Up-grading roads!

The road construction industry in India is undergoing a paradigm shift. Robust demand, higher investment and significant policy support in the road construction industry are driving the demand for motor graders in India.

LiuGong set up new lineups of excavators and wheel loaders

"Over the last few years, LiuGong has dabbled in the global quarry and aggregates markets, but the Chinese manufacturer now claims to be making a full entry into the sector.

LiuGong set up new lineups of excavators and wheel loaders

The refreshed 856H and 890H wheel loaders, as well as the 913FCR and 922F excavators, were on display at the recent World of Concrete in Las Vegas.

Making rapid strides

Motor graders have seen unprecedented growth in the past couple of years, which is expected to continue in the coming years as well with road projects continue to grow.

We emphasise on continuous product development

CASE India has maintained a leadership position in the Indian subcontinent riding on extraordinary customer connect and support. With the existing products like skid steer loaders, motor grader, compactor, loader backhoes etc, CASE India develops products to suit the evolving requirements of the Indian customers.

Back on Track!

The Indian mining and material processing industry, along with other bulk material handling operations like coal loading or bulk handling at ports, and aggregate processing in roads, is already on a fast track growth trajectory in India, thereby driving the demand.

Essential for Road Building

Commitment towards infrastructural development and faster implementation of road projects to desired specifications are driving the growth of the motor grader market in India.

Of Mobility and Manoeuvrability

Modern vehicles in future must be more mobile and manoeuvrable. This trend is also expected to continue with backhoe loaders.

Optimising Fuel Efficiency

Transmission solutions play a vital role in the overall performance of an equipment. Availability of the latest technologies in transmission solutions have helped OEMs to improve the efficiency level of their equipment.

ZF transmissions are tailor-made for different applications

ZF has recently strengthened its business development footprint for the Indian market through establishing a local engineering resource. Suresh KV, President for ZF in India elaborates on the company?s solutions to the CE industry.

Value for Money

LiuGong is a leader in the design and production of wheel loaders. Excavators, bulldozers, motor graders, skidsteers, etc are other major equipment ranges. The company places intense emphasis on quality and aftersales service. It is evident from the responses from its two major customers.

Graded Up

If tightened completion time is demanded as in the case of Delhi peripheral ring road by Supreme Court, it will sure to up the demand for advanced, high capacity motor graders.

Wheel loaders - Optimising Productivity

Cycle time is a critical success factor in all bulk handling applications. Ramifications of high cycle time even extend to bulk handlers securing business. Wheel loaders are extensively used bulk handling tools wherein high productivity is of essence.

Grading Up

Time-bound projects need reliable machines, and all equipment manufacturers are trying to innovate and adapt to the latest trends and are in the continuous process of improving productivity of the machine. Agith G Antony finds out product and technology trends in the motor grader segment.

The Performer

SDLG launches motor grader, G9190, powered by a Deutz Tier III engine, with hydraulically-controlled movable blade for ultimate precision and performance.The Leading Chinese construction equipment manufacturer, Shandong Lingong Machinery launched the 148kW motor grader, powered by the German-designed DeutzDalian electronic injection TIER III engine; this grader offers premium performance on any terrain, from highways and airports to construction and agricultural applications.

ZF plant in US

ZF Friedrichshafen AG has opened a new plant for automatic passenger car transmissions in the US. Located in South Carolina, ZF Transmissions Gray Court LLC is the manufacturing site of the 8-speed automatic transmission

Case offers a full line of premium quality construction equipment

The machines are designed incorporating the four main criteria for any product offered by Case like operator comfort, productivity, serviceability and low operating costs, says Anil Bhatia, Director - Sales and Marketing, Case New Holland Construction Equipment India.

The B series motor graders are offered with an NEF engine and variable horsepower.

The Case grader has the best technical features and it is only a question of time before it gets to the top position, says Anil Bhatia, Director - Sales & Marketing, CASE India. Excerpts from the interview.

