AIRMAILIssue n°10 - October 2007Applications

Powered by the Portable Air Division

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atlas copco scores big at matexpo

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verhelst is driven by quality

trends a word from Geert Follens

P o r ta b l e a i r b r i n g s i t a l l t o g e t h e r

The timing is perfect. We have many new products to launch and we thought it was time to meet each other again face to face. We started out a few years back with a Portable Air event mainly for our internal people, although we did invite several customers. Later, we organized web-based seminars (called ‘webinars’) to launch new products internally. We quickly concluded that we need to see a bit more of our staff—and our customers. Business Line Managers told us that customers were most impressed with the events they attended and continued to talk about them long after. We realized that these customer-oriented events improved customer relations and brought us closer to achieving our vision: being First in Mind, First in Choice1. All of this led us to the idea of holding the November Event for our Atlas Copco clients and personnel. Indeed, many new products will make their debut, including the brand-new QAX generator in HardHat version and completely redesigned QAS range, together with the revolutionary Twinair1. However, the theme of this event is “Revolutionize your productivity”, which is being implemented steadily. This

strategy is already reflected in the ‘solution packages’ we are putting together. Thanks to the cooperation of Construction Tools and Road Construction Equipment (Dynapac), as well as our resourceful Service Network we have now a unique offer, tailored to a client’s individual needs. An important part of the event is the participation of the press, and we are looking forward to the same excellent media coverage they have provided in the past. Therefore, we have organized an afternoon media-session to provide the press with an ideal opportunity to also conduct focused interviews with marketing and product managers. Organizing the perfect event is quite a challenge. It begins once our visitors step-off the plane, and ends when they get back on it. Everything—from hospitality to presentations and handouts—has to be just right. People tend to remember the little things. An important task Customers Centers can help us fulfill. Now, although this is a Portable Air event, Construction Tools and Road Construction Equipment (Dynapac) have an important stake in it as well. After all, we are addressing and serving the same

As you have undoubtedly heard, Portable Air will be holding its third Total Solutions Event and this year’s theme is ‘Revolutionize Your Productivity’. It will take place in November and we are expecting over 500 visitors from 65 countries. What are the reasons for holding such an event?

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in this issue

A publication of: Atlas Copco Portable AirEditor: Elsie Vestraets, Editor-in-Chief: Sam Waes

Portable Air brings it all together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Atlas Copco scores big at Matexpo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Micro pile specialist seeks optimum efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

New XRXS 566 compressor makes Swedish debut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Customer finance completes Atlas Copco’s one-stop shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Finance satisfies the customer’s special needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Atlas Copco’s flexible financing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Total solutions is a winning formula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Why is Euro Rent so pleased with its QAS gensets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Verhelst is driven by quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

International demand triggers port upgrade in China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Cosmos, the deciding factor in selecting Atlas Copco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Indosat purchases 243 Atlas Copco gensets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Doing its bit for fraternity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Exponor a succes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Algeria, new customer centre, new opportunities, new Portable Air team . . . . . . . 24

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international demand triggers port upgrade in china

customers and market segments. Moreover, we will continue to look for this type of synergy. Surely, it is a great way of demonstrating that Atlas Copco can provide a comprehensive offering, con-taining products and services from across its business spectrum. In dealing with customers, we cannot afford to compartmentalize our activities by unit or division. We should never forget that we are all part of the same company, and we ought to appear to the outside world as a single entity: Atlas Copco. We see this event also as the ideal opportunity to organize a students’ day and a family day. We will invite students being potential Atlas Copco employees and the Atlas Copco family to the expo and the factory.

See you all at the Total Solutions Event, and do have fun!

important information about the total solutions event �007

e v e n t w e b s i t eWe have set up a special event website www.totalsolutions2007.com for online registration and all relevant information. Please note, the event program on the website does not include

activities for the special day (November 14) set aside for Customer Centers. As we get closer to the event, more information will become available on this website, so keep looking. By the way, you will also be able to use this website to access live feeds from the event, once it gets underway.

1 TwinairTM and First in Mind – First in Choice ® are trademarks of Atlas Copco Airpower NV

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benefits our business, our assets, our strengths

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at l a s C o P C o s C o r e s b i g at M at e x P o

Matexpo, an international trade fair for the construction industry, was held on September 5-9 in the Belgian city of Kortrijk. Atlas Copco of course was there with a 550 m² stand displaying the latest innovations from Portable Air and CTO.

This year’s theme was Portable Air’s Total Solutions Program, consisting of three sub-themes:• Protect your investment: original parts, original accessories, oils and lubricants.• Increase your productivity: maintenance contracts, fixed prices, CoverCare and Cosmos• Flexible financial solutions: Atlas Copco Customer Finance.

