W E N , S E HIN AROUND K O NEW MAC O L E IVES – W T A MONTH I T S I I N H I T W E NE W WHAT’S N T A N O I G THE RE DINGLI APPOINT

JCB’s newest factory in India, was

GENERAL

officially opened by UK Prime

MANAGER

Minister, Boris Johnson, last month

Zhejiang Dingli

as the company strengthens is

Machinery Co Ltd

global manufacturing presence. The

has announced

new plant will be a gender diverse

that Laurent

manufacturing facility employing

Guillaux is joining

50% women, said the manufacturer,

the Dingli global

in a statement, while JCB India has

team as Europe

also set up a skills centre at the

General Manager.

plant where young professionals

Laurent brings over 20 years of experience in the

XCMG helps complete tracklaying for UAE railway project Tracklaying for Section B of the second phase of the UAE Railway Project, led by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation using almost 100 sets of equipment from XCMG Import & Export Company, has been successfully completed.

The UAE Railway Project plays a key role in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and at 222 kilometers long, Section B is the longest section of the second phase and will become a major corridor that links the east and west of the UAE. According to XCMG, several challenges had to be overcome due to the geography and climate of the region including the tracks which had to be laid on desert terrain, added to tropical desert climate, sand dunes, strong winds, high surface temperatures, and extreme temperature changes.

“The grader was mainly responsible

for constructing access roads and sand-levelling operations, while the road roller was used for compacting constructed roads,” the company added in a statement. “Combined with concrete mixers and cranes, the XCMG integrated and holistic suite of construction equipment helped to achieve tracklaying for the main line.

XCMG’s machinery was complemented by a service team specially set up for the UAE Railway Project and the equipment was praised by the project team for its strong horsepower, longterm sustainability, and efficiency.”

Since the 1990s, XCMG has worked closely with the Middle East and considers the region one of its largest markets. XCMG’s products have been imported by over 30 retail outlets locally into the region for the last several decades.

will be trained to work on diverse job roles in manufacturing.

The latest factory, a £100 million

European AWP

investment plant in Gujarat will

market mainly

fabricate parts for global production

with JLG and more

lines and will be located in Vadodara

recently the French

near the port city of Surat on the

truck mount

West Coast of India. Joining the

manufacturer

Prime Minister at the opening was

Klubb Group.

JCB Chairman Lord Bamford, who led

Overseas sales

JCB’s expansion in India in the late

diretor of Zhejiang

1970s, including the opening of its

Dingli Machinery,

first factory in Ballabgarh, near Delhi.

Susan Huang

Today JCB has six factories in India at

says: Laurent’s

locations including Jaipur and Pune.

background and

“In its first year of full production,

experience will

JCB India manufactured just 39

be great assets

machines and by next year will have

to strengthen

made a total of half a million,” said

Dingli’s presence

Lord Bamford on the announcement.

in Europe. Our

“This country is now a major

extensive range of

engineering power and being here

AWP’s has already

has transformed our business. It has

attracted many

been a fabulous success, with so

customers and

much more potential for growth.

we will continue

Such progress has only been

to demonstrate

possible by continued investment

our long-term

and the opening of our new Gujarat

commitment to the

facility is an important step.”

European region.

India has been JCB’s biggest market every year since 2007 and “one in two of every construction machines sold in India today is made by JCB.” The new facility, which is on a 47-acre site, will be capable of processing 85,000 tonnes of steel annually.

7

World-first electric-powered heavy transport complete Mammoet has achieved a major milestone in the development of sustainable heavy lifting and transport – undertaking the replacement of a production vessel at a chemical plant in the Netherlands using purely electric power.

The electric Power Pack Unit (ePPU ) was used with four axle lines of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) operating in an extremely tight area of the existing plant, which meant that there were only a few meters in which to maneuver the existing vessel out and drive the new one into position.

It comes on the back of Mammoet’s partnership with

Scheuerle, in recent years, to transition its SPMT fleet from diesel to renewable energy.

According to the company, space was so limited that not all SPMT lines could be positioned beneath the outgoing vessel, meaning that it needed to be secured

above the front two axle lines of SPMT, with the ePPU acting as a counterweight to balance the vessel as it was transported. A crane was then used to remove the old vessel and lower its replacement onto the SPMT in the same position. This was then moved

SEMITRAILER FOR CHALLENGING TRANSPORT OPERATIONS + For highest payloads + Reliable on uneven terrain + Unbeatable loading height

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back into place ready to be installed and commissioned.

“The ePPU is a really important step in how we support our customers with decarbonizing projects. But in this case, the benefits were not limited only to a lower carbon footprint,” explains Ludo Mous, Operations Director at Mammoet Europe, “With work taking place in a highly confined area, we would have been highly conscious of the emissions generated by a typical diesel PPU, and would need to carefully manage operatives’ exposure to it. By using an electric model, we removed this issue completely, whilst also creating a much quieter working environment.”

HUSQVARNA ACQUIRES GERMAN TOOL PRODUCER Husqvarna Group’s Construction Division, has agreed to acquire Heger, the German specialist in professional diamond tools for European sawing and drilling contractors in wall, floor and road sawing as well as core drilling.

8

NEWS ROUND-UP M AY 2022

EXPANSION

MYCRANE EXPANDS GLOBAL NETWORK WITH QATAR FRANCHISE

Manlift are latest IPAF Sustaining Member

NEW EXPORT AREA MANAGER FOR JEKKO Marco Piccin has joined Jekko’s Export Area Manager work team, dealing with markets in the Middle East,

MYCRANE, the Dubai-based digital

Northern Europe,

rental platform for cranes and the

East Asia and

construction sector, has announced

Australia.

its expansion, following the signing of

Marco Piccin said, on the announcement:

Dubai-based Manlift has chosen to become the latest Sustaining Member of the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and is the first rental and training company to join the special membership category. They joins Alimak, AON, APEX and Haulotte as IPAF Sustaining Members.

Romina Vanzi, IPAF’s Head of Regional Development, said on the announcement: “Manlift has long been

an active member of IPAF, with representation on various committees and councils, as well as CEO Pedro Torres, being a member of the IPAF Board, so to have them as a sustaining member is the perfect way of consolidating our efforts to promote our shared goal of enhancing safety in powered access worldwide.”

With headquarters in Dubai, UAE, Manlift was founded in 2007 and has grown into a major rental

and training company specialising in working safely and efficiently at heights across the Middle East and India.

With all locations home to certified IPAF training centres, the latest move is another step for Manlift in seeking to ensure safety while working at height.

Vanzi added: “It will be particularly beneficial for IPAF to have a member engaged in equipment rental and training in both established and emerging markets around the globe.

OPEN DAY Al Fairuz Trading & Contracting Co. LLC. recently held an open day with the Hitachi Middle East Construction (HMEC) team to showcase their wheel loader product line up including the new Hitachi model’s ZW220-G and ZX350H-5G. It was attended by 35 fleet customers on the day.

TADANO TARGETS D’S WORL LAUNCH OFRIC ROUGHT FIRST ELECIN CRANE A R TER unced o has anno

r, Tadan anufacture tric roughJapanese m d’s first elec rl o w e th launch ane will be its plans to 2023. The cr f o d en e e by th te all lifting terrain cran and comple s te si b er jo to diesel pow able to drive rather than ry te at b g usin ns, the operations ns operatio ro-emissio ment. ce n u to deliver ze o on the ann id sa r re u l manufact vironmenta ng-term en o It follows lo an d Ta ouncled by targets ann last year.

three more franchise agreements for Qatar, UK and Ireland.

The new franchises, which were

“My decision to

announced at a recent crane and

join has been

transport conference in Dubai, will be

very positive.

responsible for providing the full range

This company is

of MYCRANE services in their respective

an innovative,

markets.

dynamic and

In Qatar, MYCRANE will be owned

fast-growing

and operated by Ant Dynamics, a

reality. I’m really

Doha-based provider of heavy lift and

glad to work for

transportation engineering services.

Jekko and to

They are already in the process of

devote my work

registering local crane rental companies

to the company’s

on the platform and will shortly be

evolution”.

marketing the service to customers.

Commenting on the appointments, MYCRANE founder and CEO Andrei Geikalo said: “We are delighted to welcome our new partner for Qatar, which remains one of the fastest growing global construction markets.”

9

Booming Philippines construction market seeks Eurotec concrete batching plants With the construction sector in the Philippines predicted to grow by 16.1% during 2022, following a strong recovery of over 12% in 2021, Eurotec concrete batching plants from Lintec & Linnhoff are becoming increasingly popular in construction projects across the country.

Contractors and concrete producers in the north of the country have been working on several major projects throughout the recent growth period while under the national government’s Build Build Build program, US$2.252 billion has been allocated to infrastructure in 2022, raising expectations of a minimum 10% annual growth rate until 2025.

