EXCON 2019: OEMs and suppliers bet big on construction equipment biz

EXCON, South Asia’s largest construction equipment trade fair, once again made the headlines this year with its 10th expo which opened in Bangalore on December 10. The five-day event was inaugurated by Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transport & Highways (MoRTH) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MEME) and Karnataka Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre.

Despite the ongoing slowdown in the economy, a good number of OEMs and suppliers put on a robust display of products, technologies and services targeted at the construction and infrastructure industry. New demand from this sector could help the auto industry buffer the sales decline from their main operations.

Held on the overall theme of ‘Smart i-Tech – Next Gen India@75’, the event is conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and supported by the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (ICEMA). The expo, spread across 260,000 square metres, has drawn participation from over 1,250 exhibitors, representing 918 exhibitors including 281 international companies from 21 countries, including China, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Turkey and the UK. The expo saw 300 new product launches and drew 55,224 business visitors.

Speaking at the inauguration, Nitin Gadkari said the construction equipment industry can expect a 40 percent increase in sales in the near future. “The Prime Minister has a vision to make India a $5 trillion (Rs 35,350,000 crore) economy. This requires a lot of investments in infrastructure and industrial projects. Keeping this in mind, the government is investing a lot in roads and other infrastructure projects to develop airports, ports, waterways and smart cities. For the roads, the government is invested around Rs 2 lakh crore, this year. This will eventually increase to Rs 3 lakh crore by next year. And, within the next five years, the total government spend on the road infrastructure will be about Rs 17 lakh crore.”

He urged private players in the construction industry to focus on mechanisation, adoption of advanced technologies to reduce the cost of construction and pollution.

Azim Premji, founder and chairman, Wipro, stated that India should increase its GDP spend towards infrastructure developments to 6 percent which at present is around 5 percent.

Vikram S Kirloskar, president, CII said: “With the government concentrating on the infrastructure projects, this will eventually bring down the cost of doing business in India. The construction industry has to be ready with Industry 4.0 and connected solutions to manage the market situation in the coming years.”

Vipin Sondhi, chairman, CII Trade Fairs Council, said: “The construction equipment industry is witnessing a digital influx with the advent of AI, telematics and IoT. These developments would increase the efficiency and productivity of the projects in India.”

Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII and Sandeep Singh, president, ICEMA and VC, CII Karnataka were also present at the event. The event highlighted the growing contribution of the women and recognised initiatives through 'Women Building India - Equal Opportunity Awards'. Among the winners, Cummins India was recognised for its Inclusive Workplace for Women Award, while JCB India got The Special Initiative (Shop Floor) Award.

OEMs and suppliers bet big on construction equipment business
With the government outlining a massive infrastructure development programme, it is not surprising that stakeholders in the construction equipment industry, which include leading vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers in the Indian automotive industry, were out in full force at EXCON 2019.

Dana bullish on Indian CE market
Dana, the US-based world leader in providing power-conveyance and energy-management solutions for light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment, announced the company's growing support for the Indian construction industry, including new technologies, enhanced local engineering capabilities, and additional manufacturing and distribution facilities. At EXCON 2019, it showcased numerous drive systems for diesel, hybrid-, and electric-powered construction equipment.

"India is one of the largest industrial markets in the world, making it a key region for supporting our customers through a larger global footprint and deeper e-Mobility expertise," said Aziz Aghili, president of Dana Off-Highway Drive and Motion Technologies.  "The comprehensive range of innovations we are featuring at EXCON 2019 reflects our investments to expand our world-class engineering, manufacturing, and distribution capabilities in India."

Dana offers drive and motion technologies for compact construction equipment designed for a wide range of applications and vehicle energy strategies.  At EXCON 2019, Dana is presenting complete drive systems for compactors that include Spicer axles, Spicer Torque-Hub wheel drives, and Brevini hydraulic motors. Additionally, Dana is presenting a complete range of products for diesel-, hybrid-, and electric-powered aerial work platforms (AWPs), wheel loaders, and self-loading mixers.

