Seven UK quarrying trends you need to know!
Hitachi Construction Machinery (UK) Mines & Quarries Manager Steve O’Mara shares his thoughts on the UK quarrying market. While it’s been a challenging year so far, with fuel price increases and uncertainty in the housing market, there are at least seven reasons to be cheerful…
1. Rising demand
“While demand for cement and concrete is relatively low, which means demand for quarrying aggregates is poor, recycled aggregates are becoming more popular. The product is of such good quality, and the market is specifying these materials as much as possible now. So, there's more demand for recycled aggregates than can be supplied.”
2. Longer life cycles
“Owners are extending the life cycle of their equipment, sweating the asset for longer than they used to do. This means that they are consuming more parts and need to carry out overhauls and repairs to some existing equipment.”
3. Popularity of large Zaxis excavators
“HCMUK still has a good market share for 50-tonne excavators and above. This is thanks to our loyal customers who benefit from the quality and availability of our products and services. That’s what the quarrying industry needs – machines that can do the job well, with support to match. The UK quarrying industry prefers a high level of specification and we’re able to provide exactly that: reliable orange excavators.”
4. Durability, reliability and safety
“The customer feedback we get about the benefits of Hitachi ownership are durability, reliability and safety, backed by HCMUK’s strong after-sales service. They also excel in terms of efficiency. Potential customers cannot believe how smooth and responsive they are. In certain applications, they are so precise and easy to control – and that’s vital from a safety point of view when you’re moving large boulders.”
5. An operator’s machine
“Hitachi Zaxis excavators have always been known for having comfortable cabs. They have the best suspension seats and are one of the quietest machines in the market. There are also some useful features, such as Bluetooth connectivity and there’s more than enough room to store food, drinks and protective clothing – they’re an operator’s machine.”
6. Significant site savings
“Hitachi’s remote monitoring systems are useful to check and reduce fuel consumption and idle time – and potentially make significant savings. We’re introducing LANDCROS Connect, which is a fleet management tool that gives better insights to monitor performance and operating data, regardless of the manufacturer or number of machines. It is more user-friendly and intuitive than the previous system.”
7. Rising quality standards
“The standard of the product has only got better. As the machines are made in Japan, they've got the engineering excellence and quality control for which they’re renowned. The customers know that this has a knock-on effect on the total cost of ownership, especially with the resale value. So, we will keep reinforcing our brand message of reliable orange machinery to maintain our share of the UK quarrying market.”