Stand visitors saw an array of Portable Air’s latest product developments, including the XAS 137. The XAHS 347 Cd, one of

the new single-axle Size II units, was also on display, as was its fuel-saving software, FuelXpert. The QAS 150 (equipped with COSMOS) made its world debut at the fair, and so did a

prototype QAX 40 mobile generator. The QAX 40, rated at 40 kVA, is an alternative to the QAS.

innovation prize To celebrate Matexpo’s 60th anniversary, a prestigious prize— the Matexpo Award for the best innovation in building equipment—was presented. The jury, which comprised several experts from the construction industry, and a select number of trade journalists, was given the task of evaluating some 30 applications and selecting the winners. Atlas Copco’s FuelXpert, one of five nominees for the award, walked away with the second prize. What impressed the jury most were the financial and ecological benefits—by reducing fuel consumption of compressors by up to 16%—derived from deploying this innovative software. However, FuelXpert is only available on larger units equipped with a Caterpillar motor, which limits its availability and deployment in Belgium. “Perhaps this award is an incentive for Product Development to press on with their efforts in developing FuelXpert for the rest of our range of compressors and generators!” reports Bob Kegelaers, Business Line Manager Portable Energy and Construction Tools at Atlas Copco Belgium.Despite the weather, Matexpo was a big success for Atlas Copco. There were impressive sales, but also a large number of new contacts. “Hopefully these will be turned into additional orders in the coming weeks and months,” says Bob.

Atlas Copco walked away with an award for innovation and made some remarkable sales and new contacts.

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xperience our business, our assets, our strengths

As part of the Turin project an underpass needs to be constructed under the Dora Riparia river. For this work, five Atlas Copco XAHS 416 compressors were employed in the construction of micro piles to stabilize the soil. Supplied by Italian Atlas Copco distributor Edimac, the XAHS 416 models were selected as their flow output of up to 416 l/sec (885 cfm) at up to 12 bar (175 psi) is ideally suited to the jet grouting process employed to stabilize the soil.

Andrea Bendandi, site manager of Sipes’ expands on this, adding that the company demands good product reliability and after sales support. For this reason, the company has expanded its Atlas Copco compressor fleet to include Portable Air 17 bar (250 psi) models for ongoing work on the enlargement of the railway between Corso Vittorio, Emanuele and Corso Grosseto.

Listing Jet Grouting among its activities, Di Vincenzo is among the leading ground stabilization specialists in Italy. The com-pany, which merged with Sipes S.p.A in 1999, has been involved in a number of complex construction projects, including work on the Turin rail network.

M i C r o P i l e s P e C i a l i s t s e e k s o P t i M u M e f f i C i e n C y i n i ta ly

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For the second part of the works, to start in the latter part of 2008, the company is planning to buy an additional 20 bar (290 psi) or 25 bar (365 psi) compressor to further boost productivity. ‘Atlas Copco works very closely with us and we have a very good relationship with their distributor’, adds Andrea Bendandi. Explaining the fuel use remains a key consideration, he underlines that the FuelXpert system is an Atlas Copco feature that offers the potential to considerably reduce his company’s operating costs.FuelXpert precisely monitors the demand upon the compressor, fuelling the engine for optimum efficiency, particularly when under partial load. In practice, full output is not always needed, particularly in a precisely controlled application such as Jet Grouting. The FuelXpert system can considerably reduce fuel use in this type of application.

Jet groutingJet Grouting describes a process of soil stabilization. The systems employed can vary according to the task in hand, but in broad terms involves the drilling of holes into which air is pumped to remove spoil and water from the hole. A cement ‘grout’, comprising fine sand, gravel and cement, is then injected to fill the void. The process can also be employed to mix grout and soil. Although this over simplifies what can be a complex process, it helps to explain the importance of the compressor in the operation; each XAHS 416 compressor can operate two rigs at the same time, so it follows its dependability is absolutely critical.

down the hole drillingAnother technique employed for slope stabilization is “Down the hole drilling”. A series of holes, measuring 200 mm (7, 87 inch) in diameter and 10 m (397 inch) deep, are drilled at 1 m intervals. Each hole is then lined with a steel casing which is then filled with concrete. It takes around 20 min to drill each hole.Compressed air is used to power the drilling rigs and specialist concrete pumps used in these processes. It follows that the compressors employed in this work need to deliver high performance over extended periods, reliable and economical running being absolutely critical.

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xperience our business, our assets, our strengths

n e w x r x s 5 6 6 C o M P r e s s o r M a k e s s w e d i s h d e b u t

Sweden’s specialist energy well drilling contractor Jannes Brunnsborrning AB has taken delivery of Atlas Copco’s first XRXS 566 air compressor, with an operating pressure of 30 bar and a free air delivery (FAD) of 34 m3/min. Jannes Brunnsborrning carries out well and environmental drilling, in addition to ground source heating/energy drilling. The company is also involved in construction, hydraulic blasting and pump installations, as well as water-sample testing throughout Sweden.

Increased costs of oil and gas have given added dynamics to the energy well drilling business in Sweden over the last few years. Thanks to favorable geological conditions, Sweden in particular, and Scandinavia in general, have been at the forefront of using geothermal energy to heat houses and public buildings. Impressively, Atlas Copco compressors are deployed at almost 90% of the 300-plus drilling companies in Sweden. The drilling industry is always looking for faster penetration and deeper holes in order to increase profitability. As a general rule,

drilling at higher volume increases drilling efficiency, resulting in greater hole depths. More FAD is needed for the hammer and

cuttings removal (see Some facts about energy well drilling for additional information).

