Frontline players give insights on trends, growth and challenges besides unleashing innovations at the expo.

The International Mining & Machinery Exhibition (IMME) 2018 marked another year of unleashing innovations in the mining segment. The trade fair was held in Eco Park, Rajarhat, Kolkata from October 31 to November 3. IMME has been witnessing steady growth and has again proved to be the largest trade fair dedicated to the mining fraternity in India. While the mining sector is going through its own share of hurdles, industry players warmed up to the expo giving quite an encouraging response to the same. The trade show attracted a large number of international delegates, foreign as well as domestic companies. The trade fair had various county pavilions from Australia, UK, China, Germany etc.

Global Mining Summit (GMS) is the signature initiative being organized concurrently with IMME 2018. The flagship event has emerged as the appropriate platform for the frontline players in the mining industry to congregate both internationally and from India. It brings together the government policy makers, mining professionals, technology providers, financing institutions, academia, geologists, environmentalists and consultants to deliberate emerging issues and challenges being faced by the sector. Exchange if ideas and amalgamation of strategies lead to the evolution of a shared agenda that is pursued with the stakeholders by the committee.

The expo met with the expectations of customers well to the mining companies. Latest techniques and methods from the areas of mineral extraction, earthmoving, safety equipment and much more, were presented. The exhibition provided an appropriate platform to national and international exhibitors, professionals, buyers and delegates who share a common outlook towards joint ventures, technology transfers and strategic business-to-business alliances.

Mining industry is witnessing an upsurge in demand owing to increasing industrialisation. Digitisation has led to upgradation of technologies to formulate high-quality products and solutions to meet the growing customer demands. However, the industry is grappling with its fair share of challenges. Fuel consumption is an integral aspect of conducting smooth operations in the mining segment. However, consumption of fuel has become a key concern too and has led to rising emission woes that calls for intervention and support from industry players.

LiuGong announced the launch of its two new range of products at the IMME 2018. Song Wu, Managing Director, LiuGong India said, “LiuGong India is delighted to launch and showcase its new range of machines for Indian mining industry. At IMME’18, we are demonstrating our unmatched strength in mining by showcasing 7-tonne Payload Capacity Wheel Loader and a 50-tonne Excavator. We are also generating more manpower to support the Skill India Mission.”

The new launches are backed with fuel efficiency to address fuel consumption concerns. Earlier, the company was giving wheel loaders for coal applications with surface miner. Now, the contract period is reduced and customers want to shift to bigger machine for which its 7-tonne class of pay load capacity for wheel loaders has come in.

“In IMME, presently we have mine trucks which we launched in Nashik and we also have the IBH 10 which is surface drilling machine redesigned for previous model. We have changed everything from power patch to cabin. So, it’s basically a new machine,” according to Epiroc.

Market for mine truck is mainly underground mining. IBH 10 is more for quarries and cement production.

In the wake of increasing industrialisation in the construction and mining sectors, focus is on the all steel radial tyres, says Ashok P. Chhajer, General Manger – OE Sales, Balkrishna Industries Limited in a media interaction at International Mining & Machinery Exhibition (IMME) 2018.

Having added 33/65-33 tyre in the steel radial for wheel loader shovel application, the company is in plans to launch smooth pattern for their underground mining applications, he says.

“We are focused on crushing technologies as well as mineral beneficiation technology. In the crushing technology, our focus has been especially on coal which has got some of the typical machineries called feeder breakers. We are just doing that as on date and ancillary products which goes along with feeder breakers. Though our German office has a big portfolio of crushers, we are yet to start those in India owing to market, demand and price factors,” says Shantanu Banerjee, Head Business Development, Hazemag India Pvt Ltd.

Challenge wise, price is a sensitive area. If making the best of products in the world, it obviously cannot be at the cheapest price which is norm. The directives, government rules do have the guidelines of CVC or purchase procedure and may be tendering by going to the L1 crosses or reverse bedding, etc., he says.

“The major issue with a number of project delays is related to productivity and unsynchronised working and collaboration between stakeholders. iQuippo will promote real time collaboration between stakeholders and provide them access to skilled manpower to avoid delays in project completion,” says Debnil Chakravarty, Chief Business Officer, iQuippo.

Launched by Srei Infra, iQuippo rentals is in the acquisition stage with the parent company being in the deployment phase where it partners with various construction companies, large corporates and other things in deploying that particular equipment and creating opportunities for the same.

“In IMME, we have displayed 520 XDLC – 10 and 380 XDLG – 10. We have got state-of-the-art Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDi) engines, also got arm regeneration technology because of which fuel consumption is less,” says Prakash C.V.S., DGM – Corporate Business, Kobelco Construction Equipment India Pvt Ltd.

In ordinary diesel engine, ordinary pump is there. In fuel injection pumps, the pump pressure is low. In CRDi, there are special CRI pumps which pump the diesel into a common rail at a very high pressure. Due to this pressure when injected into cylinder, the burning efficiency is high. This is one more region where safe fuel is used.

“We give solutions for underground coal mining application. From developing mineral sizers, today we have MMD product ranges, including MMD Twin Shaft Mineral Sizers, MMD Heavy Duty Apron Plate Feeder. To give the complete sizing solutions including Fully Mobile, Semi Mobile Station, Trailer Mounted Sizing Station. Besides this, we have also developed Surge Loaders that’s for the continuous mining applications. We have Atlas Transporter, so here we give complete crushing station solution to our customers. We design in a modular nature so that during the mine phase changes the module can be shifted to the transporters. Transporter is also the latest development from MMD,” says Subhajit Chaudhuri, Vice President – Sales and Projects, MMD. Mining market has been almost back as compared to last year.

“We see the coming months and years as good for growth which will be driven primarily by coal operation. The number of machines required is going to be larger and the equipment size is going to be bigger. Bigger the machine more efficient it is in terms of cost per tonnes of acceleration. Hitachi is very well positioned for that, we have the biggest numbers, biggest excavators; two areas where we are specialised,” says Hemant Mathur, Sr. GM – Sales and Marketing, Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Pvt Ltd.