Construction Equipment: Trends And Solutions Provided By Atlas Copco

Mar 10

Construction equipment is mainly used in the construction, infrastructure, mining, tunnelling, road construction and others. Innovation in the construction equipment industry contributes to the successful completion of the project in stipulated time. Due to increased activities in the construction sector there is an increased demand for technically advanced solutions.

2020 and now 2021 has been an exceptional year and the pandemic has impacted projects worldwide. In the coming years, we should look forward to infrastructure and mining projects gaining momentum giving us continued opportunities to touch lives and improve the infrastructure needs of people in India. The equipment industry is expected to see slow and staggering growth in the short term but stability and better growth can be expected in the long term.

Challenges
Along with other sectors, construction sector also witnessed the impact due to the onset of the second wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. However, it is imperative to note that construction sector in India plays a significant role as it contributes to around 60% of the total investments; so, it needs to come back strongly to support the economy revival.

India is witnessing continuous economic growth. Today, the construction and infrastructure segment require speed and focus in all areas of core infrastructure such as metro, rail, roads, expressway, airports and expansion on existing highways.

The main challenge faced by the manufacturers is to bring new relevant technology on a constant basis. Market leaders are planning to come up with advanced technology products to grow faster than the industry and for that they are continuously innovating.

Some of the major challenges are losses on account of idling equipment, lack of special incentives or schemes to finance the import of hi-tech construction equipment for infrastructure projects.

Opportunities
The construction equipment industry in India has some of the biggest prospects for expansion and opportunities for growth and investment. The major factors that currently drive the demand for construction equipment in India mainly include infrastructural projects by public and private enterprise like building construction, tunnels, maintenance, road construction, power plants, ports, urban infrastructural developments etc. It has also seen incremental growth with the smart cities has been started in India.

The construction and mining equipment industry of India is going to bring in increased modernization in the infrastructure, mining, and construction segments in India.

This also indicates a robust growth of the Indian equipment sector in the coming years. To emphasize indigenization, the industry can fulfil domestic requirements with tailored and cost-effective options. Better awareness of the benefits of using qualified manpower, training programs and dedicated grants, scholarships for manpower training can be considered as a boon for the industry. The concept of used- equipment exchange and buyback plans can help strengthen the sales of used machinery market.

The tight collaboration among the industry, government and policymakers will be important to ensure that the challenges of the sector can be overcome thereby paving the roadmap of growth and progress of the country which will be one of the success factors for the construction ecosystem.

The continued demand for construction and mining equipment such as portable compressors is due to the increased focus on road development and the revival in the mining and quarrying segment, there is continued demand for portable compressors. Along with this the water well segment also contributes to the demand of large compressors for borewell applications.

Technological Advancements And Innovative Solutions By Atlas Copco
The Construction Equipment industry is continuously evolving due to innovations in applications and the product range. Advanced technology and solutions for better productivity have been key demand drivers and they will continue to be in future as well. More and more customers are moving towards high pressure compressors for greater productivity. Customers are seeking results with a higher penetration rate and reduction in fuel consumption.

Below are some models which demonstrate how Atlas Copco lead innovations and change the market dynamics:

1. Making the life of drillers easier in key application segments The XRH 1100 PLUS is a product, tailor-made for specialized applications like water well drilling, foundation drilling, coal mining and blast-hole drilling.
2. Re-engineered technology for higher efficiency The XAS 450-650 cfm range portable air compressor with four variants in its class is the new technology driver in the 450 – 600 650 cfm range of compressors to cover a wide range of applications such as blasthole drilling, shotcreting and DSI (Dimensional Stone Industry).
3. One compressor, many applications in segments such as mining, roads, infrastructure and special applications The XAS300-100, XAS400-100 portable air compressors are upgraded version of the current XA 157 and XA187 models.
4. XAWS 550 portable air compressor - first portable air compressor to operate @ 15 bar pressure XRHS650 has brought in breakthrough technology in the medium air range for shallow water well drilling, where Atlas Copco is the only manufacturer to provide 300 psi in this small foot print class, with the option of dual pressure with higher flow.
5. The XRS750 advanced technology for shallow water well drilling and coal mining

The XRV 1200 - The Undisputed Market Leader with the Highest Market Share in India
Indeed, an ideal yellow box, the XRV1200 having more than 3000 installations, dots the borewell landscape across the length and breadth of the country to make the most important natural resource, water more accessible.

