PMV Middle East - May 2010

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News (p04) Kanoo Interview (p14) Events diary (p38) Backtrack (p32) An ITP Business Publication Licensed by Dubai Media City PLUS: INSIDE IRAQ We’ve been to Bagdhad to bring you the latest infomation May 2010, Volume 4 Issue 5 FAKES BARRED Firm demands ‘copycat’ machines remain under wraps at show S NEW TELEMETRY A regional CEO speaks about the value of ‘black box’ systems BEST OF BAUMA If you couldn’t get there, here’s what you missed

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PMV Middle East - May 2010 - ITP Business

Transcript of PMV Middle East - May 2010

Page 1: PMV Middle East - May 2010

News (p04)Kanoo Interview (p14)

Events diary (p38)Backtrack (p32)

An IT

P Business Publication Licensed by Dubai M

edia City

PLUS: INSIDE IRAQ We’ve been to Bagdhad to bring you the latest infomation

May 2010, Volume 4 Issue 5

FAKES BARREDFirm demands ‘copycat’ machines remain under wraps at show

S

NEW TELEMETRYA regional CEO speaks about the value of ‘black box’ systems

BEST OF BAUMA If you couldn’t get there, here’s what you missed

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Head Offi ce P.O. Box 20 Dammam 31411 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dammam Tel: +966 3 802 4938 / 37 / 53 Fax: +966 3 826 9894Riyadh Tel: +966 1 230 3613 Fax: +966 1 209 8767Abha Tel: +966 7 227 2471 Fax: +966 7 227 6284

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001

MAY 2010, ISSUE 5 VOL 4

1902 COMMENT

04 NEWSSome of the latest news updates from across the equipment industry.

10 IRAQ: TRUCKSAn assembly plant reopens in Bagdhad, and we are there to see it.

14 INTERVIEWFreddy Sherman from Kanoo Machinery speaks about finance and technology.

19 BEST OF BAUMANew launches and items at the tri-annual trade show. Featuring the world’s big-gest roller and a massive min-ing truck.

24 IN PICTURESStories you might have missed.

26 PRODUCTSNew kit in the run up to the show season.

29 IRAQ: PROFILEThe machinery industry in the wake of the ballot crisis examined.

32 BACKTRACKWe all use tyres, but nei-ther of the founding fathers of Goodyear or Dunlop ever made any serious cash from their inventions.

10 29

04 14

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COMMENT002

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Do you have any comments about the PMV industry, or the magazine? Please email: [email protected] or post to: PMV Middle East, ITP, Garhoud, PO Box 500024, Dubai

Eyjafjallajokull, a name we can’t pronounce, let alone spell, didn’t stop us getting to Bauma. Read our coverage in the issue.

Greg Whitaker, [email protected]

It’s taken a lot of work to get this – admittedly slightly thin – edition to you. Weirrdly, given that the Bauma show was essentially all about how our heavy machines can provide mastery over the envi-ronment, it only took a hiccup from Mother

Nature over a thousand miles away to cause total and utter chaos to the whole of Europe. Never one to be put off by a spot of weather, I made it over to Bauma regardless, and was pleased to see a very high number of launches and improvements to existing products.

Particularly interesting was the effort being put in to ever-more fiendish ways of meeting the Euro IV Final emission stage. A number of different approaches were in evidence throughout the show, with ideas ranging from ultra-high pressure injec-tion, to ever larger exhaust filters (which, ironically, tend to increase fuel consumption) to various types of diesel-electric systems.

Elsewhere at the show, extra-large machines, more likely to be of use around the Middle East were on show. For example, I could imagine the

new 32-tonne road roller being of use on some of the vast new stretches of highway being rolled across Saudi Arabia. There was a fair amount of stuff from the Far East at the show as well, though as you’ll read about in the issue, some of these manufactur-ers were forced to cover up their kit before it had even been officially launched, due to another man-ufacturer claiming copyright infringement – some-thing I suspect we will see more of in the future.

All in all, it was well worth the effort of getting there, though my struggle across Europe was nothing compared with that of our events organiz-er, Oscar Wendel, who flew to Baghdad in order to visit a few contacts. As a result, we bring you an exciting site visit of a truck assembly plant, and we are able to provide the lastest leads and informa-tion in our region update.

Whatever the weather, I hope you’ll enjoy this most intrepid issue of the region’s biggest circulat-ing machinery magazine.

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REGIONAL NEWS004

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PLANT A trade finance agreement has been struck between aggregates company Fujairah Cement Industries (FCI) and Jeddah based International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

A total amounting to AED73m will be released, as part of ITFC’s mandate to support local private enterprises by releasing money along Shariah-compliant principles of lending. The agreement was signed by Sheikh Mohamed Bin Hamad Bin Saif Al Sharqi, Vice Chairman of FCI and Dr. Waleed Al Wohaib, CEO ITFC during a signing ceremony held at the FCI headquarters in Fujairah.

Commenting on the trade finance agreement Sheikh Mohamed said: “We are encouraged with this financing agreement which will help us with the purchase of raw materials that are critical input components in our cement manufacturing process, while at the same time it frees up our capital in order to help us move forward on our various technology

Saudi money fi rm cements Fujeriah plant deal

JCB takes on Far East copycats at show

Spyshot shows one of the offending machines going back under cover at Bauma.

FAKES A British machinery firm JCB has taken legal action against three unnamed Far Eastern manufacturers for product copying and patent infringements.