We will continue to strengthen our presence in wheel loader segment

Our entire range of world class attachments has met with a splendid response from our customers owing to their best-in-class features such as robust casing, higher operating weight that helps stress wave transverse to the ground more effectively and efficiently,

ZF for Dump Trucks

ZF Industrial Technology develops products for dumpers for optimum performance in operational duties. It has been possible to reduce the fuel consumption by up to 20 per cent through a reduction in the engine speeds. To be able to satisfy these requirements in routine use, maximum ground contact, uniform distribution of the drive power to all wheels and a harmonious uniform load distribution are important for high level of safety. Apart from these viewpoints for reduced cycle times and more oper

Doosan at Bauma China

Doosan will showcase its range of equipment at Bauma China. These will include the company?s top of the range 70 tonne DX700LC crawler excavator. Also on show will be the DA40 articulated dump truck (DA40) ? a new one for Chinese market.

Continuously variable transmissions

A trend towards lower engine speeds and the demand for engine stabilisation by a constant speed concept are the future challenges on the construction machinery market. The continuously variable cPOWER from ZF meets both requirements. In wheel loader applications, hydrostatic-powersplit transmissions ensure significant consumption benefits compared to hydrodynamic transmissions and purely hydrostatic concepts.

Globally, LiuGong produces 40,000 wheel loaders annually

With strengthened component, world-class ZF axle and ZF transmission and Cummins engine, wheel loaders from LiuGong are easy to operate even under rough terrains, says Sunil Sapru, President, LiuGong India. 1 - - 16081 14 165 2011-06-01 00:00:00.000 Agith G Antony Eaton solutions are extremely rugged and durable

?Eaton is the world's leading producer of heavy-duty and synchro-mesh medium-duty transmissions. They not only offer best-in- class system performance, but also help the industry to customise solutions based on customer requirements,? says Krishnakumar Srinivasan, Managing Director, India Truck Division, Eaton Corporation. In an exclusive chat with Agith G Antony, he elaborates on the changing trends in the automatic transmission systems and talks about Eaton's strengths and capabilities.

Has revival of market sentiments been reflected in the demand-supply for commercial duty fully automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems in the automotive industry?
Demand for construction equipment (CE) is bound to grow with the government speeding up the process of contract awards and working towards the removal of impediments of execution. The prospect of investment in the CE industry is encouraging, with the government's push for more private participation. To remain competitive in such a scenario, it is necessary to have efficient equipment with optimised utilisation. Automated solutions help the fleet owners to not only reduce operating cost but also help in significant improvement in asset utilisation. Automatic transmissions are relatively new technologies that are making way into the construction, mining and earth-moving equipment. These technologies are delivering the benefits which have been eluding the mining and construction companies for sometime. For example, the mining industry has recognised the benefits of having automated transmissions on their trucks : reduced driver fatigue and safety, in addition to more fuel efficiency. So, as the benefits of these technologies are being evaluated, we are seeing a rise in demand and in the last few months, the pace has increased.

What are the major growth enablers of this industry?
The growth drivers for the CE industry include the current and proposed financial outlay in road infrastructure, housing, power, irrigation and segments like ports and airports. All these are major growth enablers of the CE industry because they not only use large construction equipment but also generate secondary demands in cement, steel and mining which all require large number of earthmoving and construction equipment.

Could you throw some light on the comprehensive range of transmissions on offer from Eaton for mining, off-road construction and heavy haulage applications?
Eaton caters to all segments of this industry, with products especially designed to suit these end-customer needs. Eaton can offer products suitable for 900 to 3,000 Nm torque requirement, and has very robust and rugged solutions in 6 to 18 speed manual and automated manual transmissions (AMTs). We have a number of modular construction designs for our heavy-duty transmissions. We can offer our AMTs in 10, 11, 13 and 18 speeds, with overall ratios ranging from 15.5 to 36:1. Then, we can give a level of optimised vehicle performance to a broad range of applications which we believe is unparalleled in the industry. Eaton has specifically developed Line Haul, Vocations (off-road and mining) and a multi-purpose series of transmissions with varying speeds and torque capabilities to suit specific requirements within the segment. Specific features have been developed considering the application requirements so as to bring efficiencies to the fleet.

