bC India 2013 preview

The second bC India exhibition takes place in the first week of February in Mumbai, India. Held from 5 – 8 February, the show is a joint venture between Messe München, the organiser of Bauma and Bauma China among others, and the US-based Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), which is responsible for the ConExpo-Con/Agg show.

The first bC India show was held in February 2011, and some 508 exhibitors from 36 different countries took up 88,000 m2 of exhibition space. This included eight national pavilions, and the majority of the companies – 72% – were manufacturers with an international headquarters. The remaining 28%, or 142 companies, were purely Indian concerns.

A point the organisers are keen to stress is the high quality of the visitors to the show. Although the 24,823 visitors came from 71 countries, more than 90% were from India, and according to bC India’s own research, some 47% of these said they had some sort of final decision-making authority within their companies.

This was put down to the admissions policy, whereby visitors could pre-register for free ahead of the event, either at the show ground itself or online. However, people who showed up on the day were charged an admission fee.

This year the expectation is for a bigger show all round, although it will be held on the same Bandra Kurla Complex, owned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) that hosted the inaugural bC India. Around 700 exhibitors are expected this time round and there is a total of 150,000 m2 of gross exhibition space available, a +70% increase on 2011.

A second, air-conditioned indoor hall has been added to take the total covered space to 25,000 m2, while the remainder will be outside. The expectation is that around 40,000 visitors will attend the show.

New additions to the roster of exhibitors from last time include Case, Hyundai and JCB. However, at the time of writing, there was still no sign of the two major players in the Indian excavator sector – Telcon, Hitachi’s Indian affiliate, and L&T Komatsu, which together account for around 70% of excavator sales in the country. Caterpillar and Volvo were also absent.

Market conditions

Citing figures from specialist consultant Off-Highway Research, bC India CEO Thomas Löffler said the Indian construction equipment market had seen something of a lull this year. He said total unit sales were expected to fall to about 66,000 machines, compared to the more than 72,000 pieces sold in 2011. However, he reiterated the long-term growth trend for India, which is expected to see sales reach 105,000 units per year by 2016

And studies by the bC India organisation show that the road building sector in India at least continues to grow. Its studies have found that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) awarded some 4,375 km of road building work in the first nine months of 2012. With 4,553 km of projects awarded over the whole of 2011, that figure suggests the sector is continuing to grow.

Indeed, there were just 3,388 km of work awarded in 2010 and a tiny 643 km in 2009 – about a third of the total 1,898 km of road work awarded in the third quarter of 2012 alone.

At the show

Most of the new machines unveiled at bC India 2013 will be intended for use in the Indian market. A key example is the JCB 3DX backhoe loader, which is similar in size and digging envelope to the 3CX sold elsewhere in the world.

In India JCB claims an enormous slice of the backhoe loader market – in the region of 80% – and with sales of 33,600 backhoes in India last year, this new model is clearly of enormous importance to the company.

The key selling point is its fuel economy, with the new 3DX said to offer a saving of INR 2.25 Lakh (US$ 4,300) per year over its predecessor, based on current fuel prices.

Power comes from JCB’s own Ecomax engine, which is rated at 76 hp (57 kW), and which is said to cut fuel consumption by as much as -20% during digging work. A new JCB transmission is also said to provide more torque, which will improve dozing performance.

Operators will appreciate the new cab, which is +20% bigger than on the previous machine, and other improvements include a new bonnet design to make it easier to get to service and maintenance points.

“We are extremely delighted with the launch of this all new JCB 3DX Backhoe Loader in the market. JCB has always been the frontrunner in technological innovation and therefore, the equipment manufactured by the company are regarded as best-in-class.” said Vipin Sondhi, managing director & CEO of JCB India.

Among the cranes on display on Manitowoc’s stand will be the Potain MC 205 B, which is one of several crane models built at the company’s factory in Pune. The crane has a 10 tonne maximum capacity and can lift 2.4 tonnes at its maximum outreach of 60 m.

In addition to showing equipment, Manitowoc will also run live training courses on its stand each day, through Manitowoc Crane Care. The company did the same thing during the last bC India, held in 2011, and the courses were hugely successful, selling out completely. Manitowoc is hoping for similar success at the upcoming event, with classes on tower crane maintenance and operation among those available.

Raman Joshi, managing director of Manitowoc Cranes India, said the timing of the show was good for manufacturers and visitors.
“India continues to move in the right direction, but this year has been a little slower,” he said. “But we’re optimistic for 2013. We’re still expecting new infrastructure and energy projects to come on-line and to build these ambitious new developments contractors will need to use the latest lifting technology.”

Doka will use bC India to introduce three new products to the Indian market, Dokadek 30, Frami Eco and Dokaflex 15.

Dokadek 30 is a floor formwork system, which is designed to be flexible and allow the casting of large areas as well as infill sections. It is available with drophead props to allow early striking of the panels, while the lightweight steel design makes for safe and easy handling.

Frami Eco meanwhile is a hand-set, crane-lifted formwork system for walls, columns and foundations. The product family includes components from the Frami Xlife system.

Frami Eco scores for its simple system-grid and low form-tie ratio. The provides flexibility on the site, reduces the commissioning quantities and minimises infill zones. Above all, though, the system shortens the forming-times, ensuring fast workflows: a hammer is the only tool needed.

Dokaflex 15 is a hand-set system for 100 mm – 150 mm floor slabs in the residential sector. In developing Dokaflex 15, Doka took account of the lower weight of the slab, and and developed an economical formwork system. It is bhased on the H16 timber formwork beam, with its unique ‘1-2-5’ spacing marks for easy handling, and on the new Eco 15 floor prop with a load capacity of 15 kN.

This is just a taster of some of the equipment that be on show in Mumbai, but the best way to find out what’s new is to visit bC India for yourself.