Concrete batch plants from

Eurotec have witnessed the greatest success in this period due to their flexibility and portability. A PTT120 portable concrete batch plant was deployed on a challenging

two-year project, producing highquality ready-mix concrete at the Manila International Airport.

Although the PTT120 is the largest model in the PTT/PTP range,

NEW NEW LAUNCH

HITACHI’S BATTERY-POWERED MINIEXCAVATOR SET FOR FIRST ORDERS

APPOINTMENT The Specialized Carriers

with 120 m3/hr output capacity, its completely modular design and construction allows it to be quickly and disassembled before being transported to another location.

In Pampanga province, the Eurotec PTT90 is being used to supply large volumes of ready-mix concrete to contractors working on various commercial projects.

“The superb reliability offered by this design was a key factor in our customer’s purchasing decision,” said R. Sakthi, Chief Executive Officer, Lintec & Linnhoff Concrete Pte Ltd. “This customer already owns several other Eurotec concrete plants, which is a testament to their satisfaction with the brand, and their trust in its quality and durability.”

Volvo CE extends service intervals

& Rigging Hitachi Construction

even in confined spaces, it is

Association

Machinery Tierra Co.,

battery powered and it can

(SC&RA) has

a subsidiary of Hitachi

be used with a commercial

named Pat

Con-struction Machinery

power supply. As there is

Collins, to its

Co., will start accepting

no engine oil or engine

2021-2022

orders for the ZX55U-

oil filter requiring regular

leadership group.

6EB battery-powered

inspection and replacement

Collins was

mini excavator (5-tonne

as is the case with diesel-

named as one

class) in the European

powered machinery,

of four newly

market in June 2022.

owners can expect reduced

announced

The major advantages

maintenance costs and

group chairs and

of the ZX55U-6EB battery-

downtime, compared to

serves as Crane

powered mini excavator are

diesel-powered excavators.

& Rigging group

that it is based on a short

A communication

chairman on the

rear-end swing design mini

terminal allows owners

organisation’s

excavator (5-tonne class)

to monitor battery

board of

which allows efficient

charging status, machine

directors. He

location information,

is director

and electric system

of product

malfunctions, improving

marketing at

machine operation.

Link-Belt Cranes.

operation

The prototype machine will be placed at Hitachi Construction Machinery’s ICT demo site for Japanese customers’ needs and market research.

Volvo Construction Equipment has announced the release of a new generation of fuel filters that extend service intervals to 1,000 hours across a wide range of machines.

The company says longer intervals will save customers up to 50% on maintenance costs and have a positive environmental impact without compromising on component performance or longevity.

The 1000-hour package that can now be offered consists of Volvo Engine Oil VDS-4.5, in conjunction with Volvo High-Performance

engine oil and fuel filters.

Niclas Wahlström, Head of Uptime and Parts at Volvo Construction Equipment explained: “We understand that increasing uptime and reducing maintenance costs are vital objectives for our customers. That is why our design and engineering teams dedicate many hours to develop high quality machines and components for a longlasting performance.”

Volvo CE adds that users are still advised to adhere to the service intervals defined in their operator’s manual..

10

KIT SPOTTING M APRIL AY 2022 2016

“High-traffic roads and tall neighbouring buildings required crane operations to be planned with precision, something which Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions closely supported”

11

LIEBHERR TOWER CRANES SHOW STRENGTH IN MEDINA

T

he most powerful Flat-Top crane of Liebherr’s NC-B series has begun its very first job in Medina in Saudi Arabia, playing an important role in the construction of a museum which is also part of a wider development to add shops, cafés and a public garden complete with palm trees in the city centre.

The twelve-tonne model is Liebherr’s latest addition to its NC-B series, which is designed for price-sensitive markets and customers, and due to its long reach, the NC-B 12-70 is suitable for both cast-in-place concrete construction as well as for the precise lifting of heavy prefabricated parts.

Looking from above it is evident that the one of the main challenges presented by the construction site in Medina is space and there being very little of it.

Liebherr says that “high-traffic roads and tall neighbouring buildings required crane operations to be planned with precision, something which Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions closely supported.”

With its maximum jib length of 70 metres and a lifting capacity of up to 12 tonnes, the NC-B 12-70 is “reliable, economic and safe in its work,” but there are also other important features including a jib head load capacity of 2,000 kilograms at maximum. For these reasons, this crane is seen as an optimal piece of equipment for high-performance lifts in densely built-up metropolitan areas like this project in Medina.

The crane manufacturer says the NC-B concept is optimised for transport and

assembly and that five trucks can deliver all elements of the slewing part with 70 m jib length to site quickly and easily.

Established technologies from Liebherr’s existing Flat-Top series “further accelerate assembly” according to Liebheerr. The LiConnect quick connection system, for example, enables the jib to be assembled quickly and safely in five-metre sections.

Both 16 EC 240 and 21 HC 290 tower systems are compatible with the NC-B 12-70, whereby the 16 EC tower system, measuring 1.6 x 1.6 metres, has been specifically designed for use with the NC-B series. Pin connections ensure the 16 EC 240 system’s straightforward, economical assembly. The tower sections have a standard length of 3.9 metres, which enables climbing on the building while longer tower sections of 11.7 metres can also be used for efficiently achieving a freestanding hook height of up to 50 metres. Using the 21 HC 290 tower system, the freestanding hook height can be increased up to 76.9 metres.

The hydraulic climbing unit is designed with flexibility in mind; it’s suitable for both internal and external climbing, completely detachable and compatible with other Liebherr tower cranes. As a result, the operator only needs one device, which can be used on various construction sites.

Liebherr also offers a six-tonne version as part of its NC-B series in the form of the NC-B 6-62. while short delivery times are available for both series without compromise on in-house technologies the company adds.

12

HARD HITTERS SAFETY M AY 2022 AUGUS T 2019

RENTAL’S ROLE IN PUTTING SAFETY FIRST

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY REQUIRES A MULTI-FACETED APPROACH, FROM HEAVY MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THOSE USING THE EQUIPMENT ON-SITE. CMME SPEAKS TO JOHNSON ARABIA’S JOY ABUDA - A KEY MEMBER OF THE AWP OPERATIONS TEAM AND THEIR ONLY FEMALE IPAF TRAINED EMPLOYEE - ABOUT THE ROLE RENTAL COMPANIES HAVE TO PLAY

J

oy, can you explain the technical and operational assistance you provide when you hand out an AWP to be used on-site?

Depending on the needs and knowledge of the customer or operator we can either provide a familiarization upon delivery, or full training at site or at one of our facilities. We are a fully IPAF certified training centre meaning we are approved to conduct operator training which meets ISO 18878 standards and is recognized globally for the operation of AWP. We also ensure our employees are full licensed,

and therefore have the knowledge and expertise to familiarize our customers and ensure they are comfortable with the equipment they have chosen.

What safety measures and procedures is it necessary for you, as a rental company, to have in place?

As a leading supplier for working at height equipment, we have a range of procedures and practices in place to ensure our machinery meets the strictest standards of quality and operation. It all starts with our methodology in our premises which optimizes efficiency and safety in our operations and continues through the various before and after-hire inspections, as well as our preventative maintenance program

and third-party inspections which ensures all our machinery is in the best condition.

What kind of advice does Johnson Arabia give customers when it comes to choosing the correct AWP they should use? Is there anything else that you tend to make them aware of?

A lot of our regular customers are already well aware of the products we run and the solutions they require, but often we will get either a new customer, or a more complicated job requirement where we are asked to advise our customer on what they want. In these instances, we can provide a free on-site survey to establish exactly what machine is best suited, or we can educate the customer in

13 how to specify a machine themselves. Depending on the site and application, there are a whole range of things a customer might want to consider, from the power type, additional safety features, or even how the machine is going to be delivered.

Can you explain the breakdown of responsibility for AWP safety between the manufacturer, rental company and customer?

Responsibility for safety is very multi-faceted. It starts with manufacturers producing a piece of equipment which is inherently safe and well designed, with appropriate technical guidance to ensure that the products can be kept in a good and safe condition for its entire life cycle. It is then down to us as a rental provider to ensure we meet or exceed the manufacturer guidance on maintenance, as well as observing best practice as mandated by the

government and other global organizations.

On a day-to-day basis the customer also has their own responsibilities. With our advice they need to select a machine appropriate for the job, ensure the use of the machine has been risk assessed and that other external factors are considered, and ensure that if they are providing their own operator, that there is appropriate training and familiarization is arranged. After everything has been done to arrange a successful machine deployment, it is finally down to the individual operator in charge of the machine to ensure they are carrying out regular pre-use checks, following all safe systems of work and risk assessments, and ultimately operating the machinery in a safe and controlled manner.

