< PreviousT he incredible speed at which construction projects are completed in the Middle East overshadows the enormous hidden complexity of the sector. While digital transformation is helping most industry sectors to raise effi ciency and productivity and gain new insights into their businesses, the construction industry faces some unique challenges that threaten to slow adoption of digital transformation initiatives and curtail future growth. With the construction equipment market in the Middle East and Africa estimated to reach a value of $285.4 billion in 2024, according to Envision Intelligence, it is vital that industry players are able to get their digital transformation projects right if they are to gain a slice of this future growth. Zahid Group has embarked on a vast digital transformation journey over the last few years and based on this experience we off er four questions for organizations in the construction and equipment sectors to ask themselves before kickstarting their digital transformation initiatives. 1. IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY FOR CHANGE? When planning for any digital transformation initiative, it’s important to remember that it involves change at all levels of the business. To maximize the positive impact, and minimize the potential negative impacts of change, it’s vital to make sure your organization is ready to embrace change. This means looking at all areas of the construction business through the lens of change management to ask: Is the leadership open to change and committed to driving change? Are the employees ready to embrace change? Does your organization’s culture promote change? But perhaps the most important questions is: Are the leadership and management teams aware and abreast of the industry transformation and its potential to disrupt your current business model? By Nasser Bayram, group president – transport, Zahid Group FOUR QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE STARTING YOUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT COMMENT 30 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021This point is especially pertinent as it can act as a catalyst for change - when your team understands the forces disrupting the industry and the need to act, they are far more likely to throw their energy and attention behind a digital transformation plan. 2. IS OUR CORPORATE STRATEGY ALIGNED WITH THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY? Digital transformation projects will only help your organization succeed if your corporate strategy is properly aligned with the future of the industry. To align your strategy correctly, it is important to listen carefully to all your stakeholders, and most importantly, your customers. It is imperative to understand the nuanced and changing demands of customers when developing your corporate strategy. It is also important to listen to the voices within your business to understand the changing dynamics of the industry and the challenges your team and partners may be facing. Building information management, remote diagnostics, and 3D printing are all seeing strong interest in the region, but your organization needs to understand if these are the correct fi t right now, and the modifi cations you will need to make to your business to off er these services. Your front-line employees, including sales and operations staff , will have valuable insights, as will partner organizations, so make sure everyone is communicating and sharing insights - you’ll be amazed at how much you can learn, and the impact on shaping your strategy. 3. IS YOUR DIGITAL STRATEGY ALIGNED TO THE CORPORATE STRATEGY? Before embarking on a digital transformation project, it is important not to jump the gun by developing and executing before ensuring the project is aligned with the corporate strategy. You need to understand your strategic priorities, and remember that digital strategy is not about IT, it is about the business and how you align it with the corporate strategy. To answer this question, you will need to understand the opportunities aff orded by transformative technologies including cloud, 5G, edge computing, IoT, and AI, how they can drive the corporate strategy, and be aligned with it. Having the architecture, engineering, and construction teams collaborate Nasser Bayram, group president – transport, Zahid Group. on cloud-based platforms can enhance brainstorming, effi ciency, and productivity across the entire building lifespan. There are many challenges to deal with, including ensuring you are using cloud eff ectively, that you have the right applications, and that they run on the same platform and support connectivity. Ask yourself whether you connect all your assets - and those of customers and partners - to off er a complete solution off ered as a value- added service. For example, by using Infor’s ERP solution, Zahid Tractor is able to off er customers a service that tracks and analyses the movements of all their heavy vehicles, generating valuable insights on how they can boost effi ciency by modifying the way they operate. 