earth moving equipment

CE Earthmoving Equipment

88 The Masterbuilder - February 2013 www.masterbuilder.co.in

MB, CE & Infrastructure Bureau Report

Earthmoving Equipment:`Sustained Demand Pattern Keeping Manufacturers Busy

t won't be a misnomer to say that

earthmoving equipment is the most Icrucial market segment among all types of construc-

tion equipment. The earthmov-

ing equipment segment's health

is often the barometer using which

the overall health of the construction

equipment industry is measured. The

earthmoving equipment industry's share

is estimated to be currently over ` 6,000

crore, which is roughly half of the total

market for the construction equipment

industry pegged at around ` 12, 000

crore in India. All through the economic

upheavals it is one market segment that

has been able to maintain a steady pace

of growth. With earthmoving equipment

also being used in a major way in the

mining industry, this is one market seg-

ment which is being closely watched

by almost every leading global player in

recent times.

With the government keen on push-

ing ahead with reforms and with mar-

kets expected to respond positively to

these initiatives, there are enough indi-

cations already to suggest that the sec-

ond wind which infrastructure develop-

ment was waiting for is round the cor-

ner. It won't come as a surprise if earth-

moving equipment were to steal the

show again during bC India 2013. The

renewed fillip to infrastructure works in-

cluding, roads, airports, irrigation, ports

and urban development has come as a

shot in the arm for the industry. The earth-

moving equipment industry's growth

potential can be gauged from the fact

that a study by Accenture has pegged

the potential of the industry to become

a US$23 billion market by 2020. Apart

from infrastructure development, min-

ing is another emerging area that earth-

89www.masterbuilder.co.in The Masterbuilder - February 2013

moving equipment manufacturers are

watching with keen interest. As rightly

stated by Mr.A.M. Muralidharan, Man-

aging Director, Volvo India Pvt Ltd some-

time ago, As the Indian mining industry

grows, we will see both new and the

existing mining players offer significant

wealth creation opportunities to inves-

tors and construction equipment manu-

facturers, these developments could

have a far reaching impact on the Indian

earthmoving equipment industry. With

the economic situation expected to

improve by the year end and the gov-

ernment willing to take calculated risks

by pushing ahead with reforms, as in

the case with retail in FDI, there are

enough indications that the earthmov-

ing industry could be heading for a

period of robust growth during the 12th

Five Year Plan period (2012-17).

No Looking Back

India continues to be the most im-


India has emerged as a key market for global earthmoving equipment manufacturers

When the going gets tough use backhoe loaders

seems to be success mantra among Indian contractors

We will be looking for new

markets within India for the

various products that we have"

Vipin Sondhi

Managing Director & CEO, JCB India


during the launch of its 3DX backhoe

loader model was heard stating, We

will be looking for new markets within

India for the various products that we

have," a strategy that could rich divi-

dends for the company given its distri-

bution and retail strength that enables it

to tap rural markets.

Case India continued to make rapid

inroads into the market with its models

Case 851, 770, and 7700L. With inten-

sifying competition manufacturers are

banking on latest technologies to cater

to the needs of an increasingly technol-

ogy-savvy Indian customer. Case India

for example offers a dual stage pump

in its 851 model for higher fuel effi-

ciency. Explaining the feature, Mr.Arun

Javali, Head- Sales Development,

Backhoe division of the company said,

During backhoe operations, consider-

ing the requirement of simultaneous

operation to facilitate higher productiv-

ity this machine is designed with Close

Centre Load Sensing System (CLSS) and

combined flow of 151LPM @2200rpm

by tandem hydraulic pump. However

during loader operation the flow require-

ment is less as the functional attach-

ments are only two i.e. loader arm &

loader bucket, hence for optimal and

fuel efficient performance; the hydrau-

lic system utilizes only one pump flow.

This mode selection results in higher

fuel efficiency. Other big players in fray

too have charted their own success

paths based on incorporation of latest

technologies and features. Good exam-

ples being Caterpillar with models such

as the '424B' ,ECEL with its 'Digmax'

backhoe loader model, Mahindra &

Mahindra Construction Equipment divi-

sion with its 'EarthMaster' model, Leyland

Deere with its '435' backhoe loader and

ACE with its AX130 continued to impress

with their respective growth stories.