The action was taken when the Bauma show began last week and the company successfully applied for court orders in Germany resulting in preliminary injunctions being served against manufacturers who were exhibiting the infringing machines at the show

As a result, the machines had to be either removed from the show and impounded or concealed from public view.

New money will be poured into the mix for a cement firm after a finance deal was hammered out.

upgrade initiatives, which are being undertaken in order to allow for greater quality control, resource optimization and allocation.”

Dr. Waleed Al Wohaib said, “This trade finance agreement represents one main element of

our plans to support the private sector in the United Arab Emirates in order to enhance trade in the Islamic world, in addition to offering integrated trade finance solutions for both the private and public sectors.”

Tim Burnhope, JCB’s Group Managing Director of Product Development and Commercial Operations, said: “JCB will not tolerate blatant copying of its machines or infringement of internationally-recognised patents and in every instance will act quickly and decisively to stamp out such unfair practices. JCB invests many years and many millions of pounds developing and innovating new products and it’s clearly unfair for any manufacturer to then simply free-ride on the results of that investment and research. As an industry we all have to unite to prevent such unlawful practices.”

AED73mValue of Saudi-Fujeriah

investment deal.

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18mRumoured Liebherr Bau-

ma spend.

Bauma ‘60%’ down on international visitors VOLCANO Day two of Bauma, and the construction equipment and materials show in Munich appeared to be as busy as ever. However, exhibitors privately voiced concerns that the number of visitors from the Middle East and America, whom they had been relying on to sign the largest contracts had stayed away due to the travel chaos caused by last week’s volcanic ash clouds.

One stallholder from Bucyrus, the mining shovel maker which has recently become independent from Terex, said “Yes, there are a lot of people here, but they are mostly from Bavaria, and have just come along to look at the machines. International visitor numbers must be 60% down from what they should be – at least.”

Visitor numbers were down, but there were still plenty of folk milling around.

“Unfortunately though, most of our American customers have cancelled their trips due to the weather.” Regardless, the stand was always teaming with visitors who had come to see the new crawler version of the LTM 11200 9.1 crane, and the T282 mining truck.

The organisers, Messe Munich remained tight-lipped about the impact that the eruption had on visitor numbers, though a trip into a near-silent free lounge bar for visitors told its own story.

Local firm Liebherr, who had spent a reported 18m Euros on its presence at the week-long event were more upbeat. “There are many

people here, with a strong interest in the machines” explained Daniela Stoll, a corporate communications manager for the firm, adding:

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STEEL Lakshmi Mittal and family have topped the rich list in the UK’s Sunday Times newspaper.

Mittal heads up the world’s biggest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal and has had his wealth estimated at £22,450 million (AED126,777 million), up from £10,800 million in 2009.

Nominally the richest Briton, Mittal hails from India, where his father built up the family steel operation in Calcutta.

In 2009, ArcelorMittal had revenues of $65.1 billion and crude steel production of 73.2 million tonnes, representing approximately 8% of the world’s steel output.

Recently ArcelorMittal acquired a 28.8% stake in Uttam Galva Steels, a producer of cold rolled steel, galvanized products and color

Indian Steel Magnate tops Britain’s rich list

Most powerful crane goes to workHigh-power Famco deal CRANES One of the fastest and

most powerful tower cranes on the market is working to its limit on an industrial project in Germany.

The giant red Wolff 1250B is pictured hoisting the numerous heavy parts needed to build the boiler support structure for a new power station in Wilhelmshaven.

The available working space around the supporting structure of the boiler is very constricted and as a result there is very little room for crawler or telescopic cranes.

Thanks to compact dimensions however, the luffing jib tower crane is ideally suited for these conditions. “The tight space constraints necessitated that we pay particular attention to the footprint of the cranes,” said Mr. Löser, a project manager for lead contractor on site, Donges Steeltec.

The design of this particular crane, with low component weights,

Big crane takes on a big job on a European site.

The price of steel has risen sharply in the UAE over recent months, leading to a rise in the value of scrap.

No wonder he is smiling. Indian-born Lakshmi Mittal, left, has been revealed to be the UK’s richest man

3Major engine brands

found in gensets

DEALS A deal has been signed between local firm Al-Futtaim Auto & Machinery Co (Famco) and generating set maker Himoinsa.The agreement will see Famco become the exclusive dealer of the Spanish brand in the UAE.

“The market for diesel generators in the UAE is very promising, and as a major distributor we hope to build on Himoinsa’s global reputation as a recognised leader in the generator industry,” said Paul Floyd, Managing Director, Famco.

Custom-ordered units will be delivered within two weeks.

enabled assembly times to be kept short. That isn’t to say that the crane is a lightweight. With a load moment of 1500 metre-tonnes, a maximum capacity of 60 tonnes and a triple fall working speed of 63m/minute it is the most powerful and fastest luffing crane in its class.

Elsewhere on site, a smaller model 355B crane from the same

maker is also toiling at conveying work for its living.

The smaller machine is located on a purpose-built crane track on the roof of the boiler supporting structure at a height of 110m. This enables the luffer to reach all sides of the boiler, and the adjacent assembly areas for the boiler house, without dany ifficulty.

coated coils and sheets, based in western India.

ArcelorMittal has also entered into initial discussions with BHP

Billiton to potentially combine their respective iron-ore mining and infrastructure interests in Liberia and Guinea within a joint venture.

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BUSINESS Contractors involved at the early stages of any new construction project are finding the market tough, even as money moves back into jobs put on hold in 2009.

