What are the latest trends in hydraulics?
Growing consumption of hydraulic products in the construction and infrastructure segments has long been a trend. The increased investments and expansions in core industries such as steel, cement, mining as well as oil and gas is driving the market for hydraulic components. Emphasis on the Indian power sector is also expected to give a leg up to the hydraulic component market. Additionally, due to the growing awareness on environment and prevention of worker fatigue, demand for smarter technologies like electro hydraulics and products with low noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels are also growing. Segments such as construction, agriculture, mining, energy, oil and gas, health care, etc are the crucial ones, which are fueling this demand of quality hydraulics products.

Could you elaborate on Eaton's contribution in specific-equipment segment in terms of new products and technology launched?
Eaton provides hydraulics to large on-road and off-road mobile OEMs in the agriculture, construction, mining, material handling and marine markets. Eaton is also a major force in providing hydraulic components and systems to leading industrial OEMs in the stationary platforms. From world-class engineering capabilities in system design to after-sales service and technical support, Eaton is committed to both industrial and mobile users. We serve civil engineering, construction and earthmoving, forestry, highways, machine tools, material handling, metal forming, military, mining, moulding, oil and gas, port machinery, power generation, primary metals, truck and bus, turf utility, wastewater treatment and many more important and core engineering segments through our hydraulic solutions.

Over these periods, we have launched many products and technologies for specific equipment segments, which offer technical features and advantages over the conventional systems. As an example, we can talk about Eaton's 'Life Sense Hoses', which can be used in critical fuel conveying areas where time of hose-failures can be accurately predicted through continuous electronic monitoring and thereby saving the users from unforeseen break-downs of machines or pollution related penalties and above all, saving big dollars by avoiding under-utilisation of the hoses and replacing those much ahead of the due dates.

Tell us about your R&D and where it is heading in terms new developments.
With our vision of being the most admired company in markets across the globe, we continuously strive to better ourselves to provide the best solutions to our customers. Eaton has its largest global engineering centre located in Pune, which is involved in design, R&D of cutting-edge hydraulic technologies and products. Eaton also invests substantially in product R&D through its Corporate Research and Technology teams. The larger objective of these efforts is to bring maximum value to Eaton customers. Eaton's hydraulics manufacturing facility in Pimpri in Pune is an Eaton Center of Excellence (COE) for gear pumps, which also manufactures steering control units, rockshaft valves, power units and cylinders. The rockshaft valve that goes into one of the world's leading tractor brands has been completely designed and manufactured in India.

As a system solution supplier to OEMs, how do you assess the trend towards achieving cost efficiency through advanced green technology?
Eaton is a power management company that builds products and solutions, which are reliable, safe and efficient. There has been a tremendous focus on building technologies that are green and sustainable. Eaton develops solutions for its customers that drive sustainable growth around the globe, including efficiently using and conserving global resources, developing energy efficient products, reducing emissions and protecting the environment.

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