How does the type of AWP impact safety procedure or approach?

The type of AWP plays a significant role in the safety procedure and approach. As does the site condition and location. Working at height is inherently dangerous, and AWPs help to significantly reduce risk of injury or death, however there are still a lot of things to consider when working on an active site.

Selecting the right machine for the job is important so that no new risks are added. The type of machine used can impact a range of things; for example diesel machines should not be used in enclosed spaces. Or that machine point-loadings should be understood to determine what ground a machine can work on. Or even whether the machine is designed to work outside and what wind-loading the machine can take. There are dozens of factors which need to be considered, and either a welltrained person, or a site survey from Johnson Arabia, can help to solve most of these considerations.

“Working at height is inherently dangerous, and AWPs help to significantly reduce risk of injury or death, however there are still a lot of things to consider when working on an active site”

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THE RISE OF CLOUD

WITH SAUDI ARABIA’S CLOUD MARKET SET TO SURGE TO UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS, WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MARKETLEADER INFOR IS DRIVING INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN ITS HEAVY MACHINERY SECTOR

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audi Arabia’s cloud market is growing rapidly due to surging demand from the public and private sector, increasing availability of cloud services, and the government’s commitment to digitisation under Saudi Vision 2030. Independent research validates this: Saudi Arabia’s cloud market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.5% between 2021-2030 to reach a value of $10.5 billion in 2030, according to QuantAlign Research, while a recent survey by IDC revealed that 72% of Saudi organizations cited cloud as being fundamental to driving innovation and digital transformation in their business.

When it comes to construction machinery one company causing a stir in the digital transformation sphere, right now, is cloud specialist, Infor. Saudi Arabia was the highest growth region for Infor in the Middle East in 2021, and on the back of this, they have already further increased their presence there this year with a new sales director, which they say is key to their target of tripling its business in the MEA region by 2025. Up until now, a significant amount

of Infor’s business in the region has been built on major engagements with strategic equipment dealers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf on how they can help them digitally transform, with distribution partnerships forming a key part of their go-to-market strategy. While for some distributors, the focus has been mainly on customer experience, others have been more interested in IoT, telematics, 5G, and other cutting-edge technologies. But the common theme is that many distributors now realize that a more prescriptive approach is required going forward.

“When looking specifically at the heavy machinery sector, we work primarily with companies involved in supply and distribution rather than manufacturing,” says Infor’s Vice President of Global Professional Services, Salem Machaka, “This is because Saudi Arabia, like many other countries, currently imports most of its heavy machinery. Of course, being a distributor of heavy machinery and equipment is a complex business with many challenges. Successful suppliers of machinery do far more than merely deliver equipment to their customers.

They also need to understand their customers’ specific requirements, customize equipment, offer servicing and support, and much more. Strong suppliers and distributors of industrial machinery

15 Zahid Tractor, the authorised distributor of Caterpillar in its Construction Machinery Division, has has been using Infor M3 for Equipment to streamline its operations.

“Companies using heavy machinery, whether in factories or on a construction site, can benefit from software that helps them gather and analyse data to gain insights into the efficiency of their machines”

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form an important part of the industrial ecosystem, and the importance of their role is growing as their customers seek to gain a competitive advantage.”

For example, Zahid Tractor, a Saudi Arabia-based Zahid Group company that supplies construction machinery and commercial vehicles, started using Infor’s industry-specific cloud ERP solution to streamline and gain visibility across all departments in March 2021. The integration of Infor M3 for Equipment allowed Zahid Tractor {see case study] to continue to distinguish its customer-centric offering and commitment to excellence across the Saudi Arabia’s construction, transportation and rental sectors.

Infor says that the typical needs of customers vary depending on the sector and sub-sector, but there are also many needs that are common across industries.

For example, distributors of all types of products need an ERP system capable of integrating with customers and suppliers, and which can track inventory and automate processes including ordering.

But there are also important differences, which can have a profound impact on the ability of organizations to compete and outshine their rivals.

“For example, companies using heavy machinery, whether in factories or on a construction site, can benefit from software that helps them gather and analyse data

Salem Machaka, Vice President, Global professional servicess at Infor says the company is predominantly focused on heavy machinery companies in supply and disitribution.

to gain insights into the efficiency of their machines,” explains Infor’s vice president of solution consulting MEA, Khaled AlShami.

“On a construction site, Edge computing, 5G, and cloud computing can be used to gather all types of information, such as the movement, efficiency, and available capacity of vehicles. The organisation can then use this data to improve operations and decide which vehicles to deploy to various parts of the site. In the future, as vehicles gain greater autonomy, such solutions will

become even more important.

“In more consumer-facing sectors, such as automotive, customers’ needs will be different and usually include a heavier focus on end-to-end customer service management, and the need to manage a higher volume of components and parts, which is vital to ensuring the timely servicing and repair of vehicles.”

Infor business applications are specialized by industry and built for the cloud to enable a global supply chain, networked analytics, and an artificial intelligence-led user experience. The company has a variety of solution offerings in their portfolio and all their applications, from ERP solutions including supply chain management and product lifecycle management capabilities, to HR, customer, and experience, are built for the multi-tenant cloud and seamlessly integrate with each other. They are keen to point out that “it’s not a case of clients just telling us what they need” and that they share expertise and inform them how they can transform their operations according to industry best practice.

“Drilling down into the trends, I believe we will see further integration of Edge and cloud, as the two technologies complement each other, and when working in unison, they can help organizations analyze their data quickly and efficiently, and achieve true digital transformation,” AlShami points out.

CASE STUDY

INFOR M3 TRANSFORMS ZAHID TRACTOR Zahid Tractor is the authorized distributor of Caterpillar in its Construction Machinery Division, a partnership that has been in place for 71 years, while under its Commercial Vehicles Division, Zahid Tractor is the authorized distributor of Volvo Trucks Group (Volvo Trucks, Renault Trucks and UD Truck); a partnership that has been in place for 41 years. The Saudi Arabia-based Zahid Group company started using Infor ERP to streamline and gain visibility across all departments in March 2021. The integration of Infor M3 for Equipment allows Zahid Tractor to continue to distinguish its customer-centric offering and commitment to excellence across the Saudi Arabia’s construction, transportation and rental sectors.

The distributor originally

depended on a bespoke homegrown enterprise information technology solution.

As the company continued to grow, this solution was no longer feasible and could not support Zahid Tractor’s aggressive digital transformation drive. With the ambition of streamlining all facets of the business as part of its “Ethos of Excellence” and deploying state-of-the-art technologies Zahid Tractor commissioned one of the big four consulting firms to oversee the due diligence process in selecting the ideal ERP solution.

Upon completion of the due diligence process, Infor M3 for Equipment was selected as the ideal solution in achieving Zahid Tractor’s digital transformation plans.

Infor M3 met all the requirements stemming from interface-driven

initiatives Zahid Tractor has with its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners, which helps increase supply chain visibility and improve service levels for their customers. This was a key prerequisite of the ERP solution, given the scale and importance of Zahid Tractor’s partners including Caterpillar and Volvo Trucks Group.

Khaled AlShami, vice president of solution consulting, Infor

MEA explains: “From equipment lifecycle, employee productivity and rental service to maintenance, field service, refurbishment, and OEM, to name but a few, Infor M3 is transforming key areas of Zahid Tractor’s operations. The end-to-end solution with business analytics provides directors, management and front-line teams with valuable data that assists in planning, day-to-day operations, control and decision-making.

“The Infor M3 solution will prove instrumental in helping Zahid Tractor tap high levels of growth in Saudi Arabia’s construction equipment market, which is expected to achieve an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.79 percent from 2020 to 2025, according to a survey by Reportlinker.com.

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“I believe we will see further integration of Edge and cloud, as the two technologies complement each other, and when working in unison, they can help organizations analyze their data quickly and efficiently” “Another important trend we expect to see is further specialization of cloud-based solutions. As more organizations from different sectors explore the advantages of the cloud, we will see a greater need for differentiation and specialization of cloud services.

Infor is currently the only company with multi-tenant cloud ERPs that are industry specific, and they have three such platforms dedicated to providing cloudbased enterprise solutions for specific industries.: One is purpose-built for discrete manufacturing, with versions specifically for auto, industrial manufacturing, and aerospace & defense; another one for process (food & beverage, distribution and fashion), and the third for healthcare.

The company says this is very different to competitors where ERPs are spread across all their industries.

“Though different industries have very different ICT needs, many vendors still present their customers with generic, onesize-fits-all solutions. These solutions lack the nuance to deliver the true promise of cloud, and true digital transformation.

This is an important differentiator for Infor, which explains why we are experiencing solid demand for our industry-specific cloud-suites, especially in sectors including manufacturing, automotive, logistics and warehousing, which are a key focus for us in Saudi Arabia,” says Al Shami.

