We work very closely with our dealers, both by the factory in Hosur and the factory back in Ireland
The focus is to showcase the latest machines that we have brought out. The biggest aspect that we have focused on over the last few years, we have seen a big change in the Indian market…specifically moved more towards the latest machines and the hybrid aspect, both to minimize the machine running cost. On the stand today we have the Maxtrak 1010E, offering our Hybrid drive and there are other machines within the range.
– NEIL ROBINSON
Product and Applications Manager, Powerscreen
What is your focus for bauma this year, because this is happening after two years in India.
The focus is to showcase the latest machines that we have brought out. The biggest aspect that we have focused on over the last few years, we have seen a big change in the Indian market…specifically moved more towards the latest machines and the hybrid aspect, both to minimize the machine running cost. On the stand today we have the Maxtrak 1010E, offering our Hybrid drive and there are other machines within the range.
The versatility of the hybrid drive, means you can either run just one engine or plugged into Electric, can help to see if the plant operator can save money in the long run as well as the savings that come with the machine as such, with its higher productivity. So, one of the primary focuses coming out was to get speaking to customers, seeing what they need going forward. Everything that we are doing is focused on what the customer wants. The customers drive the market and you have to speak to the customers. That’s the whole purpose of us coming out.
What are the technological advancements that you have seen in Crushers and screens?
There are two aspects of it; the fact that we are bringing out more efficient screens as well as more efficient chambers. We will shortly be moving from our 13 to our 13X plant. We put a lot of effort into the efficiency of the chamber, in other words getting more out of it. If you get more out then more dollars in the pocket. So quite a lot of work we have done is improving the efficiency of the machines and get them better. The hybrid is one aspect of it. We are working on our screening efficiency in India. A short time ago, we brought out Chieftain 2200, a double screen plant and that runs on four bearing screens. The four-bearing screen is a very unique thing to Powerscreen, but it’s a very efficient screen. So you are getting a lot more tons on the ground with a similar running cost like any other machine in the market. So, more dollars in the pocket leads to a very happy owner.
India is a price centric market. You are offering so many technical advancements in your machines. How do you maintain the equilibrium between cost and quality?
It is a balancing act. We could make the world’s greatest machine, but it will be too expensive. So it is a very big aspect of our product management, we speak to the customers, we see what they want, what price they want to bear and we try and stay as close to others as possible. If we don’t hit it, then we have to explain why. Sometimes the salesman are explaining because if it is more expensive, there has to be a justifiable reason why it is more expensive. Sometimes it is really important that we may have to explain that yes, it is 15 percent more expensive but it will do 25 percent more work. Sometimes that comes down to the working with the customer closely with the sales team. So, it’s a hard job and it’s not easy. But we do try and we have seen significant success in India. With all the teams working together, we have seen significant success.
You have these technological advancements happening. With every technological advancement, you may need trained operators. So what are your training initiatives?
We work very closely with our dealers, both by the factory in Hosur and the factory back in Ireland. Whenever we hand over a machine; part of our handover is that each one of the operators is run through the machine, goes through full training on the machine and how everything is operated. But one of the things that the India team does very well, is that we have a very good support network. There are just 50 service personnel working in India, all across India to support the different people at all times. Part of our thing is that we want the customer to have the best experience possible. So, it’s up to us to train them and to support them and we do that.
Are there any challenges?
There are challenges every day. The challenge that everybody is facing at this point is supply chains, we constantly have to speak to the customer to see how their requirements are changing, and we have to keep an eye on our competitors and an eye on what new machines are coming, on what the people in the market want. We are one of the frontrunners in the market, we would fall behind very quickly if we sat out.
Even the raw material prices are increasing in India. What is your take on this situation?
Everything like engine, steel, hydraulics, rubber; every natural resource that we are using has gone up in price. So, there are countless challenges. There is a no day that you go in and you wonder what you are going to do because it will come to you from anywhere.
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