AJAX is committed to technology excellence and product innovation and has introduced indigenous products such as Slipform Paver and Self-Propelled Boom Pump for the first time in India says Ajay Aneja, Chief Marketing Officer, AJAX Engineering Pvt Ltd.

Tell us about the latest sustainable technologies in concrete pumps.
Over the last three decades, the need for energy efficiency, higher productivity, easy mobility and flexibility has been the focus to meet growing customer needs. The growing urbanization, high rise residential and commercial buildings, modern industrial infrastructure and the nationwide rural development programs have resulted in a range of concrete solutions.

Keeping pace with the changing requirements of customers, AJAX developed a first-of-its-kind Self Propelled Boom Pump. A complete solution that is built on AJAX’s own chassis with 4×4 transmission, three-way steering, lightweight compact design and fuel efficient engine. The 25m Boom Pump mounted on this chassis has a revolutionary design to utilize the full boom length to reach the unreachable spaces in less accessible areas and deliver concrete effectively. The smaller tight turning radius of 3.5 m is the major differentiator between the conventional Boom Pumps for better maneuverability at confined site conditions.

The SPBP 25ZX, has the smallest footprint in its class that helps in efficient maneuvering in crowded and narrow roads. The optimized power to concrete discharge feature of the boom pump delivers the highest volumetric concrete output with low-noise vibration factor.
The unique ‘X’ outrigger design requires minimum space and offers outstanding stability in both urban and rural environments. The 4×4 transmission offers a unique advantage to operate in tough and steep incline terrains, which is difficult for conventional truck-chassis mounted Boom Pumps, especially in remote location infrastructure projects.

The Boom Pump construction with lightweight, high tensile special steel has made the AJAX SPBP the most fuel efficient pump, which not only saves fuel but also reduces carbon footprint and increases profitability for customers.

What are the different technological advancements incorporated in the concrete pump to meet the demands of the concreting industry? Could you tell us about the different features that make the concrete pump stand out in comparison with competitors?
The SPBP comes with state-of-the-art smart technology. The remote control system delivers safe, reliable and efficient operations in all types of application with ease.

The innovative pump unit and optimized hydraulic control system helps in cost-efficient and higher productivity operation.

The AJAX Smart Fleet Telematics solution is a unique system that gives real-time information of product performance, fuel efficiency, health of the machine and trip data to customers on their mobile phones or computers. This helps them to take timely decisions and improve fleet management with the help of Performance Reports generated by the system. The timely updates of service schedules ensure the on-time maintenance of the machines resulting in higher uptime and reduced cost of maintenance.

The superior built quality of components and systems in the machine offers a complete advantage throughout the lifecycle, even in rugged terrains with higher reliability and lower operation costs.

The pumping kit indigenously developed by AJAX is designed for optimum performance to support different types of concrete mix to suit respective applications.

Technology advantages:
• S-Valve technology: The main pumping unit has a special S-Valve with an innovative geometry that guarantees higher output. The special steel hard-faced S-Valve has a double active plunger cylinder, ideal for high-pressure site applications and harsh concrete mix.

• Improved hopper design: It eliminates deposition of concrete and ensures smoother flow.

• Hard-chromed material cylinders: Designed and built for tough concrete and provides long life.

• Hydraulic control system: The single block design supports S-Valve and main cylinder operations

• Twin-layer pipe: The thick-walled concrete pipes and elbows offer excellent resistance against high velocity and turbulence of abrasive concrete and has 4-4.5 times longer life as compared to conventional ST52 pipes.

• Radio remote control: Modular Boom Control with intuitive command from any operator position enhances maneuverability and operation across various working sites

• Man-machine interface: Diagnostic control systems: This system ensures safe and reliable operation and positioning of the two-part outrigger system with stable control system.

