There is a definite shift in focus from an itemised procurement at best negotiated terms to a much more holistic approach. The focus clearly is on achieving the project targets in terms of work quality, output and timelines. This has also led to a realignment in product positioning and deliverables by equipment suppliers.

Value-playing
“Kobelco has always been a value player globally offering the best fuel economy in the respective categories. This has been the company’s USP for a long time,” say S K Jaruhar, Advisor – Support Services, Kobelco Construction Equipment (India) Pvt Ltd.

The company invests a lot in research to sustain their leadership position through a series of value additions to improve machine performance, productivity and reliability. Operator comfort and convenience has been taken to new heights to improve his productivity with proper safety.

“With the current Generation 10 series, the company has moved to the next level through value additions like increased fuel savings, enhanced structural durability, improved reliability and longer services life of main components,” he says.

The company is also maintaining a strong focus on field support to their machines to give their customers maximum uptime for achieving the best ROI. It has brought in improvements over the previous Series-8 Excavators in durability and productivity. The attachment weight is used to reduce fuel consumption. The weight
of the boom contracts the boom cylinder. The discharged hydraulic oil flows into the arm cylinder. The arm cylinder retracts and the arm opens.

Auto-Idle-Stop (AIS)
A feature minimising fuel wastage when the machine is idling or not in use. Unlike other machines which go into auto-idle mode if the control levers are not used for five seconds and remain in that state till the levers are again used or the engine is switched off by the operator, Kobelco excavators will automatically shut off the engine if the machine is idle for a total of 60 seconds after sounding a beep at 55 seconds of idling.

The company has always focused on the operator and provided the best working ambience with features like ample space, air-conditioning with climate control, comfortable seat with multiple adjustment options, ergonomically-placed controls for least fatigue, high-pressurised dust-free, low-vibration and sound levels, easy access and exit, etc., to improve the overall machine productivity.

Reliability
A more reliable filtration system (air, fuel and hydraulic) ensures longer life of major components.

Issues in special environments
Operations such as breaking on dusty sites cause the hydraulic oil to get dirty. If hydraulic filters are not maintained properly and get clogged, it results in the hydraulic oil bypassing filters in order to prevent the tank from breaking.

If the hydraulic filters are bypassed, the dirty, contaminated hydraulic oil causes the control valve and pump to wear when flowing through the hydraulic devices.

Clogged hydraulic oil filters also cause the hydraulic oil temperature to rise.
Excessively heated hydraulic oil makes the oil seals in the actuators such as hydraulic rams deteriorate, resulting in a hydraulic oil leak. Preventing the hydraulic oil filters from getting clogged is essential for hydraulic excavators to operate normally. A sensor has been added to detect when the hydraulic oil filter is clogged. The form of the hydraulic oil filter has been changed. The new design prevents dirt from falling into the hydraulic oil when the filter is being replaced.

Improving performance
Procurement criteria has shown a movement towards broader assessment of equipment performance and the quality of field support provided by the supplier. “Buyers are mapping future costs and expenses to ensure overall profitability. Many buyers have started seeking firm assurances for the machine performance and uptime. Individual buyers, too, are moving on from merely looking at the landed cost of the equipment as the sole buying criteria,’ he said.

Improving procurement
The ‘Make in India’ initiative can definitely improve procurement practices. On one side, it will offer a wider choice with current technologies and better deliverables. Properly used, it can help project managers to improve their overall competitiveness. However, it may take some time before such benefits or advantages can be availed.

Buyers are mapping future costs and expenses to ensure overall profitability.
S K Jaruhar, Advisor – Support Services, Kobelco Construction Equipment (India) Pvt Ltd.