Currently, 70% of Jannes Brunnsborrning’s operations are ground source heating/energy drilling related, mostly for private homes (see How the XRXS 566 helped residents of eco-conscious Laholm). Moreover, it also expects increased interest from larger

properties and from industry, where between 10-50 drill holes are required to meet energy requirements.

right tool for the jobNot surprisingly, these demanding requirements were easily met by the new 30 bar compressor, with tests showing penetration rates of 1 m/min (3.28 ft/min). This recent addition to Atlas Copco’s range is powered by a fuel-efficient, six-cylinder C18 Caterpillar engine rated at 430 kW (575 hp) at a nominal 1800

rpm or 1300 unloaded. According to Janne, faster well sinking and deeper drill holes with increased profits and improved operating economy were decisive factors in choosing the new model. “The new high pressure technology allows us to drill as much as 200 m per day, the equivalent of three 70-meter-deep holes depending of course on the distance between them and whether we encounter bedrock and water,” explains Janne.

There are financial and other business advantages as well. “Increased productivity can mean a time saving of up to at least an hour per day,” says Janne. “At the same time it increases company production, because this means we can get onto the next job that much faster.”

Operating the compressor is also friendlier. “Increasing compressor pressure to 30 bar during drilling is simple with the Pressure Toggle Switch. It saves having to climb up on the compressor to make adjustments.”

And the XRXS 566 comes with wagon undercarriage support: truck mounted or a skid-mounted version. A dual pressure system is an optional extra with the 30 bar model to provide a reduced 25 bar pressure to suit local conditions and ensure optimized benefits and performance.

This recently launched compressor is already being put to good use in energy-related applications

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some facts about energy well drilling

Energy well drilling is generally a two-stage operation performed using 110-140 mm diameter drill bits. The first stage requires drilling through the soil layer to hard rock using the Odex method. The steel cased pipe is driven simultaneously with the drill approximately 2 m into the bedrock and cast into the rock to seal the gap between the pipe casing and the rock. The casting prevents surface groundwater and soil and rock material from penetrating the drill hole and thus obstructing the insertion of the collector hose. The casing is driven at least 2 m down into the bedrock and at least 6 m down from the ground surface. Although the temperature of the ground water in the drill hole does not change with the seasons, it does differ between north and south Sweden.

In the second stage, drilling is continued through the bedrock until the dimensioned depth is reached. The depth of the drill hole is related to the energy rating of the heat pump and the amount of energy required to heat the house in question. A rule of thumb is to multiply the power output required by two times ten. Applying this formula to the Laholm case, for example, would result in a drilling depth of 140 m (7 kW x 2 x 10).

how the xrxs ��� helped residents of eco-conscious laholm

Laholm is a municipality on the west coast of Sweden with a population of 23,000. An attractive destination, Laholm has a pleasant lifestyle and is noted for its scenery, cultural activities and sandy beach, the longest in Sweden. In fact, its population increases considerably in the summer. But there is something else which makes Laholm special. It is an eco-municipality that encourages householders to install ground source and solar heating. The rapid rise in the price of oil led two of its residents, Ulla-Brith and Roland Andersson, to look for an alternative heating source. Four years ago, they had Brunnsborrning convert the heating in their bungalow from oil to solid fuel in the form of pellets (with an immersion heater fitted to the boiler as back up). This reduced their heating costs to one third of the cost of oil. However, working with pellets is messy and time consuming, and the Anderssons soon decided to install ground source heating. “Even though it required an investment of over SEK 100,000 (11,000 euros), ground source

heating—deploying a 7 kW heat-exchanger pump—would be cheaper and also reduce our dependence on power suppliers,” reports Roland Andersson. Earlier this year, the installer, Jannes Brunnsborrning, set up its drilling rig and newly acquired XRXS 566 compressor in the Andersson’s garden. Not surprisingly, drilling the 140 m deep hole and installing the collector took just one day. A week later the heat pump was installed and the system was up and running—to the customer’s considerable satisfaction. “Perhaps we should have decided on ground source heating many years ago, but better late than never. And installation was a fast, clean procedure. No

dust,” concludes a rather pleased Ulla-Brith Andersson.

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C u s t o M e r f i n a n C e C o M P l e t e s at l a s C o P C o ’ s o n e - s t o P s h o P

Atlas Copco Customer Finance (ACF) is supporting the drive and growth of Atlas Copco’s sales volumes and gross profits by further extending the customer offering and by adapting its flexible financing services to local market demands.

customized financingBeing a subsidiary of Atlas Copco, ACF deploys a strategy that utilizes its market knowledge and financial strength to determine (and satisfy) Atlas Copco’s customers’ financing needs through competitive and tailored services. To achieve this, ACF needs to deploy the right products (see Figure

Atlas Copco is increasingly using its financing arm to attract new clients, grow its sales and profits and improve customer satisfaction

Features Supplier credit Financial lease Operating lease

Ownership at dose yes yes negotiable

On balance-sheet yes yes no

Deