Caterpillar is committed to understanding the needs of customers and delivering pioneering products.

Amit Bansal, Marketing Head, Building Construction Products Division, Caterpillar

What specific goals and priorities are you aiming to achieve during Excon 2023?

Excon 2023 is an opportunity to showcase our customers that we are ready to join their force and work synergically towards shaping India’s infrastructure landscape in its growth era. With the construction of smart and sustainable infrastructure, which includes projects such as ports, bridges, dams, roads and urban cities, gaining momentum, we act prepared with our advanced machinery and solutions to actively support this wave of infrastructure development.

This year, in the spotlight will be Caterpillar’s comprehensive product solutions with the range of Cat and other Caterpillar brand equipment, latest offerings, aftermarket services and financial solutions that differentiate us from our competitors. Our products at display would reflect upon our cutting-edge technology designed and customized to help our customers drive industry leadership in safety, sustainability, efficiency and productivity.

How is the company looking at leveraging this opportunity at Excon for business growth?

• To showcase Caterpillar’s comprehensive product solutions with the range of Cat and other Caterpillar brand equipment, highlight latest offerings, aftermarket services and financial solutions that differentiate us from our competitors
• To highlight technology and solutions designed to improve productivity, efficiency, safety, and profitability to the customers of Indian construction equipment industry
• Caterpillar is committed to sustainability by offering integrated and differentiated solutions and leadership in technology by offering cutting-edge facilities that challenge the status quo. We aim to help customers reach their sustainability goals, including lowering emissions with a variety of solutions including machines that run on alternate fuels or technology that increases fuel efficiency, help customers build a more sustainable world and a commitment and contribution to a reduced-carbon future.

How do you look at your company’s involvement in smart manufacturing of machines or your vision for the future in terms of AI, Automation, IoT, Robotics etc?

Caterpillar is committed to understanding the needs of customers and delivering pioneering products with a focus on digital-enabled solutions and aftermarket. We are helping customers increase uptime and operational efficiency by harnessing machine learning and advanced analytics. These technologies enable us to provide one-of-a-kind insights backed by engineering expertise and data, empowering customers to prevent component failures and build added value into every asset.

Today, virtually all new machines come with connective capabilities built in, and we have also developed digital solutions for non-connected assets. Our easy-to-use app, Cat Inspect, is a popular tool for connected and non-connected assets alike, enabling users to download and perform step-by-step equipment inspections. Much like going to the doctor, examining equipment is an important tool for diagnosing and addressing potential issues. The app provides a streamlined approach to overall equipment management, with options to track changes, create custom reports and capture on-the-go notes. Customers can also share photos and videos in their online inspection forms, providing dealers and service techs with the information needed to provide best-in-class support.

What do you consider the most critical smart manufacturing technologies for the construction equipment industry, and why?

The integration of following smart technologies into construction machines and equipment has created a game-changing experience for customers, offering improved performance, safety, and sustainability:

• Telematics and IoT (Internet of Things):Allows the asset to be connected to the internet, enabling real-time monitoring of machine health, performance and location. This real time data helps in predictive maintenance, optimizing equipment utilization, and ensuring safety by tracking equipment
• Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning:Analyse large datasets to predict equipment failure beforehand
• Robotics and Automation:Improve efficiency and safety by reducing the need for human intervention
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)-  From breathing life into the machines, making them human-centric to training operators, AR/ VR helps in reducing errors, increasing safety and providing remote assistance
• Energy-Efficient Technologies- With a focus on sustainability, energy-efficient technologies, such as hybrid or electric , helps to reduce emissions and operating costs
• Cloud Computing:Enables storage and analysis of large volumes of data generated by construction equipment. They provide insights for process optimization

What is your perspective on the anticipated market dynamics in the equipment sector?

Fast paced growth of infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region, including India, has led to a parallel growth of the construction equipment market. This presents a significant opportunity, and we are ready to capitalize on it. Below are the key trends driving this growth.

• Growing Demand for Infrastructure: The growth of construction industry is at the heart of India’s economic progress. The need for infrastructure such as railroads, roads and highways, dedicated freight corridors, airports, electrification and many more necessitates a wide variety of major infrastructure projects across the country
• Technological Advancement:Integration of AI/ ML into machines has led to improvement in overall productivity of operations, machine health and fuel efficiency
• Electrification:There is a growing demand for electric machines and equipment to enable sustainable construction  

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