This yellow compressor distinguishes itself from competition by focussing on key elements such as performance, dependability and fuel efficiency. This makes the XRV1200 the market leader in the water well segment.

This yellow box compressor has many unique elements which make this story interesting and different

Discharge pressure committed is the pressure delivered @ 330 psi
Low fuel consumption
Faster and deeper drilling
Drilling even at ambient temperature as high as 50o Celsius
All safety standards are met
Smaller machine footprints
Low weight

Better Penetration Rate
Even after reaching the water table, the XRV1200 compressor efficiently handles the back pressure and enables the driller to continue drilling deeper through the water table to get the maximum benefit of the bore.

Best LAT In Its Class
This compressor is specifically designed to operate at 50-degree latent ambient temperature (LAT) in all kinds of weather with its closed-door operation

Low Fuel Consumption
The XRV1200 has a unique feature of high torque at optimum engine speed which ensures the best fuel economy, which we call STEP LESS REGULATING system. It offers the lowest fuel consumption in its class due to the screw element efficiency.

Ensuring Maximum Efficiency
The synthetic oil which is used in the XRV1200 water well compressor is of the best quality which not only serves as a coolant but also serves as the ideal sealant between the 2 rotors so there is no loss of efficiency.

Further the cooler and radiators are made of aluminium to ensure efficient heat dissipation and are on a single panel for easy maintenance.

Another model with many firsts:

Atlas Copco was the first to introduce powder coated canopies in India
The first to increase sturdiness of the canopy by increasing the thickness
The first to have an unloader valve

So, no extra rods to be carried by trucks and lesser load on trucks as well, so wear and tear is less! You save not just space on the truck, but you save time and money!

Atlas Copco’s water well drilling compressor provide the most advanced technology to meet critical agriculture water needs across India.

All the compressors are designed to reduce carbon footprint

The heart of the compressor, Energy efficient advanced screw element, the best in the market which delivers high flow at committed pressure with Lowest specific fuel consumption hence increased overall fuel efficiency.
No emissions with electric compressors and reduced carbon footprints with our new diesel compressors.
One of its kind suction type unloader valves was introduced by Atlas Copco and they have been using this since decades in our compressors. This improvises the coordination between engine speed, demand of flow and operating pressures as per application demand to increase the productivity and reduce the fuel consumption

All the compressors are user friendly

Compact and lightweight
One side service
Close door operations and sound dampening canopy
Less Carbon friendly - No heat zones near compressors

Trends
The other opportunities for the industry could be renting or leasing of equipment and prospective collaborations, joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions by leading market players.

Urbanization: A well-built infrastructure is a base for the growth of any developing nation to ensure good quality of life and high gross domestic product (GDP). Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization over the past few decades, there has been excessive pressure on the urban infrastructure in India. We have the densest road networks in India but lack of multilane highways, the demand for airport infrastructure, railways, roads, urban and rural housing, office spaces and numerous other residential projects – all indicate the need for improved infrastructure. Urbanization will increase the demand for construction equipment and tools to meet the growing needs for residential and commercial projects.

To speed up projects and usage in new applications: Construction equipment market needs to grow to speed up the completion of the current infrastructure projects as well as to fulfill the rising demand of more modern technology equipment for newer segments like mining, commercial projects, housing, agriculture etc. Despite facing various challenges, the construction and equipment market is going to see huge growth in demand. Foreseeing large construction and infrastructure projects underway the construction equipment industry will see a boom in the coming days. The increased size of projects, tighter deadlines and faster completion of projects also favor the demand for the automation of work and technologically advanced solutions at construction sites.