We need to ensure that all the equipment talk to each other

Caterpillar has been a key partner in India’s growth since the 1930s, supporting growth in mining, transportation, captive power generation and construction of infrastructure. Vivek Vanmeeganathan, Director, Material Handling & Underground (MH&U) Division, Caterpillar India, shares more…

Market opportunities: Infrastructure will still be the primary segment, within which, roads will be the biggest driver. There have been projects, but the progress has been slow compared to the recent past. But the last two months has been a good indication of where the industry is heading.

Enhancing productivity: The success of a project or its efficiency is largely determined by how the all the equipment are getting well-coordinated and connected. The assets are first connected, and then through an app, you can actually track the machines’ activities at any given point in time. The contractor gets real time visibility, which helps in efficient utilisation of the asset. Also, coordination is important, and hence, we need to ensure that all the equipment talk to each other.

In terms of the overall operating cost, fuel plays a vital role – it can drive more efficiency ensuring minimal time consumption, and that is what our technology typically does. It helps in condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, ensuring that availability of equipment is not an issue. Condition monitoring and site efficiency are two key aspects that can drive productivity and efficiency.

Skilling operators: We have two big channel partners – Gmmco and GCPL – and this is one of our biggest competitive advantages. They have extensive training programmes for the operators. It is the skill of the operator that determines the machine’s efficiency and utilisation.

Product launches: All our machines displayed at Excon 2019 are connected assets. Caterpillar has traditionally enjoyed being the market leader in the motor grade segment. And, at Excon 2019, we launched the next gen motor grader. The next gen motor grader is an upgraded machine with better technology, productivity and efficiency.