4. ARE OUR STRATEGIES (CORPORATE AND DIGITAL) ALIGNED WITH THE VOICE OF OUR PARTNERS? No organization operates in isolation, and in the construction sector partnerships are critical to success. Companies must align their corporate and digital strategies with the needs of all their stakeholders and partners including customers, OEMs, employees, and suppliers to raise effi ciency, boost customer service, and fi nd opportunities to launch new services. This means it is vital to align your corporate and digital strategy with that of your partners. For example, at Zahid we recognized that our customers operating remotely needed tools such as remote diagnostics and analytics to boost effi ciency in the fi eld, which we were able to deliver this after modernizing, optimizing, and innovating our systems, particularly by implementing a cloud platform and other transformative solutions with Infor. We also recognized the need to bring automation to our supply chain, which we achieved with Infor ERP. By making an honest appraisal of these questions, your organization will go a long way toward understanding and addressing the core issues that must be factored in to make digital transformation projects a true success. COMMENT 31 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021P rocess plants focus on effi cient operations and maintenance to cope with production volume, ageing assets, hazardous environments, and unscheduled downtime. One of the key technologies for reaching these goals are remote technologies that can be used across a wide range of industrial maintenance applications from cement plants, metal processing plants, chemical and fertilizer plants, nuclear power plants, oil refi neries and underground. Plant maintenance shutdowns are a critical time in the operation of a facility. According to a Deloitte report, poor plant maintenance strategies can reduce a plant’s productive capacity by 20%. Moreover, unplanned downtime costs industrial manufacturers some $50 billion each year. The greatest expense is caused by unplanned downtime. A well-planned shutdown can positively impact the plant and have it running within the capacity for years. New tools in construction machinery with capabilities such as remote monitoring, smart technology, and wireless communication can help determine an industrial plant actual condition and make remote changes, hence allowing more predictive and proactive maintenance to be performed and thus best practice to be achieved. DEPLOYING A SAFETY-FIRST APPROACH Maintenance in any industrial plant involves risks for the operator on site. From chemical and dust exposure, collapse risk, fall risk, debris and loud vibrations, the risks to the health and safety of operators are high which needs detail attention to maintenance process and can result in a facility shutdown. With the introduction of remote-control technology, increased heat, confi ned spaces, By Johan Ekstrom, business development manager and senior application and product specialist, Husqvarna Construction A PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE ON INDUSTRIAL PLANT MAINTENANCE THAT IS SMART, SAFE, AND EFFICIENT COMMENT 32 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021collapse risks and chemicals exposure are no longer a concern with the operator being able to perform the job from a safe distance. Moreover, remote control equipment can considerably improve the cost of overhead operations that directly impacts a company’s bottom line and let organizations stay ahead of their competitors in terms of their digital industrial journey. Risk factors such as accident impacts and environmental damage are extremely important points to be considered in periodic maintenance performed in tanks and acid reservoirs. When dealing with the removal and cleaning of waste from the inside of tanks such as Phosphate, Sulfuric with the use of DXR Robot, operated by remote control, off ers greater safety in operation and speed of execution. Demolition contractors as well as industrial maintenance specialist, for instance, can utilize remote-controlled robots like the Husqvarna DXR 310 demolition robot which can help automate and carry out environment- friendly tasks with utmost effi ciency, without getting tired and without sacrifi cing on power and precision. INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY WITH A WORK SMART APPROACH A facility shutdown automatically results in production and profi tability loss. In some plants, equipment may run 24 hours a day, every day. In an increasingly competitive industry with tight margins, every second counts. Not many plants can foot the bill for the estimated $30,000 per hour that unplanned downtime can cost. One DXR robot can easily perform the job of 22 workers with handheld hydraulic breakers. They provide the most eff ective and safest maintenance solution compared to regular methods. With raw power and admirable precision, one DXR and one operator can outperform a wide range of maintenance and waste removal jobs in heavy industries set-ups. Furthermore, a DXR is much more compact than an excavator in the same weight class and is designed to reach the most confi ned, hot, and chemical exposed spaces. Maintenance of kilns in several industries such as cement, cellulose, aluminum, iron and steel production has become easier with the use of Husqvarna