At B&R, we continue to open new possibilities for OEMs with our powerful software products, modular control and I/O systems.

– Saurabh Kulkarni

Mobile Automation Expert, India, B & R Industrial Automation

What is the current market scenario for automation products for heavy construction machinery?

The world is entering an age of robotics and digital revolution. The use of industrial automation and robots in the manufacturing sector has been known for decades. Construction work is compatible with autonomous equipment. Tasks are usually repetitive and time-sensitive, and most don’t require out-of-the-box or creative thinking. OEMs generally automate these jobs first, yet the construction industry has to embrace this advancement fully.

As per the report available on the internet, the construction equipment market was valued at USD 161 billion in 2020. It is projected to reach USD 228 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period (2021 -2026).

The growing focus on infrastructure and the development of automation in the construction and manufacturing processes significantly impacted the market growth. The road construction machinery market witnessed a significant increase in recent years, owing to the central and state governments’ more prominent road development programs.

The construction industry is getting smarter with digitalization, connectivity, and automation. The new technology drives the development forward, leaving a substantial impact on construction projects; moreover, renting companies invested in new technologies to cope with the growing demand for advanced construction machinery and replace the older ones with a new or upgraded machinery fleet.

Another issue in the construction industry that automation is helping to address is safety. This industry is infamously hazardous, and autonomous equipment can reduce accidents by removing humans from the most dangerous parts of the job.

Today, construction sites are completely different environments than just a decade ago.

The use of automation and robotics may not be 100% yet, but they are already showing significant potential. The technology can reduce costs, speed completion times, and improve safety amid an ongoing labor shortage. Before long, automation and robots could be a common sight across all construction projects.

How has automation system in CE contributed in rugged and more reliable solutions that are ideally suited for equipment in high-temperature and corrosive environments.

B&R, an innovative company and a technology leader, is well known globally for its product quality, performance, robustness, and reliability. Our portfolio contains comprehensive automation solutions for the CE industry. Every aspect of our automation system is designed for modular and concurrent engineering. Our X90 mobile CPU system offers automation solutions designed precisely for critical environmental conditions often present in the equipment. Our Power Panel T50 mobile is highly reliable for construction and municipal vehicle operations. The Power Panel T50 mobile’s die-cast aluminum housing provides mechanical rigidity. IP67 protection effortlessly handles heat, cold, dirt, moisture, shock, and vibration. The predictable capacitive touch screen can even be operated in the rain. With no fans or batteries, it is also maintenance-free. Today, we have a PC-based solution for X90, enabling higher processing power for CE. This PC can also be used as an edge controller, collecting large volumes of data from one or more mobile equipment, preprocessing it, and then sending it to higher-level systems or the cloud. B&R offers the widely used OPC UA and MQTT protocols for machine-to-machine and machine-to-cloud communication.

What are the challenges and your suggestions to iron out these challenges in the automation system industry for construction and mining equipment?

Along with other industries, the construction industry has also witnessed the impact of the pandemic. However, it is imperative to comment that the Indian construction sector plays a substantial role by contributing about 60% of the total investments; hence, the industry is expected to come back strongly to support the economic revival.

India is witnessing steady economic growth. Today, the construction segment requires speed and focus in core infrastructures such as roads, airports, metros, rails, and development on existing highways.

While demand has reduced, we can still expect a recovery in the coming months as construction activities in some segments continued even during the second wave. The key challenge faced by the OEMs is to bring new technology constantly. Automation vendors and OEMs are continuously developing advanced automation technology products to grow faster than the industry; they are continually innovating. OEMs of construction equipment face a common challenge of quick execution of intelligent machine functions and long-term maintenance. Other than this, some significant challenges in implementing automation systems are the lack of government schemes to finance the manufacturing of hi-tech construction equipment.

The Indian construction industry has the most significant potential for opportunities and expansion for growth and investment. The key aspects currently driving the demand for construction equipment in India mainly include the infrastructure development like tunnels, building construction, road construction, power plants, urban infrastructural developments, ports, and its maintenance. The incremental growth is also seen with the establishment of smart cities in India.

India’s construction equipment industry will change with the increased modernization in the infrastructure and construction in India. This also specifies robust progress of the equipment sector in the coming years. The industry can fulfil domestic requirements with tailored and cost-effective possibilities to highlight indigenization. It will significantly support the OEMs to improve the costs and margins. Better awareness of the benefits of using qualified staff and training programs can be a boon for the industry.

The close collaboration between the industry, universities, and government to ensure that the sector’s challenges can be overcome, thereby paving the country’s roadmap of progress and growth, can be one of the success factors for the construction ecosystem.

Tell us about your company’s range of automation control systems for construction equipment.

At B&R, we continue to open new possibilities for OEMs with our powerful software products, modular control, and I/O systems. These comprehensive standardized components are perfect for implementing flexible automation solutions. To meet the market demands, we develop new products, adopt new strategies, and promote collaborations with our customers to gain traction in the construction equipment market. B&R’s Automation PC, specially designed for outdoor use, can collect huge amounts of data from multiple construction equipment and forward it to higher-level systems.

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