Crushing it around the world
MB Crusher has played a key role in many notable construction global projects. African Review talks to Najmeddine Sahraoui, deputy general manager for the Middle East and Africa, about what to expect going forward in Africa.
Can you provide details about your global footprint?
There are many important projects where our products have been involved around the world. For example, MB Crusher has been a partner in the development of the South Caucasus Pipeline and the Trans Anatolian Pipeline, providing 13 screening buckets MB-S18 for operations development in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
Then, two MB products (the Crusher Bucket 135.8 and the screening bucket MB-S18) have been used in a big quarry in Al Kharj, a small village in the south of Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, working to recover inert material to be reused for the construction of the new subway in Riyadh.
MB attachments are used every day in many important projects all over the world.
In Germany, for example, MB-R drum cutters have been used to complete demolition works on an old bridge which had loomed over the motorway for years.
And in Turkey, our BF120.4 crusher bucket is working in a big quarry in Kastamonu.
Are you now active across the whole of Africa?
We can genuinely say that we are active across all the African countries. Nowadays, MB Crusher attachments are no longer considered as a niche or specialist piece of machinery; they are becoming a piece of standard equipment for every construction company. In fact, our extensive know-how in the engineering sector, and investment in technology and innovation, has allowed us to offer customers lots of advantages.
Tell us about your key products in Africa?
Actually, the most popular models are the biggest in the range: they are very efficient, especially in quarries and locations that often require huge extensions, where big machines are at work.
MB crusher buckets (together with MB screening buckets) can make the difference on big road construction projects and on pipelines. Starting from the BF90.3 (for excavators weighing up to 21 tonnes) and the BF120.4 (for excavators weighing 30 tonnes), up to the the biggest models, the BF135.8 and the BF150.10.
This last one in particular - the BF150.10 - is the biggest crusher bucket in the world, for excavators weighing up to 70 tonnes.
What are your ambitions there going forward?
Considering the dynamics of the construction industry in Africa, we believe it to be one of the highest potential markets for our products and are focused on increasing our coverage in a phased manner while constantly improving our service through careful learning of customer needs and expectations.
Our goal is to increase our presence in this important market. We don’t want to lose any opportunity to take part in future big projects, so we’ll be working very closely with our dealer network to confirm and strengthen our relationships there. Furthermore, we need to educate the market more about a completely new concept of crushing, never seen before, and to make people understand the great advantages in terms of saving time, money, staff, without forgetting environmental sustainability.
Any new products in the pipeline?
MB Screening and crushing buckets have been used in many pipelines projects, since they can simplify the working process, eliminating costs and reducing time required for the disposal of materials and in the procurement process. By using MB's range for digs, channelling, construction and maintenance of sewerage, water and gas pipelines, the costs of loading and transporting materials to the landfill are eliminated completely, with significant savings in terms of money and time.
It also permits the carrying out of the entire production process with full regard to the local environment, without altering the elements present.
For example: the 13 screening buckets working in the development of the South Caucasus Pipeline and the Trans Anatolian Pipeline and the screening Bucket MB-S18, screening natural material from excavations that will be used as backfill of the GAS pipes in Russia.
Moving forward, MB Crusher is always working on new projects. Our research and development (R&D) department keeps on studying new solutions, in part thanks also to the suggestions of our loyal customers.
What about after sales service & support?
MB has outlined a far reaching customer service department made up of experts, since our customers are the focal point for each and every stage of our products. We also have a specific service for our dealers: our private B2B online portal offers hundreds of video tutorials covering the MB product line, technical services, marketing and communications, as well as 24 hour online chat support. In this way we can offer our dealers the ability to access all of MB’s sales and product information, making it possible to answer any questions regarding our products and services.
Any other key differentiators?
MB Crusher is the inventor of the crusher bucket and offers the widest range of crusher buckets, available for all operating machines.
MB Crusher holds a series of certifications, including UNI EN ISO 9001:2008, CE, TUV, GOST and RINA (the latter is for welding processes) and it employs Hardox-certified materials to give customers the best possible products.
Our focus on innovation is proven by the number of awards that the company has won over the years, including the prestigious Grand Prix of the International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva in 2007, something which no Italian company had achieved for more than 20 years.
MB also uses the special hydraulic system, AAA + type. The MB crusher bucket is, in fact, the only one with a low hydraulic demand both in terms of the need for pressure and hydraulic flow rate.
This means higher productivity and quality of the crushed product in all construction sites (in part, thanks to the patent EP 1532321 owned by MB). The extreme compactness and low centre of gravity also improves balance and drastically reduces the strain on the excavator arm, eliminating impact and vibration.
How upbeat are you about Africa’s future prospects?
Africa's infrastructure and mining industry has the biggest potential for growth and opportunities for investment and we think that this could have a significant impact on our crushing and screening equipment.
Due to this positive trend, we are certain that we can play an important role in this development. We hope that with the larger policies and programmes now being implemented across the region, there will be a lot of interest in MB products.
At the macro level, we can now explore a lot of public and private sector investments and overall infrastructure initiatives taking place.