In several of my previous comment pieces, I’ve bemoaned the fact that the Middle East’s construction community frequently has to content itself with equipment hand-me-downs from markets such as North America and Europe.
A range of contributing factors, including the region’s high-sulphur diesel and its relaxed attitude towards regulation, mean that much of the engine technology being used on local construction sites hails from the last decade or earlier.
I stand by these complaints, but I must concede, a growing willingness on the part of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to produce bespoke machines and vehicles for the Middle Eastern market has caused me – at least in part – to reconsider my position.
The latest technology is still some way from making an appearance; fuel and regulation-related obstacles haven’t gone away. However, the shift that is occurring is altogether more fundamental, and perhaps, more useful from the perspective of end users.
OEMs are building increasing numbers of machines and vehicles whose designs are based on feedback from Middle Eastern operators. On the face of it, this might not sound revolutionary.
After all, manufacturers from across the PMV spectrum have long since boasted of how seriously user feedback is taken during the design process. Even so, historically, the vast majority of OEM offerings have been refined – rather than redesigned – versions of their forebears. Action, as they say, speaks louder than words.
Step forward Caterpillar. This month’s issue of PMV features full coverage of my recent visit to the firm’s Malaga Demonstration & Learning Center on Spain’s Costa del Sol [page 30]. On display at the impressive facility was the 320D2; a hydraulic excavator that has been redesigned based on feedback provided largely by end users in Saudi Arabia.
Instead of refining the electrical-minded engine of the 320D2’s predecessor, the 320D, Caterpillar engineers took the gutsy decision to scrap it in favour of a mechanical model. Whilst this has resulted in a marginal drop in the machine’s net power, the back-to-basics engine is better equipped to cope with Saudi Arabia’s dirty diesel, and offers easier maintenance for operators who prefer to carry out their own repairs.
This is not the first instance of a GCC-specific piece of kit. The MAN TGS WW 6×4 tractor head [PMV, Jan 2014], the Komatsu PC200-8MO excavator [PMV, May 2014], JCB’s QS generator range [page 41], and Konecranes’ BOXHUNTER [page 56] boast similar design philosophies.
However, the 320D2 offers a particularly striking example of this user-led design trend. Caterpillar has demonstrated its willingness to take a step ‘backwards’ in order to cater to its customers’ priorities
For the record, I do not recant my previous arguments. From an environmental perspective, I remain fully convinced that the GCC, and indeed, the wider Middle East, should transition to ultra-low-sulphur diesel (USLD) and implement tougher regulations as soon as possible.
Having said that, I have come to accept that my previous standpoint took on a rather paternalistic, ‘manufacturer-knows-best’, tone. PMV progress isn’t simply about adding horsepower and kilowatts for their own sake; it’s about delivering products that bring tangible benefits to end users. Perhaps the customer is always right, after all.
Ask the audience
James Morgan discusses the various benefits of GCC-specific machinery
In several of my previous comment pieces, I’ve bemoaned the fact that the Middle East’s construction community frequently has to content itself with equipment hand-me-downs from markets such as North America and Europe.
A range of contributing factors, including the region’s high-sulphur diesel and its relaxed attitude towards regulation, mean that much of the engine technology being used on local construction sites hails from the last decade or earlier.
I stand by these complaints, but I must concede, a growing willingness on the part of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to produce bespoke machines and vehicles for the Middle Eastern market has caused me – at least in part – to reconsider my position.
The latest technology is still some way from making an appearance; fuel and regulation-related obstacles haven’t gone away. However, the shift that is occurring is altogether more fundamental, and perhaps, more useful from the perspective of end users.
OEMs are building increasing numbers of machines and vehicles whose designs are based on feedback from Middle Eastern operators. On the face of it, this might not sound revolutionary.
After all, manufacturers from across the PMV spectrum have long since boasted of how seriously user feedback is taken during the design process. Even so, historically, the vast majority of OEM offerings have been refined – rather than redesigned – versions of their forebears. Action, as they say, speaks louder than words.
Step forward Caterpillar. This month’s issue of PMV features full coverage of my recent visit to the firm’s Malaga Demonstration & Learning Center on Spain’s Costa del Sol [page 30]. On display at the impressive facility was the 320D2; a hydraulic excavator that has been redesigned based on feedback provided largely by end users in Saudi Arabia.
Instead of refining the electrical-minded engine of the 320D2’s predecessor, the 320D, Caterpillar engineers took the gutsy decision to scrap it in favour of a mechanical model. Whilst this has resulted in a marginal drop in the machine’s net power, the back-to-basics engine is better equipped to cope with Saudi Arabia’s dirty diesel, and offers easier maintenance for operators who prefer to carry out their own repairs.
This is not the first instance of a GCC-specific piece of kit. The MAN TGS WW 6×4 tractor head [PMV, Jan 2014], the Komatsu PC200-8MO excavator [PMV, May 2014], JCB’s QS generator range [page 41], and Konecranes’ BOXHUNTER [page 56] boast similar design philosophies.
However, the 320D2 offers a particularly striking example of this user-led design trend. Caterpillar has demonstrated its willingness to take a step ‘backwards’ in order to cater to its customers’ priorities
For the record, I do not recant my previous arguments. From an environmental perspective, I remain fully convinced that the GCC, and indeed, the wider Middle East, should transition to ultra-low-sulphur diesel (USLD) and implement tougher regulations as soon as possible.
Having said that, I have come to accept that my previous standpoint took on a rather paternalistic, ‘manufacturer-knows-best’, tone. PMV progress isn’t simply about adding horsepower and kilowatts for their own sake; it’s about delivering products that bring tangible benefits to end users. Perhaps the customer is always right, after all.
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