Could you tell us about the overall market potential in terms of size and value.
The Indian CV market and in particular, segments relating to infrastructure growth, have been growing very rapidly and we expect a robust and consistent growth for at least next 8-10 years. Putting a size and value is difficult due to the rapid growth rate of close to double-digit figures but if the momentum continues, we may see it breaking into double-digit figures soon.

What is the range and capability of Eaton transmissions?
Eaton offers AMT as a complete driveline solution provider taking care of complete system efficiency including the clutch and transmission. Eaton solutions are extremely rugged and durable with best-in-class performance and efficiency. Eaton AMT solutions are also built with top safety features. The solutions offered by Eaton help improve fuel efficiency and hence optimise on running and operating costs.

What are the advantages of using Eaton transmission?
Eaton is the world's leading producer of heavy-duty and synchro-mesh medium-duty transmissions. Eaton not only offers best-in-class system performance, but also helps the industry to customise solutions based on customer requirements. Eaton transmissions can offer a wide range of speeds in various overall ratios and torque ratings. Our research and innovation have enabled us to use aluminium-based castings that make the transmissions lighter, hence vehicles become more fuel-efficient. Computer-designed constant mesh helical gearing ensures quieter operation and greater gear strength.

How do you rate your success of penetration in the Indian CE segment? What are the challenges Eaton faces there?
Eaton has excellent products for the CE segment and well poised to grow in this segment. We have developed our understanding of the conditions that this segment demands and now upgraded the products to best suit the market needs. Our automated transmissions have excellent inbuilt features to succeed in the CE segment in India.

Tell us about the evolution of transmission technology and the R&D spend.
Every market and customer segment has very unique requirements. The success is to have products designed and developed to suit those requirements and market needs. Eaton has developed an extensive engineering capability in India. Our engineering centre in Pune is the largest integrated engineering and research centre in Eaton. Our engineers collaborate on global projects for across the world as well as for India, to develop right products meeting the respective market requirements. We have also set up a big Test Lab to test and validate products designed and produced in India. Many OEMs have made India the hub of their R&D and that speaks about the potential and volume of investments that are being diverted towards India.

How do you look at the competition in this segment? What differentiates Eaton from the competition?
We are a diversified company and a global market leader in the segments we operate in. Our presence in the hydraulics segment has ensured a strong foothold in the CE industry and we are well aware of the conditions and needs of the segment. Eaton has been supplying the trucking industry with products designed to improve vehicle performance and power, and increase profitability for over a century now. Our length and breadth of experience in the industry positions us as the leading supplier taking care of the customer needs. The fact that we have our heritage of a hundred years of innovation gives us a headstart to provide the right products to the right segments. This way, Eaton has been successful in understanding the end-customer needs and expectations and has been successfully delivering the value.

How do you look at the capabilities of the supply chain?
Suppliers are one of our key stake holders for the company in India as well as globally since we operate in diverse countries and regions. The fundamental requirement of any supply-chain organisation is to reduce costs ? not just direct material costs, but costs such as logistics, services, inventory, and other indirect costs. We have a full-fledged supply-chain team with specialisation in various technologies like castings, forgings etc, supporting our Indian and global operations. Eaton in India has excellent supply-chain capabilities with quality suppliers at globally competitive pricing. We are attempting to ensure that most of the products manufactured and sold in India have a significant level of localisation.

Brief us about Eaton's manufacturing facilities. Do you have further plans on investment?
Eaton Corporation's truck transmissions plant is its first greenfield manufacturing facility in India. The plant was commissioned in 2007 and began its production in 2008. It's a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with heat treatment, assembly and testing facilities. The second phase of construction for the plant was started in April 2008 and is operational as of now. We recently invested in an integrated test lab at our Ranjangaon facility that will help to test the products developed in India resulting in significant time saving. We plan to regularly invest to meet the growing market requirements.

What was the total turnover in the last fiscal, and what is the expected growth this fiscal?
All I can tell you is that we have a positive growth outlook for our business in India.