DXR. With the range of machines and tools from Husqvarna, cleaning, removal and demolition of slag, coating and refractory are made more effi cient, fi ve times faster and reducing plants shut downtime, combined with remote operation, ensuring the safety of the operator. Some equipment include factory installed packages such as the hydraulic feature which allows the operator to precisely control one extra hydraulic function, such as axial rotation of grapplers and searer. The enhanced cooling feature also allows the DXR tow work continuously with full power in high ambient temperatures enabling higher productivity in various applications such as cement kilns and steel factories. The heat protection package allows the DXR to be used for de-slagging in hot melting plants and similar applications and protects vital parts from damage caused by radio and conduction heating. Johan Ekstrom, business development manager and senior application and product specialist, Husqvarna Construction. COMMENT 33 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021S mooth upshifts and downshifts without power interruption, improved fuel effi ciency and manoeuvrability are among the several advantages of fully automatic transmissions over manual transmissions and automated manual transmissions (AMTs). The Euro 5 version of the Mercedes-Benz Atego is now available in the MENA region equipped with the Allison Transmission 3000 Series and controlled with a push button shift selector. The fi rst vehicle of this kind in the region - an Atego 1726 4x4 model with 6-cyclinder in-line engine, three mechanical diff erential locks and payload of 11,700kg - was recently demonstrated by Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA and Allison Transmission in Dubai. Allison Transmission's 3000 Series transmission is designed for medium-duty commercial vehicles. Engineered to adapt and operate effi ciently in a variety of applications, MERCEDES-BENZ ATEGO EQUIPPED WITH ALLISON TRANSMISSION AVAILABLE IN THE MENA REGION this series is available with close- or wide-ratio gearing and up to seven speeds. An engine- driven power take-off (PTO) is an option, as well as an integral output retarder that provides enhanced vehicle braking and reduces brake wear. Operation is further enhanced by Allison's advanced electronic controls, which also have prognostics capabilities. Olaf Petersen, general manager, Mercedes- Benz and Fuso Trucks sales, Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA, says: "It is great to fi nally see the new development of the Allison 3000 Series built into our Atego 4x4 on the road, as this project was specifi cally developed for the needs of our customers in the MENA region. We see several special applications benefi ting from this combination, from fi re- fi ghting to off -road operations in our trucks. The fully automatic transmission with torque converter allows vehicle owners and drivers to work with high confi dence. It relieves the driver from shifting activities, allowing them to fully concentrate on their driving. The risk for wrong shifting is out of question and uptime is increased off ering a high benefi t to the truck owner. Driving a 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Atego 4x4 equipped with an Allison 3000 Series transmission provides uninterrupted power to the wheels and makes it easy for a driver to focus on their job, keeping both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road." Naveen Sook, Fleetboard manager and driver trainer, Daimler Commercial Vehicles MENA, adds: “Driving with an Allison transmission in off -road terrain is a pleasure for drivers, as with Allison’s gear shifting there is no disruption in the driveline so wheels are unable to ‘dig in’ to the sand in desert operation. Gear shifting is super-fast, which allows for uninterrupted driving, especially in diffi cult terrain like sand and desert, thus there’s a low chance of losing momentum as compared to a manual 34 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021 TRUCKSor automated transmission. The handover and driver training are fairly simple, as there are not so many features that a driver needs to understand and learn.” The partnership between the companies has been strengthening, across the world. When Lebanon’s garbage crisis hit the headlines in 2015, refuse collection trucks equipped with Allison transmissions were selected because of the advantages of fully automatic transmissions over AMTs and manual transmissions in the refuse application. When RAMCO and City Blu were awarded new government contracts to assist in the clean-up of the streets, they both purchased Mercedes- Benz Atego trucks with Allison 3000 Series transmissions, as recommended by the local Mercedes-Benz dealer. Mercedes Benz and Allison Transmission substantially extended their presence in Indonesia last year, with the sale of over 250 buses. In addition, Goiania the capital of the State of Goiás in Brazil, purchased 49 Mercedes-Benz Atego 1729 trucks with Allison 3000 Series transmissions. The Companhia de Urbanizaço de Goiânia - Comurg, Goiania's Urbanization Company, operates them. Prior to that, during the Municipalia International Exhibition of Municipal Equipment and Services, Allion's automatic transmissions were once again shown to be an excellent match for CNG engines. Mercedes- Benz Trucks' Actros NGT, equipped with a CNG engine and an Allison Transmission 3000 Series fully automated transmission, helped to enhance air quality and is much quieter than diesel-powered trucks. Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Allison Transmission Middle East Area sales and OEMs account manager, says: “Our longstanding global collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Trucks continues, and we are pleased to add value to the Mercedes- Benz Trucks vehicle range. Through this partnership, we look forward to jointly providing a reliable and powerful solution to customers in the market. When you consider harsh and demanding environments like off -road terrain or heavy start-stop operations, you want maximum power and vehicle control. Fully automatic transmissions will increase driver comfort, provide ease of operation and optimal manoeuvrability.” “Mercedes-Benz has been off ering the Allison gearbox for selected Atego, Zetros and Econic vehicles for many years. With an Allison gearbox, everyone able to drive an automatic car can also master a medium or heavy-duty truck,” says Steff en Flad, head of sales – military vehicles. 35 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021 TRUCKSVOLVO TRUCKS RECEIVES RECORD ORDER FOR ELECTRIC TRUCKS V olvo Trucks has received an order for 100 Volvo FM Electric trucks from DFDS, Northern Europe's largest shipping and logistics company. The deal is the largest commercial order to date for Volvo electric trucks, and one of the largest ever for heavy electric trucks worldwide. “This is a major milestone in our commitment to fossil-free transportation and I am very proud of the partnership with DFDS. Together we are showing the world that electrifi ed heavy truck transport is a viable solution. I believe this will encourage many more customers to confi dently take the fi rst step in their own electrifi cation journey,” comments Roger Alm, president Volvo Trucks. The fi rst deliveries of the Volvo FM Electric to DFDS will start in the fourth quarter of 2022 and continue throughout 2023. The trucks will be used for both short and long transport in the DFDS logistics system in Europe. "At DFDS, we're determined to play our part in reducing CO2 emissions and creating a sustainable supply chain. We know how important electrifi cation is in the journey to reach our CO2 targets, and I hope we can inspire others as we move forward in this vital transition," explains Niklas Andersson, executive vice president and head of logistics division at DFDS. The FM Electric can carry a weight of 44 tons (gross combination weight) and has a range of up to 300 km. With a top-up charging 36 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021 TRUCKSsession during lunch the distance can be extended. The vehicles can be charged both via overnight depot charging (each truck comes with an AC charger) and via high power charging on route (DC charging). DFDS has chosen a fi nancing solution provided by Volvo Financial Services. The electrifi cation trend in the heavy truck market is accelerating. In Europe, a few hundred trucks above 16 tons have been registered so far this year. Of these, approximately 40% are Volvo electric trucks. “Our aim is to drive the electric truck transformation and our market-leading position shows that we are defi nitely on the right track. Our target for 2030 is that half of our global truck deliveries should be electric vehicles. We are pleased to see that growing interest among our customers is starting to be refl ected in fi rm orders, not least by this impressive order from DFDS,” says Roger Alm. Volvo Trucks started serial production of electric trucks in 2019, as one of the very fi rst truck brands to do so. The product range now includes six electric truck models – the Volvo FH, Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FE, Volvo FL and the Volvo VNR, sold in North America. ELECTRIC TRUCKS USED FOR DELIVERIES TO VOLVO TRUCKS ASSEMBLY PLANT IN USA Two Volvo VNR Electric trucks, ordered by logistics companies Watsontown Trucking Company and Camrett Logistics, will be used to transport parts and components daily to the Volvo Trucks manufacturing plant in New River Valley, Dublin, Virginia. The zero tailpipe emission trucks enable Volvo Trucks to reduce emissions in its own supply chain and take one step closer to the global sustainability target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 2040. “An important part of our sustainability strategy is to reduce CO2 from our own operations and putting the Volvo VNR Electric to work in our New River Valley operations will enable that,” says Peter Voorhoeve, president, Volvo Trucks North America. The two Volvo electric trucks will be delivered before the end of 2021 and will complete 10-12 roundtrips per day from their local warehouse facilities to Volvo Trucks' assembly plant. Both trucks will recharge at their local facilities at night. The batteries of a Volvo VNR Electric have an operating range of up to 240 kilometers, and regenerative braking can increase the range by returning up to 15% of the