Segment leader in vibratory compactor equipment, CASE India is determined to expand its business and serve customers in the CE industry in line with their demands.
The 176-year engineering heritage of CASE Construction Equipment is rather monumental. Its origin dates back to mid-nineteenth century America, with the development of wheat threshing machines and first portable steam engine leading to the birth of road construction. Do note the brand’s logo with the company’s mascot ‘Old Abe’ – a bald eagle, which was also the mascot of the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment serving for the Union Army during the great American civil war, the State in which the company was based in initially.
By around 1912, CASE manufactured a complete range of road building equipment, including graders and steam rollers for compacting road surfaces. But the landmark product that changed the course of entire CE industry was CASE Model 320, the industry’s first factory-integrated tractor loader or backhoe in 1957. Its reception in worldly markets was so immense that CASE rolled out its 500,000th unit of backhoe in less than 50 years. Last year, the company celebrated its 175th anniversary, the time when the brand boasts a full range of construction equipment and wider reach in markets across the globe.
Customized products
In India, CASE Construction is present since 1989. It was earlier present as a technology provider, then as a joint venture partner of an Indian company and finally as a fully-owned subsidiary of CNH Industrial. The brand is a vibrant market leader in the vibratory compactor segment, having sold over 11,000 units in the domestic market. Other forte segment for the company are backhoes and motor graders, with more than 25,000 loader backhoes and 300 motor graders to its credit in the country.
Further, CASE is the first OEM to launch Hydrostatic Dozer in the Indian market. Mr. Ajay Aneja, Brand Leader, CASE Construction, said: “We offer solidly built construction equipment range for road and highway infrastructure segment, all customized for the needs and demands of the Indian market”. Compaction equipment are the lifelines of the road construction activities, he observes, thereby positioning us in the forefront of this segment in CE industry. The marque recently launched 752EX (9T class) and 450DX (3T class) mini vibratory tandem compactor, alongside 1107EX soil compactor in 11T class.
The loader backhoe equipment range also now stands upgraded, in EXCON 2017, with the ‘PRO series’ ranging from 76 hp to 96 hp offering higher productivity and better fuel efficiency in the segment. The loader only ‘EX Series’ is also on offer, customized for the Indian buyers. As far as motor graders are concerned, CASE has products for both road construction (845B) and mining applications (865B). Both motor graders and dozers are imported from the company’s manufacturing facilities overseas, while compactors and loader backhoes are locally assembled in its Pithampur (MP) facility.
To enable easy access for customers to dealers and after-sales services, the company has an extensive network of around 70 dealers with nearly 300 touch points spanning the length and breadth of the country to support its products with spares and service, even in remote locations.
Technology to fill productivity gap
Asked on CASE’s forwardness in terms of technology advancement and product sophistication, Mr. Aneja replied that technology adoption in the CE market fills up the construction industry’s productivity gap. He shared: “CASE India always stays a step ahead to innovate its product line with newer and efficient technologies, take for instance, our efforts on tech-supported sensor-enabled machinery which helps understand signals and patterns to deploy real-time solutions, cut costs, prioritize preventative maintenance and prevent unplanned downtime”.
In addition, he said, CASE powers its equipment with new-generation diesel powertrains developed by its sister concern Fiat Powertrain Technologies (FPT) Industrial, a leading manufacturer of engines and transmissions, a subsidiary of CNH Industrial. These engines use intelligent electronics and aggregates, thereby offering outstanding performance, fast response time and best-in-class fuel efficiency, he claimed.
To improve productivity, CASE’s versatile soil compactors are equipped with technology-infused ‘compaction meter’, thorough which the operator can check amplitude, frequency and ICV (Intelligence Compaction Value) which is related to density of soil compacted. This value will be different for difference surface. Once desired density is achieved, it indicates a green signal on screen so that the operator can stop compaction and avoid over compaction, thereby saving fuel, time and preventing damage to surface.
Moreover, the manufacturer’s recent upgrade is its ‘Eagle Eye Telematics System’, a real time vehicle tracking and communication system, based on GPS technology. “It enables operators to keep track of their machines and manage them effectively. For instance, if the fuel box becomes empty or the machine is working far away from its prescribed geographic area, it automatically sends a message on the same to the concerned fleet manager”, Mr. Aneja said.
Positive outlook
As an equipment maker, CASE India is also pacing up adding new and technologically efficient products to their product line, to leverage the customer demand fuelled by the impressive level of roads and irrigation projects taking off in the country. He remarked: “Early 2018 was a great period of the construction industry; the estimated sales of equipment in the first half of this year increased by 33 per cent as compared to 2017”.
“However, a similar growth trend may not unfold in the second half of 2018. The rainy season and elections in some key States this year might impact the demand, while sales may also be moderate as the country approaches general elections scheduled in mid-2019”, cautioned the Brand Leader.
In the long run, CASE India aims to expand its business and serve customers according to their demands and preferences, he noted. “CE market is expected to show a positive outlook by 2020. The domestic construction industry has become a driving force due to various central government initiatives and investor friendly policies. We predict greater sales for us and a reliable market research report corroborates the same”, he observed.
CASE Construction says that it is delighted to be a part of the most awaited and sought-after event in the CE industry – the 2018 Bauma Con Expo scheduled in December this year. “It is one of the leading platforms for the construction sector that gives the industry players an opportunity to showcase their strength and communicate with the veterans”, Mr. Aneja said.
The company invites readers and visitors to drop by at their exclusive stall 0.E01 at BC India 2018, Gurgaon, Delhi.
CASE India’s Pithampur plant: ‘Make in India’ marked by Excellence
The Pithampur manufacturing facility of CASE Construction occupying over 40 acres manufactures loader backhoes and vibratory compactors for both domestic and export markets. As a result of this local manufacturing expertise, the marque has been India’s market leader in vibratory compactors and a leading player in loader backhoes for over 25 years.
The quality of the products manufactured here have earned CASE a number of prestigious awards in India including the ‘Best Seller Compaction Equipment’ Award for four years running from trade publication Equipment India and the ‘Best Construction Equipment Company of the Year’ Award run by the trade publication Construction Times and conferred by a jury panel of high-level experts in December 2016.