Piling and foundation companies continue to find the market flat, as contractors involved in the later stages of construction are getting some relief.

“The market for piling and foundations has not improved at all since the middle of 2008,” said Ras Al Khaimah-based Al Nuaimi Foundations & Concrete division manager Kochummini Mukundan. “And that is why we’re waiting in hope for the time when the market gets better.”

Piling fi rms dig in tough timesBUSINESS BRIEFS

Komatsu sales dipThe big news this month was Bauma, and the travel disruption around it. However, while this was going on, some interesting other stories appeared. Komatsu, for example recorded a 30% drop in sales over the year. Despit this, the group remains hopefull that the market will return as it is looking at selling more to new Middle Eastern and Asian markets.

Little loadersA new line-up of small wheel loaders has been launched by Hitachi. The three-model range of compact wheeled loaders covers the 0.7 m3 to 1.05 m3 bucket classes. Apparently, this class makes up the bulk of the market in Europe, accounting for 75% of loader sales

More diesel-electricsFollowing the launch of the D7E ‘dozer a couple of years back, and faced with the need to hit Euro IV Fi-nal, Cat has announced that it plans to develop more diesel-electric ma-chines. Given the Peoria-based firms ‘bellwether’ status, it seems likely that other makers will follow with the dual-powered ma-chines. Just don’t get them wet…

Wacker Neuson lossIndustrial giant Wacker Neuson recorded a 110 million net loss for 2009 compared to the 37 million annual profit recorded in 2008. The loss would have totalled 2,9million but for two, one-off payments of 9,6 million for HR related restructuring costs and 100 million in non-cash write-downs, mainly on goodwill attributable to the Neuson Kramer subgroup.

Pair of new telehandlers hit local market MACHINERY A brace of new telehandler line ups have been introduced into the Middle East ahead of a large trade show being held in Europe next week.

First up is a new range of rotating machines which have been re-engineered to serve the needs of a site from just one position. The four-strong range features lifting weights from 2.2 to 4.0 tonnes and lift heights from 5.2 to 17.4 m and all are capable of being set up in a matter of minutes. According to the maker, they offer exceptional stability for lifting heavy materials either vertically up to a roof or horizontally onto the edge of an excavated site, reducing construction time and increasing safety. All of the new models have the ‘TR’ designation. A spokesman for the company said: “The design will be usefull for a number of applications, including being used as a man-platform.” He added that the remote controls came as part of the man-bucket attachment package.

around very tight construction sites. Tim Burnhope, MD of JCB said: “This new model will bring the benefits of the telehadler to sites where only equipment such as skid-steers could work previously.”

Both machines have been launched ahead of the Bauma trade show, which is to be held in Munich next week, and both are ready for order across the GCC now.

Meanwhile, British manufacturer JCB, best known for its line-up of backhoe loaders, has introduced an extremely small model in its ‘Loadall’ range. A ‘clean sheet’ design had reduced the overall height to less than two meters and the kerbweight to about 3.5 tonnes meaning the 515-40 model can drive inside warehouses and enclosed industrial areas, as well as being compact enough to maneuver

There is a surplus of new and used rigs.

A new boom is sweeping through the regional telehandler market.

Shad Asif Khan, general manager for piling contractor Keller Grundbau, agrees with Mukundan over the current market situation and backs up his opinion with a simple fact.

“The number of piling rigs available in the market is still much more than the demand for them, because construction activity is still not as much as it was back in 2008,” he says.

At one stage drill rigs of any brand were hard to get hold of, now they are hard to sell on.

The surplus of machinery emerged at the end of the construction boom, when demand, which had been driven by tower projects, dissipated.

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We ventured into Baghdad to meet up with Saib Jassim, the GM of Scania’s Iraq agent, Mada Al Rafidain Auto Trading Company

Iraq has an ageing vehicle parc with an anticipated demand for replacing

existing trucks and buses on the road. How do you forecast the market? Who will the clients be?The Sectors needing trucks will be the construction sector. But also transportation and distribution, up in the north the 4x2 truck tractors are in high demand as well as long-haulage semis. The bus market is very promising. The latest statement by the Iraqi minister of transportation is that the direct need for the ministries will need more than 20,000 trucks and buses in the next five years. I would say that approximately half of that number will be supplied by SCAI. Are the trucks assembled in Iraq being sold to other countries in the region?No, they are solely for the Iraq market.

What are the advantages of assembling trucks in Iraq?The Iraqi government is moving towards centralising the purchase of trucks and buses for ministries. From the side of SCAI, a 100% owned government company, a major objective is to create job opportunities and developing industry in Iraq.

What are the main challenges for upholding the brand name in Scania?Upholding the brand name is about delivering quality of service and stable operations.

Now we need to tell the people that Scania is back again. We have set up workshops in Baghdad and Erbil that are being launched now. We will also have dealership show-rooms on these locations. The next step is for us to now expand from 15 employees to around 50 to establish programs with 24 hour roadside assistance and mobile servicing units. The plan is then to open our next workshop in Basra.

The reaction we have so far is very positive. Of course, it is the business in the end that will have to prove this.

What do you see as the biggest

challenge for Scania on the Iraq market?It can’t be denied that selling [original and genuine] Scania spare parts is difficult. Our future concept is to sell a repair package where guarantee is given on service and the parts. We plan to launch this in mid-May.

