Crushing & screening equipment market: making it through troubled times

Crushing & screening equipment market: making it through troubled times
An analysis on the crushing and screening equipment market where several leading industry experts shared their views
Crushing and screening system requirements are driven by mining, quarrying and other infrastructure projects. At present, crushing and screening market is not very encouraging in spite of abundant potential. ACE Update has talked with leading industry experts and discussed about the industry, in-depth.
Current status “Current market status is not very encouraging in spite of abundant potential exist in the market. In ground reality, it’s not reflecting due to over all infrastructure growth is facing series of challenges of regulations, scams, land accusations and funding issues,” said Y. Srinivas Reddy, Managing Director, Bevcon Wayors Pvt. Ltd. “Unless clear guidelines are defined for all infrastructure projects and set up a single window clearance to take off, slow growth is going to be evident in future.”
Rajen Khoda, Director of Sales, South Asia and Middle East, Powerscreen, voiced the same. He said, “Last year was a very challenging for infrastructure projects, and the scenario continues to be challenging in 2013.” Mr Khoda continued, “Recent Supreme Court decisions regarding iron ore mining in Karnataka will hopefully lead to some positive developments in the mining industry. And recent impetus by the government to focus on infrastructure related issues may bring improvements toward the end of the year.”

 Recent Supreme Court decisions regarding iron ore mining in Karnataka will hopefully lead to some positive developments in the mining industry
– Rajen Khoda, Director of Sales, South Asia and Middle East, Powerscreen
Mr Reddy said, “Overall developmental activities are in subdued in industry. Recent judgement has created a ray of hope on improving iron ore mining sector and expected clearance of 225 hold-on projects at the earliest so that the industry becomes vibrant again. Similarly, clarity needs to be evolved sooner on coal mining issue.”
He added, “We are facing acute power shortage and not able to meet the coal supply demand of power sector; hence most of the investors are not coming forward for putting up the projects with regard to roads contracts awarded by NHAI.” “Though there is delay in conclusion of projects,” Mr Venkataramana shared, “the demand is for plants which produce quality aggregates and manufacture sand as per the Indian standards.”

 We are facing acute power shortage and not able to meet the coal supply demand of power sector; hence most of the investors are not coming forward for putting up the projects with regard to roads contracts awarded by NHAI
– Y. Srinivas Reddy, MD, Bevcon Wayors
According to Mr Venkataramana, the recent innovations are sand crushing plants with minimum production of ultra fines, machines for washing of natural sand, and various sizes of dry classifiers for reduction of ultra fines.

Govt has a lot to do like quick decisions in getting clearances, norms for quality aggregates and create standards, training norms and start of technical training institutions, and operator training of machinery
 – V. Venkataramana, VP Marketing, Puzzolana
Mr Jadhav wasn’t too happy about the innovation in the market. He said, “There is no new innovation in crushing industry, but the mobile tracked units will be used more. Construction companies are moving from stationary to mobile.”
Government’s responsibility
The growth of this sector ridiculously depends on the government as they create the policies and pass the clearance. The government can’t run away from the accountability for delaying projects. Mr Reddy seemed totally agreed with the government’s involvement. He explained, “The government has to do a lot to improve the current situation. They should identify the route cause analysis for the present concerns, implement corrective action on priority, fast-track clearance of projects in transparent manner, and give banks free hand in re-structuring the current loans extended to the projects.

 There is no new innovation in crushing industry, but the mobile tracked units will be used more. Construction companies are moving from stationary to mobile
– Sanjay Jadhav, DGM, Crushing and Screening Business, Voltas
According to Mr Raghavan, “The government must make a concerted effort to both increase and improve the quality of spending on the various infrastructure projects in the country.”
Research and development
While talking about R&D, Mr Reddy said, “When there is an opportunity to develop equipment, we would like take it as window of opportunity. In last year, we have developed about 14 new products related to crushing and screening applications.”
 In R&D, Powerscreen doesn’t seem a naive. R&D is an important part of the Powerscreen’s strategy. Mr Khoda explained, “Annually, we hold focus groups and carry out numerous surveys to gain greater insight on current needs and identify changing market trends.”
He also said how their engineering team focused on incremental improvements to the existing product range and updated its product development strategy to anticipate future market requirements.
“The importance of fuel efficiency is factored in at the initial machine design stages.” Mr Khoda continued. “Emphasis is placed upon designing machines that give the greatest level of fuel efficiency while at the same time providing the greatest level of output.”
The current product range of Powercreen is continually evolving as it moves toward designing larger mobile equipment while introducing improvements to the complete Powerscreen range. This is set to continue in 2013 and beyond.

At a time like this, the appropriate combination of the right quality, value-for-money equipment and appropriate financing have a big role to play in ensuring infrastructure projects are not affected
– R.S. Raghavan, MD, Proman Infrastructure Services

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