Khaled Alshami, Vice President, Solution Consulting at Infor says manufacturing, automotives, logistics and warehousing is a key focus for the company in Saudi Arabia.

“Infor is constantly delivering new industry-specific features, functions, and innovations. At the same time, we have pre-built all the integrations needed, readymade, for our key industries, which helps ensure quicker, simpler deployment for our customers. Our ecosystem is open, which enables customers to continue using solutions from other vendors and integrate easily with with the Infor ecosystem. “ He concludes: “We also understand the needs of these micro vertical industries

and have invested in pre-configurations for them. In this way, we have developed ERM configurations for automotive parts suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and tier 1-3 suppliers, each of which have very different business operations and roles within the supply chain.”

A decade after teaming up with AWS as their sole hyperscaler, Infor points to being both a cloud leader and the only company in the industry to provide a true multi-tenant SaaS solution and they believe the partnership has proven to be an excellent strategic decision. Their strategy now continues to focus on offering cloud-first solutions for customers in the specifically targeted sectors of distribution, manufacturing services, and asset management whilst there are four pillars to their regional growth plan. First, is to grow the cloud business, as cloudbased solutions bring maximum benefits to customers. Second, is to “actively develop the partner ecosystem”, which is essential to accelerate growth in a region as large and diverse as the Middle East. Beyond this, the company is seeking to elevate its visibility in the region by hosting and participating in carefully planned customer events including seminars, conferences, and larger trade shows. In a decade’s time all at Infor may well be reflecting again on more significant decisions in their longterm growth strategy.

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Heavy-lifting specialist, Al Faris Group will focus on providing rental services for cranes between 30 and 1200 tonnes over the next eighteen months.

“We are seeing great demand through private plants in the Eastern region; and in the western region of KSA we expect a growing demand in medium to higher capacity cranes”

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MARKET MOVERS

WITH CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT RENTAL SET TO GROW EVEN FURTHER IN THE GCC, CMME TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MAIN PLAYERS, THE KEY MOVES BEING MADE AND THE CHALLENGES OF ENTERING NEW MARKETS IN THE SECTOR

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ver the last two years rental companies in the Middle East have shown incredible resilience and flexibility in navigating through the muddy waters of a global pandemic, rising transportation and machinery costs, and logistic headaches due to travel restrictions, both internally and externally. Whilst productivity in the construction industry has stabilized in 2022, as we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, returning to “normal” is not as easy or quick as it sounds. Availability of new equipment to the construction industry has continued to lag demand, as production remains impacted by the global computer chip shortage and the rising cost and availability of raw materials leads to more extended delivery times. Manufacturers remain flooded with new equipment orders as demand increases and there is continued pressure on the equipment supply chain; an overall trend that is not expected to ease significantly till the second half of this year.

The flip side of this, of course, is that renting and buying used machinery is set to become even more popular as construction companies look for ways to offset high purchasing costs of new machinery and uncertainty around their availability in today’s market.

Rental Growth With that being said, there is expected to be a CAGR of 6% in rental activity over the next five years while the earthmoving equipment segment will dominate this rising market according to a recent report by Mordor Intelligence on the “GCC Construction Equipment/Machinery Rental Market.”

“In recent years, renting earth moving equipment, such as excavators, motor graders, loaders, are increasing due to growing infrastructural projects related to road and highway networks in countries such as Saudi Arabia, UAE and owing to the penetration of more construction contractors in the country due to Saudi Vision 2030,” the report explained. It continued: “For instance in February 2020, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the development of main roads in the heart of Riyadh in order to upgrade the city’s transportation system.

“The project objective is to transform Riyadh to be a major hub in providing sustainable transportation services as well as logistics services in the Middle East. The program will work on developing junctions between Riyadh’s ring roads and main routes. It will develop 400 kilometers of the road network, by adding new roads and upgrading existing junctions.”

This school of thought is reinforced by General Manager of Quality Equipment Rental, Ashfaq Hussein, who gives his own

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perspective on the equipment trends he has been seeing in the market.

“We are experiencing major demand across most of our product range, however, earth moving equipment demand is much higher than our other product categories.

Our earthmoving and spider lifts segments have been doing particularly well recently due to many ongoing earthworks projects in the UAE as well as our partnership with Platform Basket. We see the demand going up for power generation in the coming months too.”

New challenges QER’s fleet is diverse, ranging from earth moving, power systems, air systems and AWP’s whilst it has been an authorized distributor for Platform Basket since 2018.

Through this partnership, QER has ramped up its portfoilio in the last couple of years to include 10 models of Platform Basket spider lifts of varying heights and outreach. Right now, as competition in the industry heats up, QER’s main focus is to add another model to their line-up – the Spider 39T. Hussein says they are planning to replicate the success of business in the UAE in the KSA market but like any business, expect to see some operational challenges opening up in a new market.

“We are at an early stages of business setup in the Saudi market and do foresee challenges of operating in a new market,

QER has been an authorised distributor for Platform basket since 2018 and through this partnerhsip the rental company currently has ten models in its portfolio.

but we believe our extensive experience in the industry we will help overcome any challenges. Overall, we are finding that both markets are similar in nature, but the KSA market is much bigger in size due to larger geography creating logistical challenges and much higher transportation costs. However, to counteract this we are planning to setup multiple depots to cover the different areas.”

He adds: “The equipment rental industry in the Middle East is very dynamic at the moment and has even more growth potential given

that there are many development projects are in the pipeline. QER also provides equipment services to the Oil and Gas industry and has successfully managed HVAC projects for reputed clients. As the oil and gas sector is going be very busy in the coming years due to high oil prices, we think there will be a strong demand for rental equipment across the board particularly, power generation, air systems and lifting equipment.

Another of the leading players overcoming challenges in expanding their market presence in Saudi is the rental crane and heavy machinery specialist, Al Faris. They attribute this to their vast local knowledge, international experience, continuous training and good quality equipment that caters to their local customer needs.

“One of the tests we are successfully dealing with there is the mobilization and demobilization cost of covering the vast geographical region of Saudi Arabia and maintaining the fleet mix in different regions as the utilization and price competitiveness is far more challenging compared to the eastern province” explains a spokesperson for the company.

“Maintaining the Saudization percentage, which is on the increase year on year, is of course a challenge, while finding experienced skilled crew and retaining staff can sometimes be difficult too. There is also an Expatriates Manpower scarcity which is affecting the business, in today’s market

“Our earthmoving and spider lifts segments have been doing particularly well recently due to many ongoing earthworks projects in the UAE. We see the demand going up for power generation in the coming months too”

21 where the demand is in peak.”

The company adds: “For the next 12-18 months we will be focusing in particular on providing rental services for cranes ranging from 30t to 1200t and forklifts ranging from 5T to 16T. In addition to the lifting activities, we will be providing alternative jacking and skidding solutions to major projects & shutdowns in Saudi Arabia Fleet Expansions In line with the continued growth in the sector and realizing the importance of having the right equipment available to customers Al Faris has also been expanding its fleet to strengthen its hold in the region and leave it better positioned to deal with any uncertainties in the market.

In August 2021, it added a total of five new 8-axle low loaders by Faymonville to deal with difficult terrain, narrow job construction sites, and winding platforms while just two months previous to this, Al Faris had executed the complete logistics chain including receiving, storing, transporting, and lifting of 30 overflow tanks, which are part of the ongoing Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project.

Right now, the rental specialist points to Aramco, gas and rigs as a leading source of work in KSA while it says cranes are better priced due to the tough procedure of operator certifications and operational challenges.

“We are seeing great demand through private plants in the Eastern region; and in the western region of KSA we expect a growing demand in medium to higher capacity cranes. Along with this, qualified riggers and safety crew are going to be increasingly needed for various ongoing shutdowns each year. In terms of infrastructure and entertainment this is really experiencing a boom at the moment whereby smaller medium capacity range cranes at lower than the average market price will be in demand.”

The Mordor Intelligence report notes that several other rental companies have also been investing significantly in the GCC region either through investments, product development or new partnerships to gain an edge in the market. For instance, in February, last year Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar announced the launch of a wide range of SEM Machines, including wheel loaders, motor graders, and track-type tractors while it has also obtained the sole distribution rights for SEM products in the United Arab Emirates as well as Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. Around the same time, Johnson Arabia, a leading aerial work platforms company in the GCC region that boasts over 250 mobile cranes and 700 ariel work

Rental companies have been expanding fleets to strengthen their hold in the region and be better prepared for any future uncertainties in the market.

platforms (AWP), expanded its aerial work platforms fleet with the launch of its second branch in Oman. Already this year, the crane and equipment rental company, has taken further steps to expand its AWP business with the introduction of ten brand new JLG R1932 electric scissor lifts.

