Aproaching newer technologies means higher profit, efficiency, productivity, and reduced cost. VG Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India (also Member of Governing Council, ICEMA, and Chairman of Mechanisation Committee, Builders Association of India), shares more on the digitalisation trend in construction equipment market.

What is the role of technology in the evolution of construction equipment industry in India?
While digital technology has penetrated every possible industry across the globe, the one sector that joined the party very late is the construction equipment (CE) sector. In the recent times, the CE sector adapting to such technologies has peaked. This is evident in contractors and their businesses digitising every aspect of their construction and site management. Digitising the technologies has been extremely beneficial. Approaching newer technologies means higher profit, efficiency, productivity, and reduced cost. And this will revolutionise the conventional practices of the CE sector.

We the construction equipment manufacturers act as an OEM to provide solutions for all the challenges with the latest technology and innovation. We offer a wide range of equipment to cater to different types of construction activities starting from rural road projects to urban metro projects delivering the qualitative end product output in line with the benchmarked standards. The technology shift has also brought huge difference in the project management's end.

How has technology been evolved in Schwing Stetter product lines?
Schwing Stetter India has introduced many new products to cater different applications with varied new technologies. The company is well equipped with adequate resources and in-house research and development (R&D) capabilities to deliver the innovative products adhered to the latest technology and standards. Schwing Stetter India has been doing this for more than 22 years. Of course, this has made Schwing Stetter India the market leader in India in the construction equipment sector. A range of new products was launched at Excon 2019 (refer to the box for details).

What are the IoT/digital-based monitoring and control technologies offered with Schwing Stetter concrete equipment?
Schwing Stetter India showcased Internet of Things (IoT) solutions of Schwing IoT In, Schwing IoT Ready, Schwing IoT abled, Schwing dashboard for batching plants, Schwing Stetter India gateway device, hi-tech weighing system, Schwing Smartrack and Stetter concrete transit mixer with mobile app, recently at Excon 2019. Schwing Stetter India stepped into networking of batching plants in 2009 which was the beginning of IoT. The integration of production data to ERP was initiated in 2009 and now the process data is hosted into the cloud and the customer is provided with the dashboard to monitor the real-time productivity, efficiency and the alerts that is generated during production. Schwing Stetter also facilitates customer by triggering email notification of the critical alerts to the respective stake (configured) holder. The available equipment fleet can be monitored in a single dashboard. Legacy control (our old equipment) needs some retrofitment for effective data mapping.

How do these technologies help in the optimum utilisation of the equipment at a project?
Schwing IoT brings in clear visibility and this makes every element easier for project management. We can know the status of equipment on real-time basis (run hours, active status, idle hours, idle status and many more). With these real-time data, we can derive the utilisation and plan equipment requirement and other key analysis which leads to optimised operation.

What are your future plans on adding more new-gen technologies to the product range?
More new products are expected to be launched with more to happen on equipment proactive maintenance through IIoT, usage of IIoT in electrical vehicle sector and more collaboration with other domain business leaders are expected.

What is your outlook on the adoption of new-gen technologies in Indian construction equipment market?
There is a general shift in the construction industry approach in accepting newer technologies in their various operations. Notable examples include integrating smartphone with the machine through IoT, GPS tracking, cloud computing-based solutions, virtual reality-based training, robots, artificial intelligence, mobile technology, virtual reality wearables, drones, 3D printing, self-healing concrete, building information modelling, building roads with solar panels, building roads with plastic mix and building water absorbing roads to increase groundwater table are the emerging trends in construction equipment industry globally and in India. However, a word of caution is that the industry and the user should plan for the changes organically. Overdoing can create frustration if enough people who understand the advantages of service and maintenance are not available in the system.

Products launched at Excon 2019 

• Schwing concrete line pump SPL1420
• Stetter concrete batching plant CP21
• Stetter concrete batching plant M1 precast
• Stetter self-loading concrete mixer SLMBee2.0
• Stetter self-propelled concrete mixer SPM4000
• Stetter concrete recycling plant RA6
• Schwing light mast
• Gomaco concrete paver GP2600 with IDBI
• Gomaco cylinder finisher SL450
• Rubble Master crusher RM70GO2.0
• XCMG crawler crane XGC55T
• XCMG excavator XE230C
• XCMG excavator XE380C
• XCMG motor grader GR1003
• XCMG truck crane XCT50_Y, XCT60_Y and XCT80_Y