How are these standards assured?A division of Scania’s after-sales support continuously carries out vendor operating audits. The purpose of the audits is to find ways to work together in finding ways to do things better. If our customer makes money, we make money.

How do you explain how Scania has such a good reputation on the Iraqi market?

The Iraqi people love Scania because it is one

of the two brands with Mercedes that have been here the longest and been committed to the market. Scania is the first brand

Trucks are built from CKD kits imported into the country. Bodies are locally sourced.

20,000Projected growth in Iraq’s heavy vehicle

fleet by 2015

FACT BOXThese trucks are brought in from Europe in kits known as complete knock-down form (CKD). Chiefly, this is done to avoid import and export duties. KD kit assembling plants are cheaper to maintain because there is hardly any modern robotic equipment, and the working force is usually much less expensive in comparison to the home country, so they are perfect for low-volume production. The CKD concept allows firms in developing markets to gain expertise in a particular industry. At the same time, the CKD kit exporting company gains new markets that would otherwise be closed.

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- Bus Factory Engineer

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The rebuilt factory is back with a goal to assemble 1,500 trucks per year.

An order of 150 vehicles is complete.

ENG ABED ABBAS NAHI, MANAGER OF THE SCAI TRUCK FACTORY

How has the lives of the employees been impacted since the plant reopened?They have become very happy. They have a need to work.

They always ask for work. It has had a big impact on the community in Iskandariyah. Some are arriving from Baghdad. Some employees have been working with Scania truck assembly since 1975. They have a broad experience. We have 300 employees

in the assembly plant here in Iskandariyah that are all working on Scania.

Right now the workers are so happy and proud to see the assembly coming back. It is seen in the whole area around Iskandariyah. Industry and work is coming back, things are returning to normal and the future is look-ing bright. I estimate that the factory in its current formation has maximum capacity of 2,500 trucks a year which means a big growth potential.

Does SCAI produce or have plans to produce trucks from other brands?At the moment it is only Scania but we are in

talks with Renault and with Mercedes.

Who is the biggest client you have for the trucks?Almost only government ministries. The biggest client is the ministry of oil and also the ministries of transportation and also defense ministry. The private contractors prefer second hand trucks in the price range of around 20 000 Dollars.

How many Scania trucks do you think you will be able to deliver this year?A: I think 1,500 trucks would be a possible figure.

to re-establish vehicle assembly after the war. It will be the first with CKD [complete, knock-down kits] and a body building factory. This will be a big advantage on the market.

Do you see a future scenario where there is a competition between

locally assembled Scania trucks and Scania trucks manufactured in Sweden?The government has cenralised the selling of trucks through SCAI. Most new trucks are bought from government organisations and would therefore not become an issue. But also from private contractors, the quality will be the same but the prices will be considerably lower.

Give us examples of how the technical specs are adapted for the Iraq market?

FACT BOXThe SCAI Truck Factory first started assembling Scania vehicles back in the 1980s. It was all but destroyed after the second Gulf war. Today though, it has been rebuilT with facilities in Iskandariyah, Bagdhad and a further plant planned for Basra. The first order of 150 vehicles has just been completed, and the firm has high hopes for the future.

A: In Erbil they will start with semi trailers that are 6x4. They need more engine traction because of the mountainous area 340 to 420 HP motors are in demand.

Who are the body builders for the vehicles?There are a number of suppliers from Jordan and Lebanon, Al Shirawi in Dubai as well as bodies being built by SCAI in Iskandariyah. The truck assembling at SCAI are also planning to expand their building activities to include busses, bus chassis as well as tank, tipper and semi trailer bodies.

20,000Projected growth in Iraq’s heavy vehicle

fleet by 2015

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Page 16: PMV Middle East - May 2010

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Managing the risksHeading one of the Gulf’s largest and most diverse industrial groups, Kanoo CEO Freddy Sherman shares his views on the role of finance and technology

Few people who are in the industry don’t know of the Kanoo group. One of the largest, and of course

one of the longest established Bahraini companies the group’s reach extends to all of the GCC countries and includes banking,

shipping, travel and of course machinery. Spinning all of these plates is the group CEO, a chap named Freddy Sherman who has the role of ensuring the operations across the Gulf run smoothly. We corner him just after he made a speech at the conference part of the PMV Show in Jeddah, a task he was well prepared for as he admits that he keeps a number

of such speeches pre-prepared on his laptop, as he is often needed to give a talk on a number of different subjects at the drop of a hat.

In fact, Sherman is very keen on such events in the Kingdom, as opposed to other places in the Gulf. “I actually love exhibitions in Saudi Arabia because I think you get so much more ‘bang for the buck’ We’ve had to look seriously at what we spend in places like Dubai on exhibitions because the cost is so enormous, and you are there because you have to be there, rather than you want to be

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Sherman: Keen on events in Saudi Arabia

LIFT Machines such as this straddle

carrier from Combilift form part of

the Kanoo Machinery range.

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there” he said. “We come because we want

to be here. We welcome contact with a new audience. We like to demonstrate our new products and perhaps show off a little bit. I think we get good value here and so we will continue to support them.”

The ‘new products’ he mentions is a reference to the telemetry systems offered in modern equipment, either as an add-on, or as original fitment. These devices allow plant managers to view exactly where their equipment is, what times it is operating as well as gaining

more advanced data such as the way that the equipment has been used, whether it has been started out of hours and so on. However, the market for such electronics is very new, and many plant managers struggle to see the benefit of the system.

