HAC (high angle conveyor) system is a versatile and money-saving method for elevating or lowering materials continuously from one level to another at extremely steep angles.

Samaresh Mitra,
National Sales Head – OE, Joy Global (India) Ltd

Joy Global is a major manufacturer, service provider and supplier of high-productive surface and underground mining solutions. On the sidelines of IMME 2016, Samaresh Mitra, National Sales Head – OE, Joy Global (India) Ltd speaks to B2B Purchase and gives an update on the company’s innovative solutions.
As the mining industry is going through a difficult phase, what are your strategies to remain competitive?
Yes, mining industry especially coal mining is not doing well. Joy Global has taken an initiative globally to venture into other minerals like hard rock, copper, zinc, salt and phosphate. In this direction, we have acquired a Canadian company called Mining Technologies International, Inc. (MTI) in 2014. MTI is a manufacturer of underground hard rock mining equipment serving the North American markets and a leading supplier of raise bore drilling consumables. We have also acquired Doosan Infracore’s hydraulic breaker and attachment business Montabert in 2015.

How is the scenario in India? What are your objectives as far as Indian market is concerned?
In India, coal mining is yet to stay because of the requirement of power and we have to depend on coal-fired power plants. Going by the recent announcements of Coal India and the Ministry of Coal regarding production ramping up to 1.5 billion tonnes by 2020-21, there is a great opportunity.

How unique is your HAC and how are you going to promote this concept in India?
HAC (high angle conveyor) system is a versatile and money-saving method for elevating or lowering materials continuously from one level to another at extremely steep angles. Over the years, this system has been successfully used in a variety of commercial applications, conveying a wide range of materials. To be very precise, HAC is a substitute for dump trucks. In a surface open cast mine there is a long haulage road that results non-environment friendly emissions. In this context, HAC technology can be useful that can take the materials from down the pit to the surface directly at a steep angle of even 90 degree. This eliminates truck movement quite a lot therefore it is much cleaner.

Have you started introducing this technology in India?
HAC is almost 60-year old concept globally and in India we are working with Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI). Recently they have got an approval for a pilot project at South Eastern Coalfields Limited. We are working with them and hopefully in couple of years we will be installing the prototype.

Have you been supplying to Coal India as well?
Earlier we have supplied equipment to Coal India. But recently due to the L1 (lowest bidder) tender system, a lot of Chinese players are coming across. So we have requested Coal India to be more specific on the technical specifications and strictly adhere to that. This will enable them to get the access of best technologies – not only the lowest price.

What are the other difficulties you face while competing with Chinese players?
Unfortunately we cannot resize our products or remove technologies from our products to become cost-competitive. We cannot even remove the world-class safety systems from our products to remain competitive with the Chinese companies. So we try to make the specifications in such a fashion that the bidder who is bidding for the particular equipment must have those key features in the product.