Technology With the world changing — and the equipment rental business evolving — technology will continue to play an increased role in the

future of equipment rental operations and customer service. Although rental software continues to grow, making it easier than ever to manage and rotate a fleet of equipment, rental businesses will need to continue to advance technology within operations to stay competitive, efficient and relevant.

In terms of having an online marketplace for rental transactions themselves Al Faris adds: “Apart from one or two companies we don’t see any online presence in Saudi Arabia that effective, at the moment, as the rental business is basically on relation built on personal interaction and the trust built between the sales team and between the companies. In addition to this, all government and private plant owners go through stringent vendor qualifications, by process of auditing, during the registration process. It is only once this is completed that the supplier becomes a vendor for the plants.

“There is then further inspection of the equipment and a testing interview process of manpower before confirmation of the order.

Right now, this limits the entrance of the app based online rental process in KSA market, but a future online interaction market could certainly grow as it would be cost beneficial to both supplier and customer.”

Without doubt, however, online presence is critical to the success of any business and most rental companies already work closely with the customer in bringing in new technologies to the market from equipment telematics where customers can monitor the performance of the equipment, check fuel consumption and breakdown stats to online breakdown support to save time.

As rental demand continues to grow, and fleets get bigger there is every possibility, that over time, the necessity of a digital marketplace for heavy machinery will see an exponential rise too.

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RENTAL GOES DIGITAL

SINCE LAUNCHING ITS ONLINE PLATFORM FOR LIFTING OPERATIONS, MYCRANE HAS BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. CMME LEARNS HOW IT HAS TAPPED INTO A GROWING APPETITE FOR DIGITAL PROCUREMENT IN THE RENTAL INDUSTRY

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t is often said that the best time to start a business is during a recession or period of economic uncertainty, when competition is less, start-up and operating costs are lower and gaps in the market start to become abundantly clear. A classic example of this is the 1973 oil crisis that, coupled with a stock market crash, led to a 16-month recession where GDP in the US took its worst hit in nearly 20 years. Yet, it did not stop Bill Gates and Paul Allen from developing their new computer software business Microsoft, which launched on April 4, 1975, literally just days after the recession was considered officially over. There are countless other examples of bold entrepreneurs making successful moves into the market during times of incredible upheaval.

American author Mark Twain once observed: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” Well, for the majority of business owners, the pandemic was indeed a time to pause; but it was also a time to protect assets and reign in loose expenditure to survive a period of incredible uncertainty, the kind that no one in modern times had experienced before. And understandably so. Working from home presented many

new challenges; not least the renting of construction machines like excavators, cranes and aerial work platforms that still operated in a very traditional way, through calling to the rental companies and asking for availability and price quotes.

So, for MYCRANE founder Andrei Geikalo, there couldn’t have been a better time to shake up a traditionally conservative rental market in the construction industry and develop a new digital-disrupting platform to make crane rental more efficient than ever before. As the new Managing Director of MYCRANE in the UAE and Oman, Alan Faulds puts it: “There was no doubt that this industry was crying out for this technology. The pandemic made a lot of companies reconsider their business practices, with digitalisation being one of the most prevalent with regards to Zoom or Teams meetings, invoicing services and of course procurement so it was time to digitialise the crane rental business too.”

Faulds has worked in all levels of lifting operations around the globe and joined MYCRANE in January as part of their rapidly growing expansion drive in the Middle East.

As a former head of operations for Mammoet in the Middle East and Africa, he is well versed when it comes to the needs of the customer for practically any lifting operation. Speaking to CMME, he explains that there are three

23 With expenditure for lifitng services set to increase contractors are looking for cost-saving and convenience in the procurement process.

“There is a common misconception that as the world moves towards digitalisation in the future, we will lose the personal touch and excellent service we have received in the past. At MYCRANE we do not believe this to be true and will continue to nurture current relationships whilst building new ones”

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main facets to the MYCRANE platform: Crane rental, Crane sales and engineering services.

“As industry professionals with many of years of experience in both the client and crane contractor environment, we know first-hand how cumbersome and time consuming the procurement process can be when selecting the most suitable lifting device for a chosen project. There are extensive emails, phonecalls, visits and negotiations with various suppliers. In simple terms, time is money. By drastically

reducing the time and resources it takes to procure cranes, we are saving our clients’ money in the process.

The Concept For the platform’s crane rental, the concept is incredibly simple and user-friendly - “think booking.com for cranes.” When a client requires a crane for their lifting project, they do a 30 second registration on the MYCRANE platform, place their requirement and receive quotations from MYCRANE’s

Once users of the digital platform have placed their requirements and receive quotations they can select their preferred supplier and the crane is sent to site on agreed terms and pricing.

“There was no doubt that the industry was crying out for this technology. The pandemic made a lot of companies reconsider their business practices, with digitalisation being one of the most prevalent”

pre-qualified crane suppliers. The client selects their preferred supplier or quotation by the click of a button and then the supplier sends the crane to that project on the agreed terms and pricing.

“It must be added” says Faulds, “that MYCRANE fully supports our clients in this process, either with our free to use crane selector which determines the most efficient machine for the project, or with personal support from our qualified Engineering team. Our MYCRANE ‘Marketplace has a directory of new and used lifting devices and components for sale and cranes of all makes and capacities can be bought there.”

By any standards, it has been a busy twelve months for the MYCRANE team with a raft of new partnerships and deals providing important milestones during a period of rapid growth, notably in the Middle East. Since the company launched last year, several franchise agreements have been announced, from UAE and Oman to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Qatar, UK and Ireland. A range of lifting experts have joined in the process to smooth the transition as this new form of online rental spreads across the globe.

“Introducing MYCRANE to clients at this time (following the pandemic) has certainly accelerated our growth,” says Faulds.

“There will always be some scepticism when introducing something new to the market, certainly with suppliers who may assume that competition is added, however when we showcase how our platform can assist clients save time and money whilst increasing the utilization of our suppliers the enthusiasm is palatable.”

The Trend Research from Mckinsey & Company’s Global B2B Pulse report shows that there is indeed a clear trend in more B2B customers willing to use digital platforms for high-end interactions and sales. It revealed, most notably, that “70 percent of B2B decision makers say they are open to making new, fully self-serve or remote purchases in excess of $50,000, and 27 percent would spend more than $500,000.”

This is perhaps the clearest sign yet that digital sales have come of age and we are starting to dispose the old school of thought that e-commerce is mainly for smaller fast moving-items and parts. In an industry that regularly deals with high capex equipment, the desire for rental on digital platforms is likely to grow at considerable pace, too.

Mckinsey added more than three quarters of buyers and sellers say they now prefer digital self-serve and remote

25 human engagement over face-to-face interactions—a sentiment that has steadily increased over the last two years, even after lockdowns ended. With this in mind, Faulds is being forthright when he points out that MYCRANE’s biggest challenge has come in dealing with the rapid growth in such a short space of time.

“At MYCRANE all of our clients and suppliers are supported throughout the procurement process, we have had to ramp up staff rapidly to ensure we deliver on this promise which has been extremely successful. There is a common misconception that as the world moves towards digitalisation in the future, we will lose the personal touch and excellent service we have received in the past.

At MYCRANE we do not believe this to be true and will continue to nurture current relationships whilst building new ones. Digitalisation of the lifting industry is what MYCRANE have achieved, great customer service is how we will change the market together.”

He adds: “The trend in the market right now is one of cautious optimism. We see that clients are now ready to either start or continue with shelved projects after the halt due to the pandemic. With this comes the need for all types of construction equipment, with expenditure for lifting services due to increase exponentially in the coming one to four years. The clients we engage with are quite simply looking for cost saving and convenience in their procurement process and MYCRANE offers this in abundance.”

The Digital Space There have been other players in the digital space in the Middle East but, so far, none that have followed the same model as MYCRANE. Tendered, for example, a heavy

The MYCRANE team has signed several franchise agreements incuding in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, UK and Ireland since the platfrom launched last year.

equipment rental marketplace, offers reliable and secure ways for general contractors to rent in, rent out and manage construction equipment. Over the past few years, they have worked with hundreds of contractors in the UAE and in KSA from their fleet network of over 7,000 machines that include lifting equipment, light machinery and trucks. In their own way, Tenderd has helped make it simple to manage heavy equipment fleets by digitising the most time-consuming steps in the construction market.

New equipment managers get access to the Tenderd fleet by simply downloading the app from either Apple Appstore or Google Play and registering using their mobile number or email id to become unverified equipment suppliers. To get verified all that is needed is to upload and submit some legal documents and also a fleet list so that Tenderd knows that the machines being enlisted are actually owned by the supplier.

