Construction Equipment demand is expected to grow by 2.5 to 3 times by 2030 and excavators will also grow concomitantly.

– Vivek Hajela

Vice-President & Head, Construction Equipment Business, Larsen & Toubro

What are the positive factors that are impacting excavators to stay ahead in the earthmoving equipment market? 

Excavators are crawler mounted, have a 360-degree swing, and employ high pressure hydraulics which produces high-digging forces. These features make them highly versatile machines and are capable of handling applications even in tough and remote jobsites. The excavators have various combinations of work attachments and buckets from soft to hard excavation.

With increasing mechanization of various construction activities like trenching, demolition, piling, long reach etc, excavators lend themselves well for special attachments to be installed with. The excavators are much safer to operate and have a sturdy and comfortable operator cabin. Hence, excavators continue to spearhead the earthmoving segment.

Komatsu PC210-10MO is the flagship model and comes in almost 10 variants to suit different applications. L&T offers special attachments such as crusher buckets, slope compactors, pile hammers from MOVAX, drum cutters and trenchers from Kemroc and rock-breakers from Komatsu and Sandvik for use and fitment on PC210-10M0 machines.

What are the latest trends in the cab design for excavators? What is the bearing of disruptive technologies on the design of the cabs?

Information and communication technology (ICT) have impacted lifestyle of the entire mankind, with excavators being no exception. Komatsu machines provide full benefits to operators and owners alike. Gone are the days when the operator console would have four or five analogue gauges to indicate the machine service meter reading, engine oil pressure, coolant temperature and battery charging indicator. Today, most of the excavator monitor panels comprise electronic screens with digital display of not just the basic details but a whole lot of added information. Monitor prompts operators to adopt energy saving operations that make the machine more efficient. For example, if the engine is idling for more than a preset time, the monitor pops up a message to stop the engine, some machines even automatically stop the engine. The machine guides the operator to switch to economy mode if the jobsite conditions do not require power mode operation. Sensors installed on engines and hydraulics capture and share data not just with the machine monitor but through telematics to data centre and customers. Service providers can have access to machine operation details, fuel consumption, maintenance schedule and trouble cautions etc.

Similarly, the ergonomics of the cabin controls and operator seat reduces operator fatigue and thus long hours of continuous operation enhances machine utilization and thus production. Air-conditioned work environment, pressurized cab and low noise level goes without saying and has become routine. Safety for operators is also enhanced with increased visibility, by using multiple cameras and well positioned rear view mirrors. Cabin has ROPS and guards for added safety from flying pieces especially during the rock breaker operation.

What are the advancements made in the engine used in excavators? 

Ecology and economy are the two key drivers of engine technology today. As emission norms are becoming stricter with BS-III and BS-IV regulations, engine exhaust gas constituent management is evolving at a fast pace. Electronically controlled high pressure injection common rail fuel system has replaced all mechanical inline fuel systems. Electronic control provides flexibility of pre and post injection. Komatsu engine design has high top ring on their pistons for reducing dead space and better soot control. Precise injection angle with piston crown designs together provide excellent fuel mixing in the combustion chamber. In the 165 HP range, Komatsu meets EPA Tier 3 norms with air to air after cooled, turbocharged air intake system and HPCR.

What is the future outlook and growth prospect in the excavator market?

The Govt of India has given a huge impetus on the infrastructure sector. There are large projects under construction in the Roads and Highways, Railways, Water management etc. National Infrastructure Pipeline opens large opportunities for continued focus on the infrastructure.

The last two years have been not very growth oriented for the excavators and construction equipment in general due to some reason or the other. COVID 19 has taken its toll not only on people but also businesses, including our industry. Now with the third wave looming large, there could be some disruption again. However, long term prospects for the excavators are promising. The CE demand is expected to grow by 2.5 to 3 times by 2030, and excavators will also grow concomitantly. 

What are the risk factors and challenges faced by excavator manufacturers in today’s market scenario?  

As mentioned earlier, medium and long term prospects for excavator demand are promising. With Govt of India’s focus on Infrastructure, demand will continue to grow. However, short term disruptions are making it difficult to plan.

Steep increase in commodity prices, especially steel is posing a serious threat and leading to demand deferment. Manufacturers are unable to recover the cost increase since demand continues to remain lower than the pre-pandemic level. Supply chain constraints due to pandemic is another challenge faced by the industry.

Going forward, implementation of CEV-IV emission norms for excavators is a significant risk to the industry since it will lead to steep cost increase. While the industry is committed to meeting the emission standards, high cost may lead to demand destruction. Further, there will be a challenge of supplies from engine manufacturers for CEV-IV compliant engines.

The current generation excavators employ high-end electronics and hydraulic systems. These machines are equipped with remote machine tracking system like Komtrax of Komatsu. They need good care and maintenance for which trained and skilled manpower are essential. The growing excavator population also needs more skilled operators and mechanics. In the absence of any regulation for skilled operators for excavators, there is a gap in the industry requirement and training capacity. This is leading to non-availability of skilled and authorized operators, which could be pose a serious threat to durability and long-life of machines.

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