Big portable compressor and generator orders and an array of new compressor and generator models for quarry and heavy construction customers are making for an attractive global portable power market. Guy Woodford reports - in our sister title Aggregates Business.
Doosan Portable Power (DPP) has won an order worth almost €2 million for portable compressors in Saudi Arabia.
The compressors have been purchased by Jeddah-based rental business, EJAR, through TAMGO, the authorised dealer for Doosan compressors, lighting towers and construction tools in Saudi Arabia.
The order, officially confirmed at the Intermat 2018 Paris exhibition (23-28 April), is for 50 Doosan 9/235HA portable compressors, each providing 23.4m³/min of compressed air at a rated operating pressure of 8.6bar.
The 9/235HA is ideal for the full range of compressed air applications from construction, rental, utilities and manufacturing to quarrying, water well drilling, sand blasting and the oil and gas industry.
Gaby Rhayem, regional director Middle East and Africa for Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “The 9/235HA is a long-time staple of our industry and is the most popular compressor of its type in the Middle East and Africa. EJAR chose the 9/235HA for renewal of the company’s rental fleet, based on the outstanding performance and durability of our products over many years.”
With a well-proven Doosan airend and powered by a fuel-efficient Cummins engine, the 9/235HA compressor has been designed to ensure the unit performance, durability and reliability are guaranteed in the tough environment of the Middle East.
EJAR was formed in 2015 to provide customers with short-and medium-term rental solutions. With an array of products including compressors, trucks, lift trucks, cranes and welding machines, EJAR says that it offers affordable turnkey solutions for everyday rental needs.
TAMGO has long been providing customers in Saudi Arabia with a selected range of the world’s most advanced equipment, backed by outstanding product support, services and solutions. TAMGO specialises in power solutions, as well as industrial and construction equipment.
At Intermat 2018 Paris, Doosan Portable Power staged the global launch of the new Yanmar-powered 7/53R portable compressor, which supplies 5m3/min of compressed air at a rated output pressure of 7 bar. Designed to meet O1 trailer (750kg) category requirements, the new 7/53R is said to be ideally suited not only for the rental market but also as a durable, cost-effective machine for the 5m³/min segment, covering the most common applications in construction, utilities and other markets.
Like all Doosan compressors, the modular design of the 7/53R ensures that a wide range of optional equipment can be easily added. As well as ‘Tough Top’ polymer or steel canopies, they can include customer colours, LED lights, a heavy-duty light grill, a number plate clip, wheel nut indicators, a choice of fixed or variable height running gear, an aftercooler with water separator and a 110% fluid content bunded base.
Speaking at the exhibition, Jan Moravec, Doosan Portable Power director of engineering and product management, said all OEMs involved in the off-road portable power sector had been very focused on meeting emissions legislation, with EU Stage V regulations coming into force in 2019 and 2020. He also highlighted the strength of the European compressor rental market.
JCB Power Products is extending its flagship QS generator range, with the launch of three new sets powered by Stage IIIA JCB six-cylinder engines. Pictured is the new G221QS generator
Commenting on how he believes Doosan Portable Power stands out from rival portable power solution manufacturers, Moravec said: “The durability and reliability of our products is proven in the market. Some of our customers are still seeing their Doosan power generators and portable compressors working well after 20 years.
“The show-launched 7/53R portable compressor has not lost any durability. We kept its undercarriage and frame the same and found ways to reduce weight on other components. It also has the same easy service access as our other models.”
JCB Power Products is extending its flagship QS generator range, with the launch of three new sets powered by Stage IIIA JCB six-cylinder engines. The G166QS, G201QS and G221QS add an emission-compliant engine option to the previous G165QS, G200QS and G220GS respectively, offering outputs of 150kVA, 180kVA and 200kVA.
The addition of these three premium models takes JCB’s standard Stage IIIA powered generator range from 20kVA right through to 550kVA, powered by JCB, JCB by Kohler and Scania engines. Customers will be able to order and purchase this full line of highly efficient Stage IIIA generators, in the UK and throughout Europe, until the end of 2020, when Stage V emissions standards will be adopted.
The G166QS, G201QS and G221QS generators are available with a standard 50Hz output. The new models are supplied in a class-leading heavy steel canopy, with a width of just 1,100mm. This allows two sets to be carried side by side on a trailer, reducing transport cost for rental companies and dealers. A 400-litre fuel tank ensures that the generators can be operated continuously for a full 12 hours, when running at 75% load. The metal tanks can be removed for easy cleaning, while a 110% capacity bunded base is available as an option.
The canopy and base structure are phosphate dipped and powder coated for maximum corrosion resistance and the generators are supplied with heavy-duty tie-down points, optional side lift points, fork pockets and a central lifting eye for ease of delivery and collection from site.
JCB generators above 60kVA are supplied with JCB’s LiveLink telematics system as standard. This recently updated system allows fleet managers, owners and operators to really get to grips with their generator operation and health. Using real-time monitoring, users can check running hours and prevent low fuel problems. When necessary, you can locate the position of your generators and ensure all maintenance work is carried out at the recommended intervals.
The new system provides additional fuel data, including secondary tank levels and access to real-time fuel consumption. This minimises the risk of customers running out of fuel or making unnecessary trips to remote quarries or sites to refill.
Customers can also use LiveLink to calculate CO? and CO?e, to provide carbon accounting data to clients, especially on sites focused on delivering greener operations.
LiveLink for Power also delivers smart notifications, including inactive generator warnings, rough handling alarms and notifications of low load, no load and low power factor operation.
Speaking about the growth of JCB’s Power Products business, the business’ managing director, Adam Holland, said: “The global power generation market has been remarkably strong in recent years. We anticipate the market will grow 5% in 2018 and we expect to see a constant annual increase for the next few years. We are committed to developing JCB Power Products and our 2018 forecast is robust in a very competitive global market. The power industry presents a fantastic opportunity over the next five years and we predict the same level of annual growth. There is very strong demand in India, the Middle East and the Americas. Chinese demand is also strong; however, it’s a very competitive localised market. I think the growth is coming from underlying economics. There is an insatiable demand for uninterrupted and reliable power coming from a variety of end users, including construction, quarrying and mining.”
Holland said that JCB Power Products’ power generator offerings in outputs over 500kVa are very popular among construction and quarrying customers. “What seems to be driving this demand is the increase in larger quarrying equipment across the construction sectors, and therefore a need for larger power solutions. We supply an outstanding Scania engine which we have been using in our 275-720kVa models. It’s brilliant when dealing with load variations, and in terms of emissions it’s a fuel optimised engine. We produce generators at 60Hz and 50Hz – complying with Stage IIIA, so all territories can access it. Scania is also well recognised for the reliability, dependability and fuel economy of its engines.”
Atlas Copco's new XAS 88G compressor (right) pictured alongside the new E-Air 250 revolutionary E- plug-and-play portable, electric-powered compressor with variable speed (VSD) drive
Holland said that in today’s market a lot of JCB Power Products’ customers are also asking about the availability of biofuel and other non-traditional fuel-powered power generators.
“Another big growth area for our power generators has been in the rental market. Our rental range has been very specifically designed for that market. They are very robust, with large fork pockets and can be easily moved between sites. The range is available in multiple sizes providing power from 19-1,250kVA. It’s becoming a very attractive option for construction and quarrying customers worldwide who are looking for efficiency and reliability in a durable package.”
The leadership team of the Atlas Copco Power Technique business area has presented a strategic vision outlining how mega-trends such as digitalisation and the construction of smart cities will be powered by cleaner and more connected energy source technologies.
Under the theme ‘Powering the Future’, Atlas Copco revealed at a special trade press event in Alexandra Palace, London, England, how its latest advances in air, power and flow technologies, such as portable compressed air machinery, electrical generators, dewatering pumps and light towers, have been designed to reduce both carbon and noise emissions, providing end users, including quarry operators, with more efficient operation and lower cost of ownership.
These advances will allow professionals working across multiple industry sectors, from construction to manufacturing, equipment rental, utilities, oil and gas, demolition and quarrying and above-ground mining, to make the most of opportunities presented by mega-trends, while overcoming forthcoming legislation such as new emission regulation changes.
Speaking at the London event, Andrew Walker, president of the Atlas Copco Power Technique business area, said: “Our core competency is providing power solutions to thousands of sites all over the world. We are now focused purely on three pillars - air, power and flow, and will continue to accelerate our research and non-profit distributing (NPD) efforts in these areas to pioneer the technology of the future. We are committed to offering our customers and partners premium products that will deliver exceptional value and enhance the productivity of their businesses at the lowest possible total cost of ownership.”
Several new and recently introduced machine-, rental- and service-focused innovations - designed to reduce both carbon and noise emissions, and increase energy efficiency - were unveiled, including a product display and strategy overview from the 1 January 2018-established Power and Flow (P&F) division.
For example, the new QAS 35 VSG (variable speed generator) is said by the P&F division to make low-load operation problems a thing of the past. The cutting-edge VSG is described as a “game changer in terms of operational savings, performance and reliability”. The superior low-load performance of the QAS 35 VSG, which features automatic variable speed control from 800 to 2550rpm and a built-in power management system (PMS), enables fuel consumption levels to be reduced by up to 40% against comparable models. At the same time, it helps increase reliability in applications with an average load of less than 20%, such as construction projects, outdoor events or telecoms service duties.
The XAS 88G was among the new innovations in rugged and lightweight 8-series compressors unveiled by Atlas Copco Power Technique in London. The XAS 88G combines a reliable source of compressed air with a 9kVA built-in generator. The pioneering concept of the latest model, and all machines in the 8-series compressor/generator combination range, is designed to optimise fuel consumption in line with load demand.
Gareth Osborne, product definition manager, Caterpillar Electric Power, has been talking to Aggregates Business magazines about Caterpillar’s latest power solutions products for quarry customers. “Quarry sites often require mobile power generation solutions to operate machinery and power temporary office buildings, along with other accommodations for workers. Caterpillar offers a range of single-unit diesel, gas, and dual-fuel generator sets to support power ranges from 20 to 2,000 kVA for aggregates markets outside of North America. If larger power capacities are required as a project grows, multiple units can be combined to accommodate.”
Fuel optimised and compliant with Stage IIIA European emission standards for non-road engines, the generator sets highlighted by Osborne offer 50/60Hz switching to support worldwide use. Models feature a suite of Cat Connect technologies including remote monitoring capabilities, which allow data from the unit to be tracked and observed via cellular or satellite in remote locations. With the opportunity to diagnose potential issues, expensive unplanned service calls can be reduced.
Osborne continues: “The generator set control systems are isolated from the engine room on these Cat machines, which ensures the unit can run without noise affecting the operators or the job site. This isolation also prevents dust and debris from being drawn into the engine compartment when the controls are in operation.
“Some units feature an extended service interval, doubling the hours between oil changes which can save on the high cost of servicing equipment at remote sites. In addition, a dual element air cleaner prevents dust ingress into the engine and a clutch fan drive allows the cooling fan to change speed to suit operating conditions. If the load is low, such as overnight or during break time, the fan can slow down to save fuel, decrease noise, and reduce airflow to prevent dust and water ingress.
“These mobile units can be moved, by lifting or dragging, wherever power is needed and feature a variety of configurations for transportation using equipment commonly found on quarry sites including cranes, forklifts, skid steer loaders, backhoe loaders, and bulldozers.”