“To our knowledge there are no known direct competitors on the market at the moment” Faulds is keen to point out, however. “Our founder, Andrei Geikalo, is a visionary and this is not something that can be copied. The platform has been in production for over 2 years before becoming live, so we know how challenging and dedicated a competitor must be to achieve what MYCRANE has to date, not to mention the financial resources that are required.

In the coming year, Fauld’s will be responsible, first and foremost for building the MYCRANE platform within UAE and Oman. After this, he intends on passing on his gained knowledge to benefit the company at a macro level and support others through the initial set up as new countries join at an increasing pace.

It is an exciting time for the industry and MYCRANE as it looks forward to expanding its already large footprint, globally and in the Middle East. Right now, it says Saudi Arabia is a priority as it aims to gain a foothold in a considerably large and growing market. On top of this, the company adds that discussions are ongoing with many new countries outside of the Middle East as well, which will all be released in due course. It is clear that the appetite for digital procurement in cranes and heavy machinery isn’t going away anytime soon. Neither, for that matter, is MYCRANE.

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“We have taken a proactive approach to hiring and retaining local talent focusing on younger graduates who we can support further with their education and experience in the industry”

27 Byrne Equipment Rental’s recent open day had a range of equipment on dispaly including power generators, cargo containers, temporary buildings and hoist and access.

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t is over 20 years since Byrne Equipment Rental first launched its KSA operations, and in that time, many things have changed; an increasing number of Saudis have been integrated into the workforce while the Kingdom has opened up to foreign tourists, priming itself as a major international tourism and leisure destination in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Parallel to this, Byrne has increased its footprint to include offices and depots in Dammam, Riyadh, Turaif, Jeddah, Yanbu, and of course, it’s HQ in Jubail.

For the rental company, in recognition of how the country has changed, a key pillar of their people strategy in the Kingdom, and perhaps the most important, is Saudisation. Today, Byrne is one of the largest single sources for plant and equipment rental in Saudi with an extensive rental fleet of over 5,000 units of equipment, and they have learnt firsthand the value of combining a highly competent multinational team supported, in no small part, by their local Saudi talent pool.

“We have taken a proactive approach to hiring and retaining local talent focusing on younger graduates who we can support further with their education and experience in the industry.” explained Steve Caygill, Byrne’s Regional General Manager at their long awaited in-person Product Open Day, held in Abu Dhabi recently.

“Saudi has typically been a very complex market to work in but the restrictions and nuances in Saudi have recently come right down. They’re now

looking to be an employer of choice and a market of choice. Part of that that comes from reducing that Saudization which they are now pushing. But those types of things are obviously still in place, and we are committed to continuing our support for the Saudi nationalization scheme. They want to develop their fellow countrymen which of course we fully support.”

In the last decade, there has been an acceleration of this development though Nitaqat, a series of governmental-controlled incentives and restrictions on private companies that has been in place in the Kingdom since 2011. At the time this was introduced, the majority of employed Saudi citizens were working in the public sector, often due to higher wages and stronger job security. In fact, a Labour Force Survey, in 2018, by the General Authority for Statistics in Saudi revealed the average public sector wage was 58% higher than in the private sector.

So, it is against this backdrop, that Nitaqat was designed to increase the employment of Saudi workers, by classifying all private companies into five colored categories and then assigning a Nitiqat coloured status, based on three main criteria – type of company, size and percentage of employees. The goal was to have organistations with more than nine employed staff members hire a certain percentage of Saudi nationals. For an established company like Byrne, it has been able to draw on several years of deepening ties and experience within the country; yet some challenges remain.

At the open day, which had a range of equipment on display including power generators, cargo

BYRNE SETS SAUDI VISION

AS PART OF ‘SAUDISATION,” A FRESH BATCH OF GRADUATES WERE WELCOMED TO THE BYRNE EQUIPMENT RENTAL TEAM. REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER, STEVE CAYGILL, EXPLAINS TO CMME WHY THE PLANT AND EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST CONTINUES TO LOCALISE ITS SAUDI WORKFORCE

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RENTAL M AY 2022

containers, temporary buildings and hoist & access, Caygill was keen to point out that the biggest issue going forward over the next twelve months would be human capital.

“Being able to identify and secure people with an appropriate skillset wanting and willing to work in Saudi is one of the key challenges right now. Even though it is not what it was once perceived as even ten years ago because of the infrastructure that is now there supporting it, it is still a challenge for rental companies like ourselves” The rental company has been making tremendous strides in their efforts to localize their workforce, however, and earlier this year as part of program training, they recruited and welcomed 11 graduates to the Byrne Equipment Rental team in KSA; coming from Jubail Industrial College, Technical & Vocational Training Corporation, Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu, Petroleum & Natural Gas Institute of Technology and Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic, all educated in a variety of disciplines such as Engineering and Technology.

“The level of knowledge coming from university candidates at this moment in time is very strong and they’re very willing and wanting to work in that segment. They are chiefly aligned to the oil & gas space.

Obviously, wages are better aligned to that industry, but they are definitely sought after,” Caygill insists.

Right now, the “fast movers” in Byrne Rental’s vast portfolio of products can be found in their HVAC division including split and package air conditioning units, chillers, air-handlers, cooling towers, heaters and ventilation equipment. Coupled with developments in the oil and gas space, much of Byrne’s work continues to come through the human welfare side of things like temporary camps, accommodation and temporary offices.

“We are really focusing on the development programmes and this is something that is a big particularly big focus in Saudi. Because of the pre-qualifications with all the oil majors and all the refineries, we are part of that eco system in Saudi so we generally get a first look at a lot of these major projects such as major accommodation facilities, power projects or even development projects.

“We carry a lot of people power over there and just geographically from a fleet point of view the second largest amount of our fleet is in Saudi, after the UAE. Beyond the refinery side of things is of course NEOM and the Red Sea development and that’s going to go on for a very long time. We’re at the very early stages of that and there is a lot of work being conducted. So, for example

5000 vans need to be set up for construction workers throughout that area. So just purely infrastructure wise there is an awful lot of work that needs to be done and we expect to be at the heart of that.”

Similarly, Byrne expects to be a key player is in the continued evolution of Saudi’s growing entertainment industry.

Entertainment venues increased from 154 in 2017 to 277 in 2020, according to Vision 2030, as the country prepares to deal with a surge in illustrious events over the

The open day was a chance for Byrne Equipment Rental to have face time with clients and display a wide range of products from their portfoilio for the construction and oil and gas sector.

decade. The industry in KSA is only getting bigger and better and popular events such as Riyadh season and the F1 have shown that the Kingdom is ready to step it up a notch and host even bigger events on a global scale. Since the Vision was adopted, over 2,000 events have been hosted, with over 46 million visitors. On the local front, the government is aiming to increase household spending on entertainment and cultural activities from 2.6% to 6% by 2030, with the aim of becoming the top events destination in the region through local and international visitors.

All of this is good news for Byrne Equipment Rental who specialize in supplying events specific equipment As Caygill points out: “One of the other things in line with 2030 is the branding of Saudi worldwide. They are doing so many events making this our largest event space now and for the next ten years.”

In the last two decades that Byrne have been in the Middle East, the Regional Manager says he has seen a “seismic change” in the rental industry in both construction and oil & gas.

“Before, these companies held a lot of equipment, owned a lot of assets and were pouring a lot of capital into those assets because there needed to be a lot of overheads to support that. But they’re really starting to see the value of rental now. It’s something that they are very comfortable with.”

Rental companies like Byrne find themselves in high demand as companies continue to look for cost-effective solutions following a pandemic where finance had to be severely curtailed. Such open days are all about “reconnecting” on the back of Covid says Caygill and allowing them to have facetime with customers, something quite difficult to do over the preceding 24 months.

For clients too, the conversation undoubtedly turns towards Saudi Arabia at some point where investment by the country’s leaders with Vision 2030, coupled with the global attraction that Saudi Arabia is generating, means that there will be ample growth opportunities for everyone over the next decade. Byrne, with a foot already firmly established inside the door, foresees the country fast becoming a hub for the Arab world and a global hub for travel and tourism, creating a strong need for support through services and equipment solutions. Byrne is already gearing up to support in any way it is required and through its investment in the infrastructure and people of Saudi their Saudisation strategy continues to move forward.

49 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

The leading capital equipment solutions provider

Construction Machinery Center Co. LLC info@cmcgulf.com

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Dubai : Al Quoz Industrial Area # 3, +971 4 285 8959, P.O.Box: 5261 Abu Dhabi: Musaffah Corniche Road, +971 2 5546565, P.O.Box: 25676 Al Ain: 1st Street, Al Salam Commercial Center, +971 3 7215572 CONCRETE SOLUTIONS CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT POWER AND AIR SOLUTION MATERIAL HANDLING WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS QUARRY SOLUTIONS

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Provide highest quality equipment and solutions to our customers at lowest cost and deploying the best people to build a better future.

