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The most wanted

There is a strong competition between excavator manufacturers in the range of 20 to 24 ton, which are investing in technology and aftersales services to increase their market shares

According to the Sobratema Study of Brazilian Market of Construction Equipment, in 2013 Brazil consumed the expressive number of 5560 hydraulic excavators. In the evaluation of seven of the main manufacturers that sell locally these machines, the models of 20 to 24 ton had the highest sales volume, corresponding to a value between 60 and 75 percent of the total. And the demand for this range is obviously heating the competition and turning—as we will see—differentials of aftersales and technology the most consistent arguments to increase market share.

Such context is confirmed, for example, by Komatsu. The Japanese company produces an equipment of 22 ton that already goes out of the plant with its monitoring system via satellite, the Komtrax. According to the sales engineer Vladimir Machado, the manufacturer offers ten years of free access to the system and the client may receive detailed information about operators’ behavior and increase productivity through features that enhance the facilities offered by the equipment. “All these features result in less repairs in the field and better planning of preventive maintenances and repairs”, says him. “But the system also brings training parameters that are more effective for the operators.”

JCB is another top player in this market, where it produces a model of 21 ton that represents 90 percent of its excavator sales. According to Nei Hamilton, commercial director of the company, monitoring is also a differential of this equipment. “The excavator is equipped with the Advanced Monitoring System, a feature that monitors the hydraulic functions in accordance with the type of work and the engine speed”, explains him. “The solution also controls all functions of the machine, such as engine and hydraulic oil temperature and crawler speed.”

Volvo CE invests in variety, offering to the market not less than seven models of excavators between 20 and 24 ton. Only in the 20-ton range there are four options varying between long and short undercarriage (the second to ensure more stability in the operation), a model with cutting head for the forestry market and another with long reach arm used for riverbed cleaning and other specific operations. “Several years ago, equipment of this range represented about 50 percent of total excavator sales in the market”, says Gilson Capato, commercial director of the company. “Currently they represent 75 percent of our excavator sales since many clients migrated from 15-ton equipment to those of 20 ton.”

For him, such migration was stimulated by the search of higher productivity, in a way to improve the operating cost rate of equipment. “During the next years, the machines of this range will continue with the same representation but with a higher use in mining and forestry areas. The entrance of new specific accessories for these machines will improve their functionalities”, says the expert.

Marketing manager of Case Construction, Carlos França says that the market of hydraulic excavators will be improved during next years due to the growing trend of mining and infrastructure, which historically use more excavators than other types of equipment. The company of Fiat Group offers two models of 22 ton, being one traditional and other with long-reach arm, up to 15 m. “Equipment from 20 to 24 ton include 75 percent of our sales of excavators”, completes Guilherme Ferreira, product expert of the manufacturer.

MATURITY

John Deere started to produce excavators in Brazil a few months ago, but it had already a share in the market due to sales of imported equipment. The brand offers three models in that range, being the lightest of almost 20 ton and the heaviest of a little more than 24 ton, besides an intermediate model of 22 ton. “This last one is our flagship and may be bought in versions with long or short undercarriage”, says Roberto Marques, leader of the construction division of John Deere in Brazil.

According to him, these models include 65 percent of the excavators sold by the company in Brazil, and his expectation is that this proportion will remain stable for next years.