power back to the battery, depending on the duty cycle. The fi rst Volvo FM Electric was handed over by Roger Alm, president Volvo Trucks (right), to DFDS in August. The delivery of the ad- ditional 100 trucks will start in Q4 next year. 37 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021 TRUCKSU K-based electric truck company Tevva has unveiled a 7.5-tonne electric truck to be manufactured in the UK and set to go on sale in the Middle East in 2022. Off ering a range of up to 250 km in pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) form or up to 500 km with its patented range extender technology, which has now been upgraded to use hydrogen fuel cells, the Tevva Truck brings a best in class combination of capability and cost effi ciency from a zero emissions medium duty truck, while off ering the ruggedness and resilience of traditional trucks. The Tevva Truck can carry up to 16 euro pallets and over two tonnes payload at 7.5-tonnes gross vehicle weight. The total cost of ownership is comparable to a diesel; parity TEVVA UNVEILS 7.5-TONNE ELECTRIC TRUCK is achieved at approximately 3,000 km or when 500 litres of diesel is consumed per month. The Tevva Truck is Tevva’s third generation vehicle, representing the culmination of seven years of engineering development and the learning gathered from over 350,000 km of in-fl eet trials. Production of the Tevva Truck is due to commence in July 2022. Engineered by a team led by Ken Scott, formerly engineering director at both Bentley and Alexander Dennis, and styled by Dale Grewer, former chief designer at Jaguar Land Rover, the Tevva Truck will be manufactured in a brand-new facility in the Thames Freeport area, in close proximity to London. The 11,000m2 manufacturing plant is set to create an additional 1,000 skilled mechanical, software, engineering, and manufacturing jobs in the next 24 months, adding to the 60 plus jobs already created this year. The facility is initially expected to begin manufacturing 3,000 trucks per annum by 2023. Asher Bennett, founder and CEO of Tevva says: “Technology is transforming the commercial vehicle sector at pace, making it safer, greener, and entirely more effi cient. But meaningful change is a gradual process, it must happen one step at a time, even if those changes are needed in fast succession. The Tevva Truck provides a natural transition into electrifi cation for fl eet managers, providing total peace of mind and a compelling total cost of ownership proposition, with no compromise on range and reliability and minimised 38 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021 TRUCKScompromise on payload.” Tevva has received £4.2 million, the majority share of a £5.7 million total grant from the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). This grant will help fi nance the development of Tevva’s next generation, zero-emission, long-range medium duty trucks (7.5 to 19t gross vehicle weight). The grant will be utilised to advance the sustainable, aff ordable, next generation range-extended EVs for advanced logistics (SANGREAL) Project, a £12.2 million collaboration between Tevva and Advanced Electric Machines (AEM). The SANGREAL project involves the design and development of a electric transaxle and intelligent vehicle propulsion control system with on-board telematics which is designed to optimise the use of the H2 fuel cell range extender for operating range and reliability and enable predictive and preventative servicing. Ken Scott, chief engineer at Tevva, says: “We are humbled and proud to be receiving this grant to continue developing Tevva’s groundbreaking technology in the EV market. We are developing zero-emission solutions for higher weight class “return to base” logistics vehicles that off er true cost of ownership benefi t, compared to existing diesel off erings, with extended range . This funding will help make this a reality in the near-future.” Jon Beasley, business development and programmes director at the Advanced Propulsion Centre, says: “The automotive industry is at a pivotal point. Great ideas will not move the dial on decarbonisation unless they are on the road and taking the place of more polluting technology. The future movement of people and goods needs to be effi cient and green. There has been real progress in the decarbonisation of cars to meet the UK Government’s plans to phase-out sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2030. However, the pathways for Medium and Heavy duty and long-range transport are less clear. Further innovation and technology development is needed to decarbonise our buses, HDVs and off -highway vehicles and this is why we are delighted to be supporting Tevva and Advanced Electric Machines to deliver ground-breaking projects such as SANGREAL.” James Widmer, CEO, AEM, says: “These new technologies, when deployed, are expected to deliver market leading performance. We are impressed by Tevva’s progress and see the true potential in the company to develop groundbreaking technology to sustain heavy weighted zero emission trucks. We are confi dent that the funding will help drive the clean freight industry forward.” 39 PLANT / MACHINERY / VEHICLESwww.plantmachineryvehicles.comNOVEMBER 2021 TRUCKSNext >