PO Box: 263765, Office #: 24, Street #: S800, Jebal Ali - UAE PO Box: 99068 P: +9714 803 2100 F: +9714 803 2199 E: info@qer.ae W: www.qer.ae

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R E W O P RAW EED TO N U O Y G N I EVERY TH

KNOW

34

LASS? BEST IN C ir

32_NEW RELEASES The latest releases from the world of construction machinery.

36_MINE OVER MATTER Weir Esco looks towards Saudi on the back of year-on-year growth.

at’s a fa If you feel th ness of your busi description enter the you need to ery on Machin Constructi – urgently.

ME awards

40_KOMATSU STEPS INTO THE FUTURE Japanese manufacturer brings out concept machine for futuristic jobsite.

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NEW RELEASES M AY 2022

LIEBHERR PRESENTS NEW MID-SIZED WHEEL LOADER SERIES WHY GET IT? INCREASES IN ENGINE POWER AND TIPPING LOADS PREPARE THE WHEEL LOADERS FOR DEMANDING OPERATIONS Liebherr has redeveloped and revised its range of mid-sized wheel loaders, presenting the L526, L538 and L546.

Among the features is the newly designed lift arm that ensures maximum breakout, holding and lowering forces while it has optimised z-bar kinematics and improved working hydraulics. Increases in engine power and tipping loads prepare the wheel loaders for demanding operations in various sectors, such as excavation, recycling or log handling.

The new development of the mid-sized wheel loader series from Liebherr is also characterised by a powerful design and intelligent assistance systems. These include, for example, active personnel

detection with brake assistant or the fully automatic LIKUFIX quick-coupler system.

The three models in the latest Generation 8 have bucket sizes between 2.2 and 3.0 m³ in the standard version and are characterised by a significant increase in performance compared to the previous generation. According to Liebherr the new L526, has around “20 percent more engine power and over 20 percent higher breakout forces than its predecessor,” while the L538 and L546 models also show performance increases, with the optimised travel drive “providing increased traction to ensure that the new wheel loaders accelerate dynamically in everyday work.”

Liebherr has reinforced the steel construction of the front section of the new wheel loaders in order to prepare the machines for handling heavy loads.

Structural reinforcements on the new lift arms “increase robustness” the manufacturer says, while the optimised z-bar kinematics with electro-hydraulic pilot controls has even larger hydraulic cylinders and more powerful working pumps. The combination of these innovations is expected to enable faster cycle times and dynamic and powerful work movements – even with heavy attachments such as high dump buckets or log grapples.

CAT UPDATES ASPHALT PAVER LINE WHY GET IT? NEW SCREED OFFERINGS AND TECHNOLGOY GIVES HIGH RETURN ON INVESTMENT With new screed offerings, technology that assists with paver setup, better material retention, and enhanced visibility, Caterpillar’s newest models of Asphalt pavers - AP600, AP655, AP1000, and AP1055 - build upon the performance of the F-Series and offer contractors an even higher return on investment than before.

The new Cat SE47 FM and SE60 FM Screeds utilize extenders located in front of the main screed. These front-mounted extenders are extremely stable for wider width paving and make it easy to quickly reduce paving widths when maneuvering around obstacles by easily drawing material back into the auger chamber. The SE47 FM offers a paving range of 8-ft to 20-ft, 6-in, while the SE60 FM provides a 10ft to 25-ft 6-in paving range. Optional extension packages as well as berm attachments enable these screeds to perform exceptionally well in a variety of applications in both urban and rural settings.

Pave start assistant is an optional machine management tool and an extremely useful piece of technology that simplifies setup for repeatable performance on job sites with similar paving requirements. The integrated system records the functioning conditions of both the paver and screed including paving width, paving speed, and towpoint position to name a few. When moving to a similar job site, the operator simply activates a previously recorded profile from the display menu, and the system conveniently matches machine setup specifications for proven, reliable performance. This option is available on the SE50 V, SE50 VT, SE60 V, SE60 V XW and SE60 VT XW screeds.

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NEW BACKHOE ATTACHMENT FOR BOBCAT COMPACT LOADERS WHY GET IT? GREATER VERSATILITY, STABILITY AND COMFORT Operators of Bobcat loaders can look forward to greater versatility and an increased return on investment with Bobcat’s latest launch – a new generation backhoe attachment for the company’s skid-steer and compact track loaders in the Middle East and Africa.

The new backhoe attachment converts a Bobcat loader into a powerful excavator, allowing operators to increase the versatility of their machines and an increased return on their investment. According to the manufacturer, the new release is ideal for applications in construction, utility, road work and landscaping, and is available in four configurations - the two Versatile (V) B32V and B35V models, and the two Standard (S) B32S and B35S model offering a choice of digging depths, reach and hook-up systems. The largest model in the range offers a maximum digging depth of 3.3 metres and a maximum reach of four metres, while, in contrast to the standard models, the Versatile versions of the backhoe attachment can be equipped with additional hydraulic attachments such as augers and breakers.

Speaking about Bobcat’s latest addition

to the attachment family, Daniele Paciotti, Product Line Director Attachments Bobcat in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said: “We are seeing increased demand for the backhoe attachment and have added even more versatility for the MEA market with the Versatile V-versions of the new generation product. They have a double acting auxiliary line that allows more attachments to be used with the backhoe attachment, including Bobcat hydraulic attachments such as augers, breakers and tilt buckets. The previous version of the backhoe attachment only allowed for nonhydraulic attachments, such as buckets to be used. For increased safety and to optimise the lifetime of the attachment, all hoses are now placed inside the boom.”

This further strengthens Bobcat’s reputation for versatility and time-saving efficiency, with the quick-change BobTach attachment mounting system, already a popular feature, allowing Bobcat compact loaders to be combined quickly and safely with over 100 different families of Bobcat attachments With the latest additions of hydraulic attachment, not only can operators transform their loaders into excavators that can dig holes, trenches and foundations but as a result of the increased versatility offered by the new V-version backhoe attachments,

users can now add other attachments via the backhoe for applications in demolition, landscaping, horticulture and other markets.

In fact, the new generation backhoe attachment is compatible with seven different families of Bobcat attachments, comprising over 30 different attachments in total, the manufacturer added.

A key feature for greater productivity is the standard Klac™ mechanical coupling system, which the V-versions of the backhoe attachment are also equipped with, as it ensures that attachments can be changed even more quickly. The S-versions of the backhoe attachment have a dedicated pin-on system for changing attachments.

This latest piece of equipment is also about 100 kg lighter than the previous generation product, providing additional stability for increased safety while, additionally, it offers a clear line of sight from the operator’s seat, ensuring it is easy to dig accurately with the controls provided.

SPECIFICATIONS

BOBCAT BACKHOE ATTACHMENT Models: B32V, B35V, B32S, B35S Maximum digging depth: 3 metres Maximum reach: 4 metres

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EVENT PREVIEW M AY 2022

KING R O W S I S USINES BEST, IF YOUR B E H T E B O HARD T ER THE T N E O T D YOU NEE ERY N I H C A M CTION CONSTRU NTLY! E G R U S ME AWARD

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MINING M AY 2022

Weir Esco, a leader in ground engaging tools is in the midst of exapansion in the Middle East after setting up a new facility in the region two years ago.

“We have been steadily growing and I prefer building the foundations for reliable growth year on year rather than over promising and under delivering; nonetheless we will have a breakthrough very soon”

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MINE OVER MATTER

ON THE BACK OF YEAR-ON-YEAR GROWTH AND AN OVERALL SHIFT TOWARDS MINING APPLICATIONS, CMME SPEAKS TO WEIR ESCO’S REGIONAL MANAGER, AHMED LASHIN, ABOUT WHY THE TIME IS RIPE TO BREAK INTO THE SAUDI MINING MARKET

J

ust over a year ago, on one particularly windy morning, a 400-metre vessel called ‘Ever Given’ was making its way along one of the world’s busiest trade routes when the strong winds forced it to veer ever so slightly off course. Soon, it had ended up wedged across the waterway, infamously blocking all traffic on the Suez Canal - and a global supply crisis ensued. The obstruction had a significant negative impact on trade between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, preventing an estimated US$9.6bn worth of trade. After six days, on March 29th, the ship was finally set free, with Weir ESCO cutterheads fitted to the dredger that was used in the operation. As a trusted supplier, Weir ESCO had been providing the vital trade route with sophisticated dredge technology for the previous two decades, so it came as no surprise that their equipment was at the forefront of the operation.

It is against this backdrop that Weir ESCO, a leader in the provision of Ground Engaging Tools (G.E.T.) for large mining machines, is in the midst of global expansion through its ever-increasing cutting-edge technology and equipment used by companies in mining and infrastructure markets. And perhaps the most exciting transformation right now is taking place in the Middle East, a region that represented just a tiny

fraction (one percent) of its total global orders last year, well behind its leading North American counterpart (fifty-eight percent) over the same twelve months.