Dana supports the construction market with Spicer drive technologies for vehicles powered by internal-combustion engines. Dana then seamlessly packages advanced drivetrain solutions into current vehicle architectures through products that include Ashwoods motor and generator solutions for hybrid configurations and Spicer Electrified innovations for electric-powered equipment.

Dana also supplies a wide selection of Brevini Electrified motion products optimized for the unique power distribution requirements of hybrid and electric off-highway vehicles.

Dana, a leading Tier 1 supplier to vehicle manufacturers in India for more than 50 years, has in a series of strategic acquisitions added significant Asian manufacturing capacity, supplemented local engineering and customer support, and fortified the company's expertise in managing complex global development programs.  More than 5,000 employees work at Dana's 17 facilities in India, including two global technology centres. 

Schwing Stetter unveils 22 new products
With EXCON 2019 being the all-prominent platform for the construction equipment industry, Schwing Stetter unveiled all of 22 new products this year. With this new product line-up, Schwing Stetter India aims to position itself as one of the most prominent infrastructure equipment partners in the country and an active participant across all government projects to be announced.

The company showcased a host of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, dashboard for batching plants, gateway device, hi-tech weighing system,and a Schwing smartrack and Stetter concrete transit mixer with mobile app. These solutions are in line with the theme of Excon 2019 being Intelligent, Interconnected, Innovation, Infrastructure and Internet.

According to V G Sakthikumar, Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India said, “These 22 innovative machines which are revolutionary and aimed at both maximising efficiency and boosting customer profitability. These machines will be primarily operated in key infrastructure and transportation projects. The response to our display is overwhelming and that is a matter of great satisfaction for us as a company”.

Mahindra displays Blazo range of tippers 
Mahindra Truck and Bus showcased its Blazo heavy-duty range of tippers suited for construction-related applications. According to Vinod Sahay, CEO, Mahindra Truck and Bus and Construction Equipment Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, “At Mahindra Truck and Bus (MTB), customer-centricity and continuous product innovation have been at the core of our business. Construction is an intense, time-consuming process. Ensuring that our vehicles operate continually for nearly 18 to 20 hours per day is the key to the profitability of our customers.”

Vinod Sahay: "With competitive product superiority, mileage guarantee and a 96% uptime guarantee, the Blazo X 28 tipper is a game-changing offering."

He added, “The Mahindra Blazo X tippers are designed for higher levels of utilisation. Not only that, the Blazo X 28T tipper comes with guaranteed higher mileage, highest pulling power, rugged aggregates, lowest maintenance and best-in-class cabin. With competitive product superiority, mileage guarantee and a 96% uptime guarantee, the Blazo X 28 tipper is a game-changing offering."

MTB also displayed its LCV tipper, the Loadking OPTIMO. This model with Its compact overall architecture is claimed to be ideal for last-mile applications like sand mining and construction.

Cummins packs a mean punch
Cummins, which is celebrating its centenary year, was out in full force at the expo. Cummins India showcased its QSF4.5 Bharat Stage IV CEV and the QSB6.7 Bharat Stage IV CEV engines catering to the off-highway segment. The QSF4.5 Bharat Stage IV CEV engine, available from 121–173 hp, is a new-generation 4-cylinder engine for use in various off-highway and construction applications upto 173 hp range. QSF4.5 has EGR Free Architecture (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), claimed to provide best-in-class power density, exceptional performance and low operating costs. It comes with single module after-treatment to meet BS IV emission norms, which can be scaled to meet BS V norms without requiring any new development in the equipment. The QSF 4.5 off-highway engine powers applications of various equipment, including construction, mining, material handling, oil and gas, and power generation.

Speaking on Cummins’s participation at EXCON, Ashwath Ram, Managing Director Cummins India, said: “Cummins engines do more with less. For operators, our engines deliver higher performance for more machine capability. Simpler architecture means more reliability, and more productivity. Additionally, our improved fuel efficiency with extended service intervals drives fewer running costs, and what more interesting is that Cummins delivers all of this while meeting the stringent emission norms.”