Compact Excavators to the Fore

Another market segment which has

been witnessing a flurry of activities off

late has been that of excavators. Almost

every major player in the field has come

out with newer products to cater to the

Indian market in recent times. LiuGong

India for example, announced its new

'D'Series of hydraulic excavators which

according to the company have been

completely redesigned to meet Tier

2/Stage II interim emission standards.

The company offers a wide range of

hydraulic excavators including models

such as 906C, 908C, 205C and 225C.

Compact excavators are now the fla-

vour of the season in a way. LiuGong

India came up with its CLG920D model

portant market for backhoe loaders and

this truth was not lost on any of the lead-

ing manufacturers. Every passing year

sees a series of new models of back-

hoe loaders hit the Indian market. The

situation is expected to be the same

come bC India 2013 with several new

or upgraded models expected to rule

the roost during the trade show. JCB

India with its range of backhoe loaders

including the 2DX, 3DX, 3DX Super,

3DX Xtra and 4DX models continued to

rule the roost. Manufacturers are look-

ing to enter hinterlands and further

expand their market. Mr.Vipin Sondhi,

Managing Director & CEO of JCB India

As the Indian mining industry

grows, we will see both new

and the existing mining players

offer significant wealth creation

opportunities to investors and

construction equipment

manufacturers

A.M. Muralidharan

Managing Director, Volvo India Pvt Ltd


During backhoe operations,

considering the requirement of

simultaneous operation to

facilitate higher productivity this

machine is designed with Close

Centre Load Sensing System

(CLSS) and combined flow of

151LPM @2200rpm by tandem

hydraulic pump. However

during loader operation the flow

requirement is less as the

functional attachments are only

two i.e. loader arm & loader

bucket, hence for optimal and

fuel efficient performance; the

hydraulic system utilizes only

one pump flow. This mode

selection results in higher fuel

efficiency

Arun Javali

Head- Sales Development,

Backhoe Division, Case India

which offers speedier, efficient, and cost-

effective solutions. Offering increased

value seems to be the buzzword among

manufacturers. As pointed out by

Mr.Rohit Punjabi, General Manager-

Strategy Development Department of

LiuGong India, One of the major rea-

sons behind LiuGong excavators being

a success in the industry today is that

LiuGong offers the best value proposi-

tion for its customers, a statement

that shows that the Indian market is

evolving by the day and suppliers

are leaving no stone unturned

in offering the best product

'package'.

Among manufacturers

product design and vari-

ety seems to be the name

of the game. A good example

for a versatile range of excavators can

be found in the stable of Hyundai Con-

struction Equipment India Pvt Ltd

(HCEIPL), a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy

Industries. The company has already

made rapid strides into the Indian mar-

ket with its 'Robex' series of crawler and

wheeled excavators, available in a range

of capacities. It had recently launched

its launched its technologically advanced

'9' Series excavator series in the coun-

try. The company launched the models

'Robex220' and 'Robex140' under the

series. According to the company the 9

Series excavators provides stability,

greater digging and crowd force along

with advanced hydraulics for improved

controllability and smoother operation

in arduous conditions like quarries and

mines.

Several global players are now eye-

ing the rapidly growing Indian excava-

tor market. A case in point is that of

Doosan Infracrore, a company that is

well-known for its range of hydraulic

excavators, wheeled excavators, and

articulated dump trucks. The company

introduced the Bobcat MX 418 model

in India, a compact excavator that has

an operating weight of 1,167 kg and a

dig depth of 1.83 metres. The excava-

tor is ideally suited for working in cramped

urban confines, next to buildings or other

property and areas where it is difficult

to transport equipment. The machine

features zero tail swing (ZTS) with tracks

extended.

