Korean AWP manufacturer plans increased production and export drive
14 January 2009
Korean aerial work platform manufacturer, Junjincsm Co Ltd (formely Soosan Special Purpose Vehicles) is planning to increase its production of aerial work platforms from 800 in 2008 to 2000 units by 2011.
The company, which produces self-propelled telescopic booms up to 34 m and truck mounted insulated aerials, has been building AWPs for over ten years and has been very successful in the Korean shipbuilding industry, securing some 90% of the market says assistant manager of overseas sales, James Cho. The machines are also exported to China, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The shipbuilding industry is very important to the Korean economy - the country boasts the largest shipyard in the world and with China snapping at its heels substantial investments in technology have been made to keep ahead of the game. These are the main reasons that the shipbuilding industry has been much quicker to adopt aerial work platform technology than the construction industries.
So where does Junjincsm plan to sell the extra machines it will produce? In its home market of Korea it believes there is substantial scope for expansion into a developing construction market. Overseas the shipbuilding industry is a target, but the company believes that construction and rental are the fastest growing areas. Junjincsm will be focusing on the rental and construction markets of the Middle East, South America, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong and the shipbuilding industries in Vietnam, India, Philippines and some European Countries.
With an increased production target Junjincsm hopes that the factory that it is building in Dalian, China - due for completion at the end of this year - will be on-line building aerial work platforms and, starting late 2009/2010, boom lift trucks. Also in production at the plant will be cargo cranes, concrete pump trucks and later truck cranes and hydraulic crawler drills. As well as at its Korean plant Junjincsm currently manufactures aerial work platforms in another Chinese facility in Nanjing in a joint venture.
Junjincsm's machines have been developed with considerable input from the shipbuilding industry to particularly meet their needs. The company's major customers: Hyudai; Daewoo. STX and Han-Jin shipbuilding companies require high standards of safety and strength.
Optional extras can be added to the machines when they are used for particularly rigorous jobs such as shot-blasting and welding. Some customers need machines which can work in narrow spaces or they might need a very low stowed height to negotiate their way through obstacles at the yard. Junjincsm can produce customised equipment to suit.
Despite being rugged Junjincsm provides its machines with a smooth and accurate boom control. This is via a hydraulic PLVC system (a type of PLC) from German manufacturer HAWE. The control keeps "the movement of the boom very smooth," says the company, "so even if it is stopped suddenly during a swing up and down the operator can feel comfortable."
