Capital Equipment News February 2018

BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA PREVIEW

today accounts for half the trucks sold in that country, as well as being represented in 80 countries around the world. “Although new to southern Africa, KAMAZ is synonymous with providing purpose- designed trucks to the harshest applications, and this has been borne out by the company’s consistently strong performance in the challenging Dakar Rally, having recorded its 15 th win at the 2018 event,” says Hughes. Scania’s construction focus Scania will be showcasing its complete construction solutions, comprising a wide application range and extended carrier; the P410CB8x4MHZ CTS 15 m³ tipper; the P360CB6x4EHZ 12 m³ tipper; the P310CB6x4MSZ 6 m³ mixer; the P360CB6x4EHZ 16 000 ℓ water tanker; and the G460CB8x4EHZ mining dumper. “The P410CB8x4MHZ is hooked to a Henred Brick Carrier with a Palfinger crane and comes standard with a Scania Retarder. The vehicle also offers superior fuel efficiency and optimised payload in demanding construction environments,” says Kweyi. “The P410CB8x4MHZ CTS 15m³ new Euro tipper is a low-mainte- nance vehicle, offering above average payloads (+/-1,5 t more) and greater driver safety and comfort.” The P360CB6x4EHZ 12 m³ tipper is a versatile vehicle with a chassis and body that is specifically optimised for road construction projects or similar applica- tions. The G460CB8x4EHZ mining dumper is built for tough mining operations; the vehicle provides an increased payload of up to 25% compared with its prede- cessor, while offering fuel efficiency of approximately 9 ℓ /hour depending on the operation. More solutions Eazi Access offers a wide range of work- at-height and material-handling solutions, including rental, sales, service and training, across a broad spectrum of industries and applications. “We are particularly excited to bring one of JLG’s latest ultra-booms to our stand at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA. We will also be showcasing new products from JLG and Magni, including the JLG 520AJ, the Magni HTH16.10 and Magni RTH5.25, together with the JLG 530LRT,” explains Smith. “JLG’s ultra-booms offer a working height of up to 58 m, something we believe can greatly assist our customers with any on-site project. Our diesel booms offer two key benefits to customers: services. Vehicles on display will include the P410CB8x4MHZ brick

capital-intensive projects. “The next couple of years will see huge increases in infrastructure-spend, by both parastatals and private investors. As has been illustrated by the problems at Eskom and the water shortages in the Western Cape, there is huge work to be done on major infrastructure projects. In addition, national government has already committed to upgrading and expanding both road and rail infrastructure at both national and regional level,” says Launspach. Hughes sees continued good demand from the coal sector but says there are concerns that platinum group metals will remain under pressure. “Copper and cobalt are exciting commodities to watch as there has been excellent recovery in the copper price, and the cobalt price is at an all-time high, which is giving that sector the much-needed boost. Construc- tion is steady but remains under pres- sure, largely due to the lack of govern- ment spend. Road construction and the aggregates sectors are holding up well,” says Hughes. “Cobalt is definitely the commodity to watch as it’s the principal ingredient of the battery industry and is currently seeing record prices. We are also seeing newly established stability in the Zimbabwe mining industry, which bodes well for strong growth. The coal sector is another one we will be watching closely as it’s traditionally the sector with the largest off take of our products,” adds Hughes. According to Kweyi, South Africa’s construction industry has been on an unsteady and somewhat declining state for the past two years, with the National Treasury forecasting a growth prospect of a mere 1,5 to 2% in 2018. “Having said that, government infra- structure investment programmes are expected to continue despite pressure on public capital expenditure. That provides a glimmer of hope for the construction sector as up to 70% of all construction in South Africa is government driven. This offers fair market share opportunity for transport OEMs providing solutions to the construction segment,” says Kweyi. She also notes that there has been an increased upturn in road construction as a large percentage of Scania’s construc- tion vehicles have been sold into that area. “The upturn could be due to road infrastructure being a key government de- liverable. With government infrastructure investment programmes set to continue in the medium term, it’s safe to say that the road construction trend will continue in 2018,” concludes Kweyi. ❂

firstly, they provide greater reach and ver- satility on site, and secondly, they enable greater cost savings thanks to improved fuel efficiencies,” adds Smith. Meanwhile, the Wirtgen Group South Africa will use bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018 to display a range of its available solutions and services tailored to specific requirements for all areas of road con- struction as well as mining and process- ing of minerals. “We will showcase all our brands, namely Wirtgen, Vögele, Hamm, Kleemann, Benninghoven and Ciber,” says Kukard, adding that the range of products from these companies are relevant to the local market. With their leading technological features, the products will help local customers maximise productivity and execute top quality jobs. “Bringing products and technologies to the local market that have been successfully applied internationally provides the local industry with an opportunity to identify projects that can benefit from the international experience.” Outlook and trends Commenting on the current state of the mining industry, Maleka notes that while the market in general has not been favourable, SEW-EURODRIVE has forged ahead with major investment in both stock and personnel, as well as streamlining its service offering, especially in terms of technical and aftermarket support. A major trend for the mining industry, according to Maleka, in 2018 will be the advent of mechatronic drives. This essen- tially combines all elements of a power- pack into a complete drive solution, with the particular arrangement of motors, gearbox and intelligence ensuring optimal efficiency. “This is still in trial phase, with test units deployed in various locations at present. We continue to challenge and change traditional mindsets with such innovative solutions,” says Maleka. Although the local market is fragile, Smith is optimistic that 2018 will be a good year. “There is definitely a positive sentiment from our customers’ side and we truly feel this will be a year of growth in all our focus markets,” he says. Launspach says last year many compa- nies in South Africa were holding back, and waiting to see the outcome of the ruling party’s National Elective Confer- ence. He is of the view that the quick strengthening of the currency is a clear indication that the mood has shifted, but private investors will probably still be wary of rushing back into large-scale,

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS FEBRUARY 2018 14