We develop new products keeping in mind the market and customers future needs

01 Jan 2018 CW Team

The construction equipment sector is poised to grow at about 12-14 per cent CAGR every year for the next four to five years. 'Undoubtedly, this is the right time for any serious contender to be here today,' says Sharad Rastogi, Director, SSAB India. He shares more... Big opportunity: When we compare Indian infrastructure to the developed world, say Europe, we are much behind. So, we have to catch up fast. The government has already announced the Bharatmala programme, with about Rs 7 trillion investment in roads and highways itself. Thus, the demand for earthmoving equipment for this kind of infrastructure will be tremendous. Mining, too, starts to look promising after a gap of six to seven years. Technological innovations: We have a futuristic approach. We develop new products based on market needs and by estimating what the market and customers would need in future. For instance, at Excon, we launched a new product HARDOX 500 TUF, which is the right product for heavy transport, tippers and buckets, etc. It has a hardness of 500 BHN; and it has the impact toughness equivalent to 450 BHN material. Hence the name 500 TUF that makes it tough and hard. Generally, with high hardness, the toughness comes down and material becomes brittle, but Hardox 500 Tuf is 500 BHN hard and as tough as 450 BHN. We have launched this product after many years of R&D, and it is already getting an excellent response worldwide. As a responsible supplier, one needs to assess what the industry will need for applications in future, and we do exactly that. HARDOX is the brand for hard steel, ie, lightweight high strength steel. By using this steel, customers can reduce thickness and weight from mild steel; they can reduce 30-40 per cent weight in their trucks, machines or vehicles. If you see mobile cranes, most booms use our high strength steels branded as Strenx. Similarly, concrete pumps have to reach heights of may be 30-40 storeys, so these too use the high strength steels. Strenx finds huge application in the construction, cement, lifting and even transportation industry for making long members and cross members of the commercial vehicles. Reducing weight is a way to increase payload. Also there is less fuel consumption and less wear of movable parts when idling since the total machine is light weighted with use of high strength steels.