The market for excavators is rapidly

evolving with established players trying

to stretch their product portfolio to in-

crease their reach. Telcon, considered

an industry leader for a long time now,

with its models such as TMX 20, EX70,

EX110, EX200iLC, EX210-CCH-V, EX

350 CCH- V Super, EX-1200, EX-1900,

EX2500 and EX-3600 added to its

already extensive range by introducing

the Tata Hitachi Zaxis 50 compact exca-

vator model. The 50 ton class tracked

compact excavator model powered by

the noiseless, compact, and efficient

35.5 HP Kubota V2203 engine. The 05

Series engines are vertical, water cooled

4 Cycle diesel engines. They incorpo-

rate Kubota's foremost technologies,

with E-TVCS (Three Vortex Combustion

System), well known Bosch MD type

injection pump & well balanced designs,


Skid steer loaders have immense growth potential in India


One of the major reasons

behind LiuGong excavators

being a success in the industry

today is that LiuGong offers the

best value proposition for its

customers

Rohit Punjabi

General Manager

Strategy Development Department, LiuGong India

thereby giving greater power, low fuel

consumption, low vibration, & quieter

operation.

Other established players too fur-

ther consolidated their positions in the

market. Volvo Construction Equipment

for instance made further inroads into

the market with models like Volvo

EC380D and EC480D, which are ideally

suited for a range of heavy-duty appli-

cations including mining, quarry work,

civil construction, trenching, hauler truck

loading, large scale road building, and

mass excavation. Similarly, JCB India

continued on its growth path with a

wide range of excavators including

JS81, JS120, JS140, JS200, JS200HD,

and JS210LC. Caterpillar is another

major brand offering models ranging

from 8 to 90 metric ton capacities as

part of its mini, small, medium, and

large hydraulic excavators range.

Growth Across the Spectrum

The growth story of earthmoving

moving equipment spanned across

range with its 3DX, 430ZX, and 432ZX

models. Hyundai Construction Equip-

ment is another player in fray with mod-

els in its 'HL' series. Caterpillar is another

leading name in fray with its wide range

of compact, small, small medium and

large wheel loaders.

With highway projects being exe-

cuted around the country, it was not sur-

prising to find motor graders in demand.

LiuGong India had earlier in the year

launched the CLG414 BSIII motorgrader,

with a water-cooled Cummins engine

rated at 112kW for tough highway jobs.

Caterpillar is another big name in the

field with its 'M','K' and 'K2' series of

motorgraders. Dozers are another type

among the earthmoving equipment

which have found favours with Indian

contractors. Chetra Machinery India is

a good example for a company offering

both wheeled and tracked dozer mod-

els ideally suited to Indian working con-

ditions.

Digging Deep

The near future of the earthmoving

equipment industry hinges on proactive

steps by the establishment towards

infrastructure development. The demand

for excavators in the range of 8-20 tonnes

capacity is expected to be steady. Simi-

larly, another distinct trend that has

emerged in recent times has been the

interest in compact excavators that are

ideally suited for working in cramped

urban environs, so typical of Indian cit-

ies and towns. The market for wheel

loaders which is about 3000 units is also

expected to maintain a steady growth

rate given the gradual increase in scale

of infrastructure projects, plus the push

being given to mining sector. The

growth story of the versatile backhoe

loaders is something that is expec-ted

to continue for a few more years. With

over 23,000 units being sold annually,

backhoe loaders will continue to be the

most intensely competitive market seg-

ment. A period of transition with the

focus shifting towards higher capa-city

machines could be in the offing given

the gradual rise in scale of infrastruc-

ture projects in the near future.

LiuGong - Wheel Loaders

almost every type of construction ma-

chinery falling under the category. Skid

steer loaders for example, are now be-

coming a familiar sight across Indian

cities and even in rural areas, given

their versatile application areas includ-

ing in infrastructure development, con-

struction sites, and agriculture. Case

Construction India had introduced the

Case Sr130 and SR150 models to tap

this increasingly growing market seg-

ment. Similarly, the going was also

smooth for wheel loader manufactur-

ers too. LiuGong India continued to

make its presence felt with wheel

loader models including 835BSIII and

856BSIII. JCB India also offers a solid



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