Gates India unveils new hydraulic hose
Gates India launched its next-generation premium hydraulics, MegaSys MXG 4K hydraulic hose. A global provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions, Gates says it is redefining high-pressure hydraulic performance with the introduction of the new hydraulic hose. It is lightweight, compact, highly flexible drop-in replacement for conventional spiral hoses.

Mike Haen, vice-president, Global Product Line Management said: “MXG 4K combines our newest materials with Gates’ advanced processing technologies to create yet another product that stands out in the market.”

“Our customers’ applications require a lighter weight, more flexible, compact hose. We tasked our engineers to design a new class of premium hydraulics to exceed the performance typically achieved with wire spiral constructions,” he added.

Scania India brings NGT heavy tipper to EXCON
Scania Commercial Vehicles India exhibited its recently launched NTG Heavy Tipper, parts and service solutions along with BS-IV CEV ready industrial engines, at EXCON.

Petr Novotny, MD, Scania Commercial Vehicles India said, “2019 has been a very important year for us with the launch of NTG and the opening of our central warehouse in Nagpur. Both these moves are in cognisance with our commitment to the Indian market.”

TVS Srichakra presents Eurogrip range
TVS Srichakra, one of India’s largest manufacturers and exporters of two- and three-wheeler tyres and off-highway tyres, showcased the TVS Eurogrip product range at the expo, which includes off-highway tyres for construction, industrial and agricultural use including farm implements.

P Vijayaraghavan, director, said, “Our off-highway range showcases the latest technological advancements and innovations in tyre manufacturing, which are tailor-made to suit the evolving needs of the customers.”

The company's participation at EXCON comes on the back of its showcase of its off-road range of tyres at CONEXPO Latin America 2019, AGRITECHNICA 2019 and SEMA Show 2019, all aimed at strengthening its presence in key global markets.

Elgi Equipments' new energy efficient air compressors
Air compressor manufacturer Elgi Equipments launched its future-ready, energy-efficient range of electric- and diesel-portable air compressors.

The PG 90E-12.5 is an energy-efficient, electric-powered trolley mounted portable air compressor and the PG 500-185 is a diesel-powered trolley mounted portable air compressor. Also on display were the diesel-powered trolley mounted portable air compressors, the PG 450 – 200 and the electric-powered trolley mounted portable air compressors, the PG 22E, PG 75E and PG 45E.

Ramesh Ponnuswami, executive director, Elgi Equipments said, “World class infrastructure is without doubt one of the key drivers for the Indian economy. Studies reveal that investments of over $63.20 billion will propel the infrastructure sector forward across the country. We’re excited about the opportunity. At Elgi, we focus on developing customer-centric compressed air solutions to address their needs.  Our diesel and electric powered portable air compressors redefine maintenance costs, energy-efficiency and productivity across the industry."

The Coimbatore-based Elgi Equipment, which has a portfolio of over 400 products, offers a complete range of compressed air solutions from oil-lubricated and oil-free rotary screw compressors, oil-lubricated and oil-free reciprocating compressors and centrifugal compressors, to dryers, filters and downstream accessories.

Shell India to launch new GLL-based hydraulic oil soon
Lubricants manufacturer, Shell India displayed its flagship products and key services. The lubricants major presented many of its flagship products in its Tellus, Rimula, Spirax, and Gadus range including a special showcase of its premium energy-efficient lubricants, namely the Shell Tellus S4, Rimula R5, Spirax S6, and Gadus S3. Shell also highlighted on its range of services for the B2B segment including Machine Max, Lubricants Management Programme and LubeMaster.

The company announced that it will soon launch the Shell Tellus S4 VE, a new gas-to-liquid-based energy-efficient hydraulic oil which offers up to 6 percent productivity improvement, up to 21 percent less energy loss from hydraulic pumps and up to 5 percent efficiency improvement.

Shell India presented its new range of its flagship products in its Tellus, Rimula, Spirax, and Gadus range.