L&T exploring possibility on introducing hybrid machines in India
India’s growing infra development projects
The Indian Construction Industry registered a CAGR of over 5% in the last five years despite two years of disruptions during the pandemic. Indian Government’s focus on growth driven by Infra development and manufacturing is aiding demand growth. In addition to the various ongoing infrastructure projects under the National Infrastructure Pipeline valued at USD 1.4 trillion for the period 2020-25, the Government of India has recently launched the USD 1.26 trillion Gati Shakti - National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity, an integrated infrastructure development plan for seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services from one mode of transport to another and to facilitate the last mile connectivity to reduce travel time for people.
Additionally, India is expected to have the second-largest metro connectivity globally by 2025, with 982 km being added to the existing 810 km spread across 15 cities. These projects will drive demand and support us in our growth story.
Currently, we have an extensive portfolio of offerings for customers in India ranging from Komatsu Excavators, Dozers, Motor Graders and Loaders, L&T’s range of Vibratory Compactors, Wheel Loaders, Skid Steer Loaders, Sand plants, Aggregate Crushing solutions, Tipper Trucks from Scania, and a host of attachments to enhance product versatility. We expect favourable demand and growth in all these product offerings.
Recent improvements and advancements in Komatsu excavators
We have always been introducing new technologies in the country. Komatsu’s latest generation excavators PC205-10M0, PC210-10M0 and PC500-10M0 have set new productivity and fuel efficiency benchmarks. They are equipped with a new series of engines, hydraulics, and telematics -- Komtrax, ensuring increased productivity with lower fuel consumption.
Komatsu has pushed the efficiency envelope on the new series of engines. It has optimised the design parameters to minimise engine peripheral power loss, getting the maximum net HP output in line with the gross HP developed. This ensures that the fuel consumed by the engine is available for productive work by the machines.
The latest version of Komtrax is designed to continuously monitor loads and machine utilisation by providing valuable insights on its energy-saving operations.
Biodiesel-compatible Komatsu equipment
We currently offer a wide range of biodiesel-compatible Komatsu equipment, including Hydraulic Excavators, Dump Trucks, Wheel Loaders, Crawler Dozers, Motor Graders, and Water Sprinklers. We also have technologies for various alternate fuel options. Such product adaptations will be initiated as and when the ecosystem becomes suitable for their usage.
We have also pioneered electrically powered excavators in India and have recently supplied Komatsu PC3000, electrically driven excavators, for the mining industry in Central India. We are currently working on battery-operated Construction Equipment and are exploring the possibility of introducing hybrid machines in India. We believe that environment-friendly technologies, which are developing very fast, will be the way ahead for the industry.
Initiatives to increase machine lifespan
Apart from the biodiesel series of equipment, many initiatives have been taken to reduce customers’ cost of operations and minimise pollution. To name a few, Komatsu has developed a new hydraulic filter with nanotechnology to enhance filter change interval from 1000 to 2,500 hours, thus extending filter life and reducing maintenance costs. Eco-white filters have minimised environmental pollution. In addition, Komatsu Oil and Wear Analysis (KOWA) labs provide vital data on equipment health and help us take proactive maintenance steps to improve equipment life.
We have introduced a special heavy-duty undercarriage with Abrasion Impact Resistant (AIR) Bushing. This is specially made for the most rugged and demanding requirements of Indian granite and quarry applications. The unique technology increases the life of undercarriages, thus considerably reducing maintenance costs per hour. A new and special variant of the undercarriage allows high travel time on rocky grounds similar to granite and marble mining sites. It features speciality links with improved tread area and link height for considerably longer undercarriage life and reduced operating costs.
Komatsu machines require a hydraulic oil change only after 5000 hours. It is one of the most extended oil change intervals in the industry. With many such customer-centric initiatives, we have always tried to enhance asset life and add value to our customers.
NBM&CW November 2022