“While there is no doubt that the north American reason will predictably be ESCO’s biggest market being ESCO’s home turf, there is also no question that the potential in the Middle East is massive, keep in mind here we are only talking about GCC countries and Jordan, since the rest of the middle east is distributed to other HQs ( Africa and central Asia),” Weir Esco’s, regional manager, Ahmed Lashin points out.

“Despite being successful in the past, we never had the presence we have now, we only launched the facility two years ago and it has been a fantastic foundation.

We have been steadily growing and I prefer building the foundations for reliable growth year on year rather than over promising and under delivering, nonetheless we will have a breakthrough very soon.”

So, whilst at first look, the figures may present a region lagging significantly behind other parts of the world, once one delves a bit deeper, it is evident that not only is the company undergoing an exciting transformation in the region but that there is abundant potential for growth in a relatively new market. Pivotal to this growth is the continued maturity of the Saudi market and there is no doubt that

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MINING M AY 2022

this is at the heart of ESCO’s strategic goals for the region.

According to Saudi Arabia’s Vice-Minister for Mining Affairs Khaled, Al-Mudaifer at the recent Future Minerals Summit 2022, mining investments in the Kingdom could jump by 150 percent in the next decade with an estimated potential value of $1.3 trillion. A total of 48 minerals have so far been identified in the Kingdom. Gold, copper and phosphate are currently mined in large quantities, while other deposits include zinc, nickel and rare earth metals, used in the manufacture of computers and smart devices.

“ESCO has been present in the Middle East region, and Saudi market for decades, our products are very highly regarded in construction, quarries and mining applications which we know is a huge focus in Saudi right now,” adds Lashin.

“However, we have been serving a niche of clients that were after the most reliable GET in the market. And with Saudi initiatives in mind, now is the time to expand our presence there.

“We are very excited with the vision of 2030 as a whole, and particularly with development of infrastructure and mega cities but also by the gigantic ambition to develop the mining sector to be worth 18 times its current size, becoming the third national income channel and GDP contributor. Knowing the potential of the mining sector in Saudi and the momentum this is taking off with, we have no doubt these goals will be achieved.”

Up until now Weir Esco has been serving a niche of clients looking for reliable ground engaging tools in the market.

These goals seem well aligned with ESCO’s position as the world’s number one supplier of ground engaging tools and buckets worldwide for the mining sector.

Globally, last year, mining accounted for over 50 percent of their divisional orders followed by infrastructure and to a lesser extent Oil & Gas. The Middle East paints a similar picture reflecting the shift in Weir Group towards mining both in their range of products and in company acquisitions and the sale of the oil and gas divi-sion.

KEY INNOVATION

ESCO TOOLTEK REDUCES RISK ESCO® ToolTek™ is the world’s first automated system for installation and removal of Nemisys® points and adapters.

According to ESCO it is a collaborative effort with key mining customers to provide enhanced safety for maintenance personnel during replacement of worn Nemisys® points and adapters. Large mining operations may replace hundreds of parts every month. While crews are well trained on replacement procedures and ESCO parts are engineered for worker safety, there is an element of risk during maintenance cycles.

The ToolTek system includes

a boom crane mounted tool head that is remotely operated, well out of harm’s way during replacement of worn components. New parts are prestaged on racks conveniently positioned on the flatbed truck

outfit-ted with the hydraulic crane. The system can remotely engage and disengage the G.E.T. locking mechanisms during a changeout, making the process truly touchless for mining maintenance personnel, increasing safety.

“During replacement of parts on one bucket, a crew is exposed to hundreds of touch-points which are eliminated with the ToolTek system. This system enhances worker safety, reduces labour hours needed to replace G.E.T. components and provides safer disposal of worn parts and log keeping,” says Middle East, Regional Manager, Ahmed Lashin.

While the company explores the possibility of having a local manufacturing facility, Lashin says, right now there is a central workshop that is fully equipped to perform ground engaging tools conversions, buckets refurbishments and repairs. There is also a central Hub with a centralized warehouse to serve the region.

“This is something our customers really appreciate as it reduces the lead time significantly and provides an additional layer of stock security for our end users, and provide the necessary aftermarket support either directly to our clients or through our dealers, for example in UAE – Oman and soon Saudi.”

As the manufacturer continues to bump up operations in the region, ongoing enhancements are being made to its technology, improving both product offering and further streamlining the business. Weir Group has evolved into a focused, high quality mining technology business and in November, last year, it added Motion Metrics to the ESCO division, which specialises in artificial intelligence and computer vision to improve mine safety and energy efficiency. It is seen as an essential part of strengthening ESCO’s profile and incorporating data management and hitech utilization to enhance productivity, uptime and reliability of mines.

An example of ESCO’s innovation in its product offering can be seen at a Brazilian copper mine where a primary production excavator was upgraded to the ESCO Nemisys® tooth system, last year, using N5 intermediate bridge adapters. The outcome was a substantial increase in production while reducing adapter usage and the downtime required to service the system.

The overall reduction in adapter consumption per million metric tonnes mined, not only resulted in reduced downtime for G.E.T. related maintenance but the reduction in parts and maintenance contributed to lower use of natural resources and less residual waste.

It is now four years since ESCO became part of Weir Group, operating as a separate and distinct division to Weir Minerals. That being said, where it makes sense, they build synergies to benefit from Weir Minerals footprint, or vice versa while in some cases one division’s know-how may be used to improve the other division’s products.

Reflecting on the strides the company has made in the last few years, Lashin is keen to point out that they are “operating in a very unique time, with global events that are unprecedented, challenging our regular business, costs & supply chain.”

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Despite all of this he believes ESCO has been enormously successful in showing the necessary resilience and flexibility in the past few years, while maintaining growth and customer satisfaction level. There has also been a reduction in TIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) of over 50% since the Division was acquired in 2018, and last year the TIR reduced by a further 19% showing that safety, which has been a key theme of ESCO for many years actually improved during the pandemic.

As safety innovations have improved Weir Esco has seen a huge drop in the number of total recorded incidents during their operations in recent years.

“We have invested a lot of time and effort to minimize the impact on our business partners, presenting support, new solutions and plans. In the end I think it is evident it has been working well. Looking forwards I believe the biggest challenge to tackle is to identify the correct distributors or dealers in Saudi to cover that significant geographical area.”

ESCO Middle East may only make up a small part of the global picture at this moment in time, but it is quite evident that few

places worldwide match the potential for the same explosive growth over the next five to ten years.

Following a recovery in infrastructure markets and significantly reduced disruptions to mining operations, ESCO entered 2022 with a record order book and they are aiming to eclipse that again at the end of this year. Saudi is soon to be the next step in that journey as ESCO bolsters their Middle East presence with perhaps their biggest move yet.

“Looking forwards, I believe the biggest challenge to tackle is to identify the correct distributors or dealers in Saudi to cover that significant geographical area”

THE LAST WORD M AY 2022

Bleed mark

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LENDING A HAND AND DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR YOU

JOHNSON ARABIA is a Mobile Crane and Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) rental provider in the Middle East which offers cost-efficient and versatile lift engineering solutions to the petrochemical, civil engineering, construction, industrial, utilities, aviation, marine and other industries and clients.

1325+ Projects

250+ Cranes

www.Johnsonarabia.com

700+ AWP’s

Dubai, UAE Dubai Industrial City, Saih Shuaib-3 P.O. Box 71240 Tel: +971 4 584 7551 Tel: 800-LIFTING : 052-LIFTING

350+ Skilled Workforce

Aerial Work Platform Cranes Spider Cranes Training Center

150+ Clients

20+ Years

Info@Johnsonarabia.com Abu Dhabi, UAE Sohar, Oman Musaffah Industrial Falaj Al Qabali Area P.O. Box 300 P.O. Box 34983 Postal Code 322 Tel: +971 2 550 4988 Tel: +968 2 675 3112 Tel: 800-LIFTING Tel: 800-LIFTS : 052-LIFTING : +971 52-LIFTING

© Tadano Ltd. 2022. Tadano and Demag are trademarks of or licensed by Tadano Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

AC 300-6

Above and beyond.

Take your business to the next level with the new Demag AC 300-6.

It delivers class-leading reach combined with strength, including the ability to lift 15 t on a fully telescoped 80 m boom. To allow for high versatility, the AC 300-6 can be adapted to the needs of a variety of jobs and is the smallest crane in the Demag AC range with a luffing jib. The HAV and many components are shared with Demag 5-axle cranes — increasing your return on investment and reducing the amount of spare parts you need to have on hand.

Above. Ahead. Always.