A seasoned Chinese quarry contractor’s huge array of LiuGong excavators and wheeled loaders are said to have played a massive role within the success of his business. Guy Woodford reports
Guo Zhongjin, the contractor of four quarries in Dongping County, Tai’an City, Shandong Province, east China, has 200
Twelve years ago he worried about the low efficiency of Chinese quarrying, including its dependence on manual work and high danger. Zhongjin thought about using excavators instead of manual work, but excavators were very expensive and most of the excavators were foreign brands at that time, with high maintenance costs.
However, everything changed in 2003 when a LiuGong excavator dealer in Shandong came to talk to him. “I said to him ‘LiuGong excavator?’ ‘Will Chinese excavators work?” Despite being unable to conceal his doubt, Zhongjin had already used LiuGong wheeled loaders and was quite familiar with LiuGong quality. So, he decided to give LiuGong excavators a chance. It was this decision that brought Zhongjin and LiuGong together – with his excavator fleet from the Chinese firm going from one to the current 100 plus.
“The first time I decided to choose LiuGong was because they were less expensive than the foreign brands and it performed well on the spot,” explained Zhongjin. “The reason why I insisted on using LiuGong machines after that was that LiuGong provides comprehensive service. At the time, the technology of Chinese excavators was not mature and sometimes failures occurred.
LiuGong servicemen were very professional and patient. Whenever you needed service, they would come to you despite any bad weather, which still impresses me a lot today.”
The working conditions of Chinese quarries, including the four contracted by Zhongjin, are very poor with dust flying all over the place. Despite this, Zhongjin says his LiuGong 950E E series excavators and ZL50CN wheeled loaders, soon to be joined by LiuGong 856H wheeled loaders, still work successfully after more than 4,000 hours, proving the impressive airtight function of the engines.
The hard rock in the quarry requires strong power and qualified bucket, bucket teeth and tracks. Furthermore, quarrying work is very busy, which means deployed machines have to work day and night. LiuGong machines work 13 or 14 hours a day, sometimes even 24 hours a day. The high reliability of LiuGong machines is said to reduce downtime and greatly improve productivity for Zhongjin. What’s more, LiuGong excavators feature high working efficiency. They can fill a truck with stone in about three minutes.
Equipped with an efficient Cummins engine, LiuGong’s 950E excavator is said to provide more power and easier control than previous LiuGong excavator models Zhongjin deployed at his contracted quarry sites. The 950E applies an advanced Intelligent Power Control system which provides more accurate matching and control over engine speed and main pump flow, delivering more power, faster response and smoother operation. LiuGong says that the model’s control valve and cylinders have been optimised to improve front-end performance, efficiency, fuel consumption and to cut down on the damper loss of the hydraulic system. To further boost performance and reduce fuel consumption, the 950E features six selectable working modes: power, economy, fine, lifting, breaker, and attachment).
The ergonomic design of LiuGong machines is another reason why Zhongjin keeps using them. “The cab and seat are very comfortable. The operators don’t feel very tired after working for eight hours a day. Also, the engine is extremely powerful with very low noise, which is very important for us who sit in the machine every day. LiuGong machines make our work easy and keep us in a good mood. Last but not least, LiuGong machines are fuel efficient. They really save a lot for us!”
Zhongjin says the high quality, reliability and excellent service offered by LiuGong over the past 12 years for his ever increasing LiuGong fleet has helped him build a highly successful quarry contracting business. Equipped with his large number of LiuGong excavators and wheeled loaders, Zhongjin has contracted more quarries and become a famous entrepreneur in the huge Chinese quarrying industry.
“I got all the models of LiuGong excavators. It can be said that I own a personal LiuGong excavator ‘museum’,” said Zhongjin proudly. In the 12 years’ of cooperation, the LiuGong excavator range has grown along with the number within Zhongjin’s fleet.
From the C series excavators that he used for the first time back in 2003, to the current E series, every new LiuGong excavator series has benefited from more and more advanced technology and higher quality. Zhongjin says he is very proud of LiuGong’s history of technological and performance growth. “I am one of LiuGong’s oldest customers and also its voluntary advocate, because I really trust LiuGong products. My friends also use LiuGong products on my recommendation.”
Being a multiple and vastly experienced quarry contractor, Zhongjin is said to have been labelled the ‘God of Wealth’ by construction equipment manufacturers. Many manufactures want to sell their products to him. One day, a dealer of a foreign brand came to visit him, but left disappointed after failing to achieve any machine sales. “It is not realistic to say that I haven’t thought about using the machines of other brands, but it means betrayal for me to do so,” said Zhongjin. “LiuGong products have made my business stronger and LiuGong people have given me reliable support and guarantee. What I can do is to support them. LiuGong is my friend who I will not leave behind.”