“Dubai is moderately sophisticated [market], but there is still a long, long way to go as it is…” Sherman pauses. “I wouldn’t say expensive, but it is a cost. However, the ‘Cranestar’ system that we are implementing for Aramco is actually state of the art. It is well ahead of the simple tracking that we are using in the UAE. I think that it is something that we’ll be able to use to optimise the fleet to keep up with the maintenance and so on.”

TELEMETRYLooking at the suitability of the equipment for being connected to telemetry, Sherman explains: “I would say that it is already there in some equipment, built

A Combilift CB is displayed with the orange Aisle Master, both supplied by Kanoo.

FAST FACTSKanoo Machinery, part of the Kanoo Group is one of the largest suppliers of machines in the region. Recently, the group won a ‘distributor of the year’ award from Perkins Engines. The group came first out of 132 distributors across 181 countries.

in but not necessarily used. Hyster have quite of electronics built on to its machines, which can be used for diagnostics information. Perkins diesel engines also really have quite advanced electronics now for the complete management of the engine. These are just a small step away from communicating with a centre and that will be the next step. The basic electronics are in the engines already, or in the equipment. It is just the communications link that we are

A Genie brand access platform on the Kanoo Machinery stand at the PMV show in Jeddah.

“I love exhibitions in Saudi, because you get more bang for

your buck” - Freddy Sherman

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enabling and taking advantage of it.”

He further explained: “At the moment we are doing it by a third party ‘box’, or in the case of Grove, it has done its own especially for the cranes which will be effective and it includes the communication link” It is these communication links which are the biggest stumbling block to effective telemetry, particularly in the remote regions of Saudi Arabia, which ironically is the area which would most benefit from having an all-seeing eye monitoring the equipment, as sites are frequently to huge and inhospitable for a single individual to manage.

“At the moment we are looking for good communication links. Remember, Saudi Arabia is a very large country and the network doesn’t spread everywhere. So you can’t always rely on communications.” Sherman explained, suggesting the situation would get better, at machines that would run using satellite-based technology, rather than just the mobile phone network.

MONEYHowever, before we get too advanced with high technology, the elephant in the engine room is of course the lack of finance in the market. As Kanoo also acts as a bank for its customers, it also has to strike a balance between selling the equipment, but making sure the customer can afford the finance. Credit checks on customers are a regular occurrence, according to Sherman: “There isn’t a week that goes by where there isn’t

some evaluation for one or other of the territories that we are in. There are some individuals that we won’t touch because we don’t think that we could manage the risk. There are protections here, it is quite standard, at least for us (and I’m sure for others), to register equipment in our name until it is fully paid for.” This has worked well for the company, as according to Sherman: “We take effectively leasing contracts which we have

According to Sherman: ‘The market will find a level.’

Communication links for telemetery systems are vital for a new and efficient way of managing plant, according to Sherman.

never had to enforce a default on them, they are supported by the chamber of commerce who are working with them. Kanoo will do a certain amount of its own financing where we feel we can manage the risk, but finance houses are treated a little bit at arms length by a certain amount of customers.”

He added: “If we are ready to accept it, I think they will get a better deal, but we are very selective which does limit

149Total number of brands

represented by Kanoo Group

our market to a certain extent. Frankly, I don’t think we have been critisised for it.”

The recent uncertainty surrounding the Euro must be amount of money available for borrowing, but Sherman doesn’t see this as a long term situation “Ultimately the market will find a level, I think. Financing is available, it is just the cost of it that people are reluctant to take on.”

He adds: “Obviously banks have had a difficult time and they are going to be very keen to make sure that risks are absolutely minimized, but there are a number of finance houses and so on that are available to customers. The difficulty that we have as dealers is that people fail to see the distinction between the cost of the equipment, the reasonable mark up that we deserve and the cost of finance. The lump it all together – and to them it is all one price – and I’m not suggesting that it is wrong. It ends up that we need to know how to handle the different sources of finance – and what we’re ready to accept” he concluded.

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EVENT REPORT

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019019EVENT REPORT

It was the largest machinery show of the last three years – so we were determined to be there,

come rain, shine... or massive ash disruption

Without intending to pun, there was a cloud hanging over this year’s Bauma machinery show. For those that have been living in a cave, a

pall of ash threatened to turn jet engines into molten lava. Nonetheless, the stands were still busy with European visitors and there were some great new bits

of kit on display. If you weren’t there, here are a few things you missed:

It was the largest machinery show of the last h d t i d t b th

BAUMASHOW2010

The German giant was on its home ground – and it wasn’t going to do things by halves. The stand itself, of which construction began in November, was by far the largest we have ever seen at a trade show, with two four-storey plate glass office blocks connected via a skybridge. The machines were even more exciting – the group trucked in a vast new mining truck called the T282C, which is a con-tinuation of the diesel-electric T282B line, but with a stronger chas-sis and drive axle, among a number of other improvements. while crane fans were not left disappointed with both tracked and mobile versions of the record-breaking LTM 112200-9.1

019EVENT REPORT

Fans – and hopefully customers – of the dark green machines would have been pleased to see a big spread from this manu-facturer. New models included

the all-new 300-tonne, 7700 Star Lifter with a 148m maximum boom and jib configuration as well as the 70-tonne 673r tele-scopic boom crawler.

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EVENT REPORT020

PMV Middle East \\ May 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

There is usually some professional distance between Volvo Trucks and the separate entity of Volvo Construction Equipment, though both are owned by Volvo AB (the cars of the same brand were for-merly part of Ford, and now made by Chinese firm Geely Auto.)

