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Infrastructure, mining, quarrying and waterwell are the four major segments of portable compressor business. <span style="font-weight: bold;">S Kumar, Business Line Manager, Power Technique Customer Center, Atlas Copco (India),</span> shares more on the market opportunities and the company's products and solutions. <p></p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">How is portable compressor market doing in quarrying and mining industry? What is the current demand trend? </span> <br />Portable air compressors play a pivotal role in quarrying and mining applications. The quarrying application specifically, is a segment of paramount importance, looking at the amount of aggregates which is required for infrastructure projects. Similarly, the extraction of minerals such as iron ore, manganese etc, with reliable portable air compressors with the lowest possible energy consumption is an important application under metal mining.</p><p> We cannot ignore that customers are also scaling up in terms of quality and service expectations, and we will continue to provide them with the time-tested Atlas Copco technology. Atlas Copco is a big investor in research and development (R&amp;D) in India. As leaders in innovation, we focus on localisation and developing new technology. </p><p>We have a good mix of compressors in our diesel range starting from 140 cfm to 1,350 cfm and pressure range of 7 bar to 35 bar covering all pneumatic applications. We also have a good electric range starting from 45 kW up to 75 kW (300 cfm up to 500 cfm; 7 bar to 12 bar). The range combines lightweight compressors with small dimensions, making it easy to manoeuvre on site.</p><p>With the current stable government, we foresee all pending projects to get faster clearances, which will increase the demand of air compressors.</p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What are the new products offered? What are the features to meet extreme working environments in construction and mining? </span><br />The equipment industry is in constant evolution where there is not just product innovation but also application innovation. New technology also creates new opportunities and improved ways of using equipment.</p><p>In the portable air business, Atlas Copco develops, manufactures and markets a range of world-class compressors with advanced technology.</p><p>The new XAWS 550 PACE has the latest technology with a wider pressure range from 90 to 215 psig. The PACE controller locks in and regulates the perfect pressure and flow combination!</p><p>The XRH 1100 PLUS is a revolution in high pressure air compressor technology where the silencer is tucked away in a smart, sleek design to ensure ease of movement during transportation. Also, low cost of ownership is ensured with a highly efficient screw element design resulting in 11 per cent better fuel efficiency.</p><p>Electric portable range of compressors offer different pressure and flow combinations so that customers can now experience the full power of electric.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is the demand-supply scenario for compressors?</span> <br />Infrastructure, mining, quarrying and waterwell are the four major segments of portable compressor business. With the increased focus on road development and the revival in the mining and quarrying segment, there is continued demand for portable compressors. Besides this, the waterwell segment also contributes to the demand of large compressors for bore well applications.</p><p>In times of fluctuating demand, we have focussed on developing productive and cost-effective products in the market and we have also successfully worked on filling the gaps in product portfolio to be able to meet the demands of more niche segments. </p><p>We have a state-of-the-art factory in Chakan, Pune, which is twice the capacity of our earlier set-up and has a possibility to get doubled if required to meet the increasing customer demands.</p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What are key criteria customers consider while choosing a compressor? </span><br />The construction/infrastructure industry is continuously evolving through various innovations in application segments and the product range. Atlas Copco is the undisputed market leader in &quot;portable air compressor&quot; segment and we continuously strive to upgrade our product portfolio to provide better product innovation and digital services to our customers. </p><p>We undertake a lot of field trials and invest more than a year of R&amp;D before launching any products. A customer always sees the value he/she will get from the product he/she is buying as well as seeks to find the best productive fit for his/her application. So, other than launching new products, technology advancements are always in our pipeline and training our sales team to offer the most ideal solution for a customer's need is our main focus. Customers will focus on equipment with the least running cost (diesel consumption and maintenance cost) and maximum productivity, and our products are designed and upgraded to continuously meet these expected standards and deliverables.</p><p> <span style="font-weight: bold;">What is the market outlook of portable compressors?</span><br />With an upgraded portfolio and technologically advanced equipment, Atlas Copco portable air compressors will continue to touch lives and improve infrastructure needs of the people in India. </p><p>Atlas Copco Power Technique's focus is to have a sustained profitable growth in India. We have done well for the last few years and have witnessed a healthy growth. </p><p>Expectations from the Indian market is focused on contributing to Indian infrastructure projects by offering products which meet our customer's needs and ensure them long term benefits. India is a growing economy, and looking at the overall infrastructure requirements coming up, we expect this healthy trend to continue in the next five years as well. </p>