SCHWING Stetter Focused on New Technology
Schwing Stetter India has recently launched its longest 5 section concrete boom pumps with less hydraulics, and trailer mounted stationary concrete pumps. How do these products address operation, saving in raw materials, and maintenance costs concerns?
The recently launched, boom pumps are becoming increasingly popular as they give customers, the advantage of faster construction when manpower shortage is becoming a major problem at the project sites. Key Infrastructure Projects like Metro Rail, Power Plants and Bridges depend more on usage of Boom Pumps.
Schwing Pump Model S43 with 5 Section Boom is the longest in India on a rigid Truck. A Boom Pump pumps out concrete in full in the pipeline and therefore wastage of concrete in the pipeline is not there. Besides, the Pump Battery is powerful and hence it completes the job much faster compared to conventional Trailer Pump, with pipeline laid to the vertical distance.
The pipeline cleaning is also much simpler and faster.
Apart from these, what are the other products being developed in the areas of RMC technology, concrete mixing equipment, truck mixers targeting applications from smaller to larger requirements?
Schwing Stetter India (SSI) has been consistently developing new products to meet the changing trends in concrete mixing, batching, transporting and placement. Today, we offer apart from Pan Mixer and Twin Shaft Mixer, Planetary Mixer as an option to meet the specialized requirements of mixing by the clients. Besides, SSI has simplified the total time for erection and commissioning at site by offering the plants on skids. Thereby, saving huge foundation cost and transportation cost for our customers.
Truck Mixers in various capacities are made to complete our range from 3 Cum to 12 Cum. Special Plants for Pre-cast Industries are also becoming popular. In the area of concrete placement, Truck Mounted Conveyors (F12), Separate Placing Boom, Truck Mixer with Conveyor, Concrete Pump Mounted on Trucks with the pipeline racks are some of the new products which were introduced recently and are doing well in the Market.
We are always in discussion with our customers to bring out new technology, as we did in case of Temperature Controlled Concrete for dam construction, 80mm plus aggregates pumping for irrigation and dams to name a few.
How does the company look at XCMG acquiring a majority stake in the 70 years old global concrete equipment manufacturer like Schwing Stetter? What does this mean in CE market–does it give a signal towards consolidation phase in the international and domestic market place?
We look at the partnership with XCMG as a great synergy between the two companies. XCMG is one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in China and in the world. Both Schwing Stetter as well as XCMG have their own strength and it will realy be beneficial for both the groups if the are combined.
As a consequence of this, what would Schwing Stetter's new business matrix be?
The partnership between Schwing Stetter and XCMG has just taken place where discussions are going on between both the Management Teams and as soon as something is finalized, we will announce the same.
The company has in place well organized repair, overhauling and reconditioning facilities for mobile equipment and others and it also renders help in selling used machines with good value. What has been user's response to this facility?
Yes, our Service centres for overhauling, repairing and re-conditioning our equipment are very much welcome by our customers. On a selective basis, we have also been selling re-conditioned units and this also has a very good response.
Please brief about company's exclusive Training Centre. What are the training modules for primary and advanced courses in Operation and maintenance and safety streams?
As part of Schwing Stetter India's Vision to empower its esteemed Customers' operators with the knowledge, expertise and skill sets with respect to the operation, maintenance and troubleshooting for the entire range of Schwing Stetter Equipment, we have setup exclusive Customer Training Centers at our HO and in the other regions of the country.
Training centres are located in Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad with facilities to train about 90 trainees at a time. Full-fledged cut model display room, practical training lab with simulators of Schwing Stetter equipment, technical library are part of our Training Centres.
A Training calendar is provided every year with the Training Courses being offered for that particular year classified into Basic Level, Advanced Level, training on Safety Aspects and on "Know your Equipment" exclusively for the equipment owners.
We also have onsite training programs, which will be customized as per customer's requirement and provide skilled workforce to our customers through our Operator Training School. The duration of this course is about 2 months for each of our products.
Through our full-fledged training centres, we have trained more than 450 operators through Operator Training School. Have assisted many of them in finding suitable placement with good compensation. Frost and Sullivan have awarded Schwing Stetter India for "Best Practices in Training Methodologies for their customers."
A word about company's technical support, after sales services, spare parts supply facilities including information on company's innovative AMCs and OMCs to take care of client's troubleshooting problems.
For the last several years, we have been focusing on the company's aftermarket business. Slowly, we have been expanding and today, we are located in 26 places pan India where customers can procure our spare parts. We have 7 service centres where the customers can get their equipment repaired and overhauled. Our target is to keep on expanding our spare part outlets and service centres, depending upon the population of our equipment, at newer locations. We have also created a projects department who work exclusively on AMCs and OMCs. AMCs are covered for all the customers whoever want to have one, whereas, with regard to OMCs, we do it on selective basis where huge quantity of concreting is to be done at a particular location in a short period of time.
With regard to technical support, in the last 14 years of our existence, we have seen concreting of different types and under severe and difficult conditions. Besides the local experience, we have the backing of engineers from our parent company in Germany who travelled worldwide and have gained enormous experience in the last 75 years. Therefore, we are able to provide the necessary concreting solutions to all our customers with ease.
What is company's assessment of its growth in the next 2-3 years?
The year 2013 is going to be flat. However, in 2014–15, the business should again start picking up. Things are becoming very unpredictable. Therefore, one can only give a personal opinion.
What are the company's plans to participate in bC India CE mega event to be held in Mumbai with new products and services expected to be unveiled?
BC India which will be held in Mumbai is a vital exhibition for us. Many top level construction companies have their headquarters in Mumbai. Therefore, we expect most of these customers to visit the exhibition and look at our display. Undoubtedly, we will have many new products displayed during the exhibition. You are also most welcome to visit us.
NBM&CW February 2013
