Capital Equipment News November 2016

EDITOR'S COMMENT

NEW SOLUTIONS FOR NEW APPLICATIONS

F or a number of reasons, construction jobs are changing, presenting a new set of applications which require new solutions to undertake them. In this edition of Capital Equipment News , we look at the prospects of growth for compact equipment in the local mar- ket, all the way from TLBs and skid steers, through to newer solutions such as compact excavators and compact articulated loaders. These solutions are gaining preference for several reasons. Youwould find in the Compact Equipment feature (Page 20) that the first big driver for compact gear is urbanisation. As towns continue to grow, space is at a premium at many construction sites, hence the need for a compact machine that can manoeuvre through the tight spaces. More importantly, change in application is driving this range of equipment. There is gen- eral consensus that we ought to see more jobs in applications such as landscaping, sewage, trenching and cabling. These sorts of applications are continuously growing and compact equipment becomes a big need. Over the years, the TLB and the skid steer have been the most sought after smaller pieces of equipment in Africa, which earned them the “picks and shovels of the local in- dustry” accolade along the way. Even sales figures show that these are the “bread and butter” lines for the construction industry. In 2014, the two lines accounted for half of the total equipment sales in South Africa, as re- flected by CONMESA figures. But, many would agree that the next big thing may be the compact excavator. This solution already accounts for over 100 000 unit sales in the global market, a figure envisaged to double by 2020. There are several application opportunities in plumbing, electrical and telecommunication, as well as in the specialised agricultural sector, to mention but a few. It is also important to

note that the compact excavator, especially the mid-sized units such as the 8 t, is even taking trenching work away from the tried and tested TLB, and one of the suppliers argues that it is a matter of time before it upstages the TLB because of the comparative production speeds. The skid steer is also up for some serious challenge from the articulated loader. The likes of MultiOne, Avant Tecno, Wacker Neuson and Atlas Weyhausen, to mention a few, are leaving no stone unturned to prove the worth of this solution. The compact loader is said to be economical to run in terms of fuel consumption compared with the skid steer, consuming six times less fuel in some instances, while it can also load more material per run than the similarly sized skid steer. While there may be several comparisons between these solutions, for me, it is all about choosing the right solution for the job at hand. I believe these solutions can com- plement each other so well on sites, and they are distinctly different solutions, with a degree of overlap. For that reason, I believe they can co-exist in the market. In construction, planning goes beyond plans and permits; it also calls for the knowl- edge and experience to know what equip- ment is needed, when it will be used and for how long it will be on site. These factors contribute to determining what construction equipment is needed. Having the right equip- ment and tools to do the job is an essential part of any successful construction project. Each piece of construction equipment is designed for a specific purpose. When reviewing the projects, it is important to know what equipment is needed and when in the construction process it will be used. A skilled contractor can identify what construction equipment is needed by reviewing the project tasks. This knowledge and experience is guaranteed to save time, money and lots of headaches. b

Munesu Shoko – Editor

capnews@crown.co.za

@CapEquipNews

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS NOVEMBER 2016 2