Our focus this year will be on developing new products and innovative solutions that will improve plant efficiency while lowering operational costs for our clients, says Vasim Pradhan, Sales Head for India & International Business at Ashar Locker.

What is going to be your focus in 2023?

We intend to broaden our commercial reach by targeting diverse segments of the worldwide market. We’ve been doing extensive background work for a few years, and now is the time to put it all together. We have been doing a lot of background work for the same over the last few years and are confident in putting our strategy and ideas into action this year.

What kind of screening solutions do you offer for construction and infrastructure projects?

Ashar Locker India Private Limited is a joint venture company established in 2007 with the expertise of Locker Group Australia (a leader in screening media solutions for over five decades) to offer the highest quality screening media for the global market, manufactured in India. We offer a complete range of screening media products like wire mesh, rubber, polyurethane panels, and self-cleaning harp meshes. Thanks to its unique design, development, and manufacturing process that utilises state-of-the-art machinery and tooling facilities, Ashar Locker offers screening media with enhanced screening efficiency and longer wear life, which leads to cost-effective savings for all our customers.

Ashar Locker’s anti-clogging screens have proven to be highly successful in manufacturing M-sand and P-sand over the past couple of years. These handmade and uniquely designed screens utilise every motion of the screen efficiently. Every wire vibrates individually, which not only improves the efficiency of the plant but also helps in developing the precise cuts needed for sand manufacturing.

Our non-metallic product lines, like our rubber and PU meshes, are also in huge demand for wet screening and primary applications.

How do you consider the need to conduct an onsite audit to ensure efficiency at project sites?

As a complete solution provider, we need to conduct onsite audits to ensure that our customers are using the right kind of screening media at different screening stages to ensure maximum plant efficiency. Our meshes are customised according to the client’s requirements. Once we receive an inquiry from our customer, we either visit their plant or ask for the complete flowsheet of the plant to understand the exact requirement. Based on the data, we identify the correct type of screening media and its exact specifications to maximise the output and increase the plant’s overall efficiency. Screens are generally the most neglected part of the crushing and screening circuit, and customers more often stick to the exact specification of meshes supplied by their respective OEMs. What is essential to understand is that every crushing and screening plant is different, just as the end product size varies from customer to customer. Also, the nature of the mineral or rock being screened varies from quarry to quarry. Once our team has analysed the complete data, we offer end-to-end screening solutions to our customers based on their requirements. Our anti-clogging screens are in high demand worldwide, as our team of experts has successfully developed a product that helps our customers operate their plants during the monsoon season.

Most local mesh suppliers often confuse the customers by offering higher wire diameters under the pretext of increasing wear life, but this reduces the overall screening area, hence decreasing the overall plant efficiency. We continually educate all our customers on the importance of selecting the right wire diameter according to their desired separations, resulting in higher productivity and a lower cost per tonne on their screenings.

Please share the benefits of PU screening products and solutions.

Compared to the wire mesh, the rubber and PU meshes have a better wear life, less dust generation, less sound pollution, and are more durable. The PU meshes are primarily used for wet applications where the metallic media might rust, resulting in premature failures. The only drawback is the reduction in open areas for screening. Non-metallic and metallic materials have their place and importance, and customers are guided through installing the right combination of meshes to bring value to their plants. The top deck can be non-metallic, the second one can be metallic, and the third can be an anti-clogging screen; this can be decided with the help of the company’s expert technical team.

How is the ongoing infrastructure push impacting your business?

India’s infrastructure is well-positioned to help the country achieve its goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy. The government has put a lot of money into infrastructure development, but it should create a committee to oversee the commodity index.

When it comes to steel prices, there have been a lot of fluctuations, which have had a significant impact on the total infrastructure costs. Customers have been significantly impacted by the cost of our products, which are made up of roughly 90% steel.

From a macro perspective, the increase in steel costs affects infrastructure throughout the category. Hopefully, this will not be an option for a long time. As a result, we are pleased with the government’s infrastructure spending, but much more needs to be done to keep up and stay in the race.

For more details visit: https://www.asharlocker.com/