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At a time when the industry is going through tough conditions, Putzmeister is taking important steps to support its customers.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Wilfried Theissen, Managing Director, Putzmeister India,</span> shares more on the company's action plans in this challenging market scenario. <p></p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">The market is going through a difficult phase due to the coronavirus pandemic. What is the scenario in the concrete equipment market? </span> <br /> During the lockdown, business has been at a complete standstill across the country for all non-essential industries. As construction sites start reopening, the first priority will be to guarantee that jobsites are safe and are following the mandated social distancing norms. Putzmeister has developed a set of guidelines for the safe handling of our equipment and we are training customers, equipment operators and our After-Sales team to ensure a smooth resumption. We expect to see a slow uptick in demand as the situation normalises.</p> <p>The second priority is to get the supply chain going for the supply of raw materials needed for the manufacturing and the dispatch of equipment and parts to our customers. The current situation is very dynamic to say the least, with guidelines being regularly issued and updated by central, state and local authorities. Our teams are working round-the-clock to ensure that we offer our customers the support they need through this difficult phase. However, it will probably take 3-6 month to get back to a smooth industrial activity.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">How is this scenario affecting the market stability? </span><br /> A sudden stop of all activity and staggered resumption with rollbacks now and again is bound to have an impact on the market. However, we don't think the market fundamentals have been affected. India has ambitious infrastructure development targets, the construction industry is among the top employment generators in this country, and there is still a lot that needs to be done. These factors haven't changed. </p> <p>In the short term, everyone is suffering, and the industry is facing the prospect of a potential downturn between 20-30 per cent. But we do believe that as the situation stabilises, the market fundamentals will slowly take over. </p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What is your strategy to stay afloat in this turbulent condition? </span><br /> At Putzmeister, we believe in being close to our customers' business. From being one of the first OEMs in our segment to offer equipment value retention guidelines, to training our customers and operators on how to handle our equipment with social distancing norms, our teams have been working continuously to offer our customers support. We have also kept in regular touch with our equipment operators and can help connecting customers and operators in many parts of the country.</p> <p>When it comes to our employees, we deployed rigorous mechanisms to track everyone's health and wellbeing and made complete medical support available should the need arise. Furthermore, we have elaborated clear and effective safety and health guidelines for factory, field and job sites to support a risk-free operational start after the lockdown.</p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Which segments drive the demand for concrete equipment in India?</span><br /> Infrastructure and housing projects have been drivers of demand for concrete equipment, and we expect these segments will continue to power demand over the coming years. Increasing adoption of mechanised processes will drive the demand further. </p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Will you be focusing on new product developments and market expansion in the wake of the difficult market conditions? If yes, what are the plans?</span><br /> We have always followed a process of continuous R&amp;D, this will not change. We were already in the process of rolling out Putzmeister Machine Cockpit, our advanced telematics solution, to our fleet of Putzmeister truck-mounted boom pumps. We will complete this deployment. Telematics can actually help with social distancing, fleet owners can keep track of their equipment remotely from the safety of their offices/homes. </p> <p>We expect social distancing norms to stay in place till we develop a cure and a vaccine that will safeguard us against Covid 19. This could in turn increase the adoption of mechanisation in construction in India, not only to reduce contact between people on the jobsite, but also to make up for lost time. Equipment such as our truck-mounted boom pumps can help on both factors. </p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What kind of policy support do you expect from the government to streamline the market conditions? </span><br /> The industry required support in tackling liquidity issues even before we were struck by the Covid 19 pandemic. This situation has become direr owing to the lockdown. </p> <p>While the government had helped by announcing measures that would help in the medium term as part of Budget 2020, these will probably now take a longer time to show an impact. Financing of equipment and jobsites will be the primary challenge. The government should ensure that sufficient liquidity is available so that industry can start rolling again and continue to fulfill its role as one of the major employment provider in the country.</p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">VALUE RETENTION TIPS </span><br /> Concrete equipment is designed to do a lot of intricate and precise tasks. Intelligent and sophisticated pumps and equipment need maintenance when lying idle. The countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19 has resulted in a closure of all but essential activity. Putzmeister Lockdown Maintenance Checklist provides customers the tips to keep their equipment in good working condition. Following these tips will help retain value of the equipment through the lockdown and help with smooth operations when activity resumes. While many of the tips shared here are common across concrete equipment, the checklist has been made with Putzmeister concrete equipment in mind. </p> <p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stationary concrete pumps</span><br /> </p> <ul> <li>Clean/remove concrete from all machine components.</li> <li>Drain water out of water box/tank and keep it empty. </li> <li>It is important to regularly grease all greasing points. You should also apply grease on all exposed hydraulic cylinder rods. </li> <li>Drain water from the hydraulic tank once every five days. </li> <li>Run the engine for 15 minutes every five days. This will keep the battery from draining. </li> <li>Check all operations and functions.</li></ul> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Truck-mounted concrete pump</span><br /> </p> <ul> <li>Clean/remove concrete from all machine components.</li> <li>Drain water out of water box/tank and keep it empty. </li> <li>Store remote and cable inside the cabinet, away from moisture. </li> <li>Disengage the hand break of the truck chassis, use tyre/wheel stoppers instead.</li> <li>It is important to regularly grease all greasing points. You should also apply grease on all exposed hydraulic cylinder rods including the third arm boom cylinder rod.</li> <li>Drain water from the hydraulic tank once every five days. </li> <li>Run the engine for 15 minutes every five days. This will keep the battery from draining. </li> <li>Check all operations and functions.</li></ul> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Batching plant</span><br /> </p> <ul> <li>Ensure the mixer is free of all concrete.</li> <li>Regularly grease all greasing points, including points in the mixer shaft.</li> <li>Apply grease to all open pneumatic cylinder rods.</li> <li>Keep cement screw free of cement to prevent it from setting inside the screw.</li> <li>Protect your wire rope by applying Cardium Compound.</li></ul> <p><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">- Putzmeister India</span><br /> </p>