However, the launch of a new truck at Bauma saw both sides coming together. The new FMX series is a construction truck is, according to the firm ‘a link between the construction site and the road network.’ Indeed, the new truck boasts a D13 engine, more commonly associated with the group’s construction equipment, as is the Powertronic gearbox.

An old name was back doing what it what it does best, name-ly making mining shovels. Bucyrus has been around in one form or another since 1880, but recently it has been the US $1.3bn takeover of Terex Min-ing that has put the firm back in the very big league. There

was only space for one model on the stand and that was the 290-tonne RH240. Amazingly, this twin Cat C27-powered levi-athan is far from the largest in the firm’s line-up. That accolade goes to the 980-tonne RH400, probably better known to the general public as the ‘baddie’ in the Transformers series, rather than a device for removing over-burden in strip mines.

A new compact, rubber-tyred digging arm loader from Swe-den’s GIA Industri AB, the 7HR and 7HR-B Häggloader, has been introduced for use in construction and mining tunnels and drifts with a cross section area of just 7 m².Designed for operating in tunnels with a width of 2500 mm and a height of 2500 mm,

the wheeled loader has a loading capacity of 2.5 m3/m.The 7HR features two unique digging arm systems – digging arms or rotating backhoe - to load the spoil/muck from the tunnel face directly onto the Häggload-er’s conveyor, which fills the haulage vehicle with a constant supply.

EVENT REPORT020

Spanish crane brand Linden Comansa finished the Munich fair with the worldwide launch of the LCL 190, the first of a new series of luffing jib cranes from Linden Comansa. This model comes in two versions, with 12 or 18 tonnes of maximum load, and a jib length from 30 to 60m long. The standard version has a free-standing height of 49.5 meters.

Among the new features on the crane, the most important are the new hydraulic push and retention system, with a progres-sive force application on the jib in relation to the luffed-in radius, allowing a smooth movement without sudden steps as well as

the hydraulic pressure control system for the safety of its func-tion and the travel control of the luffing movement; and an anti loosening system for the luffing cable tension.

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EVENT REPORT022

PMV Middle East \\ May 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

The British giant caused a stir with a revised backhoe loader – and by demanding that three Chinese firms physically cover up equipment that it said violated its patents. However, our at-tention was taken by the lines of very small telehandlers that were on display. The 515-40 model is just 1.8m high, 2.97m long and weighs less than 3.5 tonnes – allowing the machine to enter sites through standard size doorways.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cat had a strong presence at the show, taking up most of one of the inside halls, as well as having a lot of equipment for the ‘Rental Shop’ in the outside display area. Interestingly the rental division in Germany is run by Zepplin, a legacy company of the firm that made the giant dirigibles in the early part of the last century. There was plenty of new developments on display, but our eyes were caught by the new line-up of pavers, such as the AP555E. A far cry from the type of pavers we are used to seeing in the Middle East, the 2.2m wide newcomer featured an on-board computer to precisely control what the mix is up to, whatever the ambient conditions.

Strictly speaking, the Combi-CB on display in the outdoor arena is not a new model – in fact it has been in production for the best part of ten years. However, the Irish firm used the show to open its order books for a selection of new and fascinating machines, which it had showcased at a gala event the previous week. Per-haps the most fascinating of the new products – of which we will bring you a full run down next month – is a four wheeled double-height straddle carrier with an unusual party trick. This machine actually folds in on itself using hydraulic struts, so that it can be driven through a standard warehouse gate.

On the subject of road building equipment, one firm has launched what it says is the world’s heaviest single drum roller. The Bomag BW 332, a 32 tonne roller, was shown for the first time as a study model at the 2007 Bauma and the concept generated such interest that the firm has announced series production, and the first models to buy were at the German show.

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IN PICTURES024

PMV Middle East \\ May 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

South African tensionA Fermec 760 backhoe loader digs the grave in the farm in Ventersdorp, South Africa, where Eugene Terre’Blanche will be buried. The 69-year-old was the leader of a far right-wing group prior to being murdered in April. Police fear a rise in racial tensions.

Raising the BarcinoAn employee stands on a gangway in the tunneling machine dubbed ‘Barcino’ on it’s first day of operation in Barcelona on March 26. Barcino began drilling work on a tunnel extending the Sants-La Sagrera high speed line that link Madrid to Barcelona and in the future right up to the French border.

MACHINE MONTH

Some of the sights you might have missed this month from the world of machines

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IN PICTURES025

May 2010 \\ PMV Middle Eastwww.constructionweekonline.com

Ride to the ritualYoung men ride on an unidentified tractor towing a water bowser as locals of Chandigarh take to the street as they celebrate Ram Navmi religious festival on March 25, 2010 in India. The celebration of Ram Navmi marks the birth of the Supreme Lord Rama.

IN PICTURES025

TH

Track tunnel cave-inWheeled excavators dig in the Blanchimont tunnel along the Spa race track in Belgium during March. A portion of the tunnel collapsed, though no injuries were reported.

Mechanical EvictionAn elderly Cat D6C knocks down a shack in Altos de Santa Rosa, outskirts of Tegucigalpa, in March. Judicial officers, backed by army and police personnel, proceeded to evict hundreds of squatters.

Brick laneA group of people rush to pick up bits of brick for resale, as an excavator demolishes an old home in Hefei, central China’s Anhui province on March 17, 2010. According to current estimates, 14.8 million Chinese earn below the poverty line, which is considered to be 785 yuan (US $115) a year, but that number will soar once the government hikes the threshold to about 1,100 yuan.