What is the strength of AJAX over the competitors in terms of product capability and after-sales market in concrete pumps?
Product capability: AJAX has always been a pioneer in adopting new technology trends. Our research team seeks to understand the buying behaviour and the pain points of customers while developing prototypes and new product solutions. We address the functioning constraints along with the practical needs and operating requirements of customers in real-time and operating site conditions.

Quality planning: AJAX’s strategic product focus begins with the end in mind. AJAX has put in place stringent parts quality planning procedures for concrete pump verticals, together with material quality inspection, testing standards, field testing and validation with utmost care to quality.

Product support: Apart from the intelligent product features, AJAX believes that after-sales support is the key to success. With every AJAX equipment comes the guarantee of high performance, hassle-free, safe and reliable operations. A wide network of dealers and after sales support staff supported by a dedicated 24×7 customer care centre, ensures that there is minimal downtime.

3S network: AJAX has a nationwide network with over 30 dealers and more than 100 branch offices, ensuring that the customer is never far away from the timely service when required catering to the sales and after-sales support to its customers. AJAX also has its presence in Nepal and Bhutan through its distributors. Now, AJAX is marking its presence in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Kenya, Tunisia, UAE, Cambodia, Oman, Philippines, Uganda and Egypt.

What are the major hindrances you came across while executing projects with concrete pumps and how did you overcome it?
Concrete Boom Pumps have been revolutionizing the construction of large commercial and residential buildings and structures. The placement of concrete in inaccessible areas has necessitated the use of boom pumps in the current construction process.

With the growing usage of ready-mix concrete, the need to use boom pumps has increased manifold. While the ease of pumping depends on the type of boom pump available in the market, the distance over which the concrete is to be pumped, nature of the project, site constraints and a number of other aspects can affect the operation.

Recently, a case study was conducted by AJAX during the deployment of our boom pump services for the leading corporate RMC company in India.

Boom pumps are generally preferred in large infrastructure and residential projects because of its capability of pumping high volume of concrete in less time and saving substantial labour with its multi-purpose robotic arm. The project site necessitated an optimal boom pump with small footprint that is accessible to sites with narrow spaces. The competition could not cater to this requirement of reaching least accessible areas at the construction sites.

AJAX conducted a feasibility study on the scope of the project and site conditions and offered a solution that met the requirements. The AJAX A30ZX Boom Pump was perfect for the project due to its lightweight, flexibility and could accurately place the concrete.
From the operational front, AJAX boom pump had a better reach in narrow spaces with short turning radius of 9.1m, which a 10-wheel truck cannot reach due to its turning radius of 11m.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, the AJAX product was witnessed to be a low-cost runner owing to low-cost chassis and optimal boom size that greatly reduced customer’s initial investment. AJAX A30ZX uses 4X2 chassis, while the next boom size of the competition uses 6X4 chassis making the boom chassis 39 per cent more expensive. The A30ZX with 30m boom can do 90 per cent of the jobs done by the next size boom, however the next size boom is expensive by 28 per cent.

Considering all these factors, AJAX was eventually chosen as an optimal solution provider and bagged the project.

Could you shed some light on the emerging trends in the concrete pump segment?
There is a growing demand in concreting segment with a strong emphasis on indigenization. AJAX has strategically aligned its product portfolio in line with the Indian government’s ‘Make in India, Sell Global’ programme by indigenizing its product portfolio. AJAX offers state-of-the-art machines equipped with top-class technology manufactured at its Bengaluru plant for the complete bandwidth of construction infrastructure segments.

The Boom Pump market is growing and we are currently witnessing the industry trend shifting towards commercial realty projects. In the tier I cities namely, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Delhi & NCR region, high rise residential buildings of 200m and above are common. And next in line, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Chennai are also moving towards construction of >150 m high rise buildings.

Many Smart city projects are expected to have high rise buildings. High Pressure Concrete Pumps on Trailer chassis are used in these projects. Customers for large infrastructure projects, require bigger capacity pumps along with big batching plants, as a total solution. The key players in this segment are the European OEMs and the market price is higher. AJAX has emerged as a cost-effective alternative.