Baby, its cold outside...It’s getting hot here, but a wheeled ‘rubber duck’ Liebherr 294 with rail adaptor clears the railtrack from snow on the Brocken mountain, eastern Germany, which was still covered with 80 centimeters of snow in the second half of March.

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PRODUCTS026

NEWPRODUCTS The latest tools and toys

in the PMV industry

PMV Middle East \\ May 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

GENSET UPGRADEThe generator brand Atlas Copco has upgraded one

of its units, known as the QAC750 to give more power. The upgraded machine will

be known as the QAC800. Delivering 750 kVA with 50

kVA, the newcomer features a large fan for use in the desert as well as a being

fitted with a four-pole main motorised circuit breaker,

providing overload and short circuit protection, an

emergency stop as well as automatic engine alarms

and shut-down.www.atlascopco.com

NEWLY HITCHEDBritish machinery division JCB Attachments has developed an innovative double locking ‘quickhitch’ that features independent locking of the front and rear pins. Designed for use with the firm’s tracked and wheeled excavators, the hitch is compatible with both genuine buckets and scoop buckets, along with the full range of powered attachments. The Dualock uses the well proven blocking bar system from the BUG coupler to secure the rear pin lock. In addition, a novel mechanical front lock secures the front pin independently of the rear. The face of the front locking mechanism is painted red and can easily be seen from the cab, ensuring the operator can be confident that the bucket is securely fastened before operating the machine.www.jcb.co.uk

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PLANT SAFETY SOFTWARERecently launched software allows 3D virtual

reality depiction of construction site equipment. French software house Creative Business

Solutions announces new MethoCAD module for construction site management and safety.

The system covers tower crane planning, with features to ensure safe loading and avoidance of

‘clashes’ by checking the minimum clearances between cranes. This can be particularly

complex on sites with many cranes where safety cannot be managed without software.

The software takes account of all kinds of other site activities, including the use of earthmoving

machinery, trucks, formwork, the permanent works and the routes for vehicles entering and

moving around the site.www.methocad.com

TRAKKER IN THE FIELDComing to market about 18 months after the last revision, Euro truck maker Iveco has redesigned it’s flagship Trakker model in response to what it calls ‘input from customers’. The brand new model recently made its first appearance at a show in Dubai. With a redesigned cabin offering what the maker says is enhanced comfort for day-to-day operations and superior safety features. The newcomer also boasts acoustic insulation for noise reduction as well as an improved engine and increased robustness.www.iveco.com

BOBCAT REBOOTEDThe well-known maker of compact equipment

has launched the S650 skid-steer loader, the first of a new generation of machines that the firm

says will ‘revolutionise’ the design of skid-steer and compact tracked loaders worldwide. The

‘vertical lift path’ S650 loader has an operating weight of 3777 kg, a rated operating capacity of

1220 kg and a tipping load of 2440 kg.The new generation Bobcat loaders are

characterised by several features. Prominent among them is the design of the cab which is

located in a new forward position and is said by the maker to increase visibility by up to a third.

www. bobcat.eu

PRODUCTS

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CITY PROFILE030

PMV Middle East \\ May 2010 www.constructionweekonline.com

EARTHMOVING Projects are moving

again in Iraq, for those who

accept the risks

There is a lot going on in Iraq at the moment – too much, quite frankly for most who

simply want to make a liv-ing with mechanics or in con-struction to be concerned with. With Iraq’s government in even greater upheaval than normal amid the legal wrangles of the election, it would have taken a lot for construction and devel-opment in the capital to retain the headlines.

However, three major announcements which many PMV professionals might have missed may well bring the area back into a country in which business can be done. Firstly, the General Secretariat approved the referral of the Al Raheed residential complex last week to an unnamed UAE company at a cost of more than US $20 billion (AED 73.4 billion) - heralding one of the largest investment projects in its history.

The decision was reached following protracted meetings of the Council of Ministers, according to Ali Al Alaak, UN Secretary-General of the Cabi-net, with the Emirates compa-ny the pick of three shortlisted.

IRAQ WILL ‘KEEP COMPANIES BUSY’The CEO and founder of a Baghdad-based infrastructure services firm said that the one million homes planned by the government will ‘keep a lot of companies busy’ for the next few years, despite the ongoing political uncertainty surrounding the election.Ragdan El-Akabi says this year will vindicate FIAFI

Group’s recent development into construction with a number of new opportunities in Iraq – including people who make a living from construction machinery. The ballot crisis “will affect matters for a couple of months

until the new government is formed. However, there are positive messages coming out of the political parties - which are encouraging.”For a company comprised of 97% Iraqi nationals it is a

patriotic push to serve both state-sponsored schemes – which has also recently announced a joint rail project by the electricity and transport ministries to deliver fuel to the Dora power station in the capital – as well as the next phase of the oil companies’ development. These firms ‘will need the support of local Iraqi companies like FIAFI Group to help establish their camps’ in remote locations.The international hunger and haste to capture the

opportunities in Iraq has kept the company on its toes – though also allows it to demonstrate one of its logistical strengths with importing mandates.“The international clients are always pressed for time,”

El Akabi says. Things have to be done yesterday. Logistics plays a big part for the international companies and specialised equipment needs to be imported into the country. This is where our logistics arm plays a pivotal role in getting the equipment to the right locations on time – and intact.”His belief that ‘security always comes top of the list’ will

chime with a number of materials suppliers in the UAE still hedging their bets on the country. Dinesh Nainani, general manager of Shaker Trading, a mid-sized supplier of steel products such as pipes sheets and tubes, said that although his firm has seen more business coming from Iraqi companies in the last year-and-a-half, the security situation means that the company does not plan to operate directly in the country.

CITY PROFILE030

“Firms will need the support of local Iraqi companies” - Ragdan El-Akabi

US $20 billionAl Raheed: residential

complex

Getty Im

ages

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CITY PROFILE

WHEELS A wheel loader shovels

debris after a car bomb.

WHEELS A mobile excavator sinks

into the mud in Bagdhad.

The infrastructure project is to be presented to the next cab-inet, he added, with the final signings expected within the next few weeks after modifica-tions and resubmission by the Investment Authority.

This came soon after an announcement by the Invest-ment Commission that it had awarded eight investment per-mits to projects in the capital. In a statement to Aswat Al-Iraq news agency, the Commission said it had prioritised housing, of which it aims to build over 1 million in the next three years in the country as a whole, a total investment of $50 billion (AED183.4 billion.

Meanwhile, investment is slowly tricling back into Iraq. As reported elsewhere in this issue, trucks are being assbled from kit form at a factory, which has re-opened after a very long hiatus. Elsewhere, engine sup-pliers are doing a good trade as gensets have become the coun-try’s de-facto power grid.

Among the eight permits is a $238 million (AED 874 million) housing project that includes 1824 units at the Muthanna Air-port. It continues the momen-

031CITY PROFILE

US $50 billioncombined eight projects awarded by Investment

Commission

tum spurred by the laying of a cornerstone in the ThiQar cap-ital Nassiriya, 380km south of Baghdad in mid-March.

The announcements tem-pered concerns following the views of Baghdad governor Salah Abdul two weeks ago that construction funding might be stunted if the country did not grapple efficiently with its finan-cial budget.

In between these two events the electricity and transport ministries announced in the last month a joint railway project to deliver fuel to the Dora Power Station in southern Baghdad, though full details are pending.

The last few weeks also saw upheavals for US contractors.

Following the establishment of the general Status of Forces Agreement in January between the US and Iraq – which attempt-ed to implement a legal back-bone to the accountability of the US military’s occupation – the Ministry of Interior has aimed to simplify the process of US contractors to enter and exit the

country and make their pres-ence a statutory requirement.

The new scheme involves an approval memo, an entry-ex-it spreadsheet of travellers to airports in Baghdad, Erbil and Basrah as well as, for the US Embassy, a copy of the gov-ernment contract and that con-tractors gain a Certificate of Registration from the Ministry of Trade.

[The ballot crisis] “will affect matters for a couple of months until the new government is formed” – Ragdan El-Akabi

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ages

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BACK TRACK032

PMV Middle East \\ May 2010

Two great household names never really made money from their new rubber inventionsREINVENTING THE WHEEL

T yres, or if you are American, tires. The black air-filled circles make life comforta-ble for all of us, but

we take these complex pieces of engineering for granted.

Interestingly, two of the names most famously associated with their development, never made any real money from them.

First of all, a chap named Charles Goodyear worked out a way of taking natural rubber from trees and putting it through a process to make it more sta-ble and less likely to crack up after a few weeks. This process involved heating the raw prod-uct and adding sulfur or other ‘curing agents’ to mess around with the polymer chains inside it. This then made it stable and useable for things such as rub-

ber balls, bump stops, and of course, tyres.

Goodyear claims to have dis-covered the method way back in 1839 through years of careful research. A number of contem-porary accounts though suggest that he invented the process by a sort of happy accident, when liq-uid rubber was spilt on a stove.

Whatever the case, the hap-less Goodyear, who was already struggling with debts, neglect-ed to patent his idea before sending samples to a number of other inventors and businessmen around the world.

As such, it was an English-man named Stephen Moulton that filed the patent in 1844, just weeks before Goodyear man-aged to do the same. Moulton had most likely seen the samples that had been sent to an inventor

named Thomas Hancock, leaving Goodyear to fight a patent dis-pute he could ill afford.

Times were hard for Good-year, but he never gave up his dream of changing the world with his invention, so he sold his furniture and put his family in a boarding house so that he could travel to Europe. Unfortu-nately, he never really achieved success, and he died in debt in 1860. His name isn’t forgotten of course, as some 40 years after his death somebody else named the Goodyear tyre company after the famous inventor.

The next greatest contributor to the modern tyre was a Scot named Joseph Boyd Dunlop. He worked out how to make an air-filled inner tube, which was the first practical pneumatic design of its type, and although

designed for bicycles it came at a critical time for the fledg-ling motor industry. However, in spite of the fact Dunlop was good mates with Queen Victoria, he didn’t have enough wasta to per-suade the patent office that his design was unique, as another Scottish designer had filed a pat-ent for the theory some 43 years earlier. As a result, he didn’t think there was much money in his invention and so he sold 1500 shares in his rubber company in order to open a veterinary prac-tice in Ireland.

Both the Goodyear and Dun-lop brands came together in the 1980s, as a JV to supply tyres across America. However, it is strange to think that neither firm was ever successful for the visionaries from whom they took their names.

TIRED Goodyear (above) and

Dunlop (left) enjoyed true success

from braking the mould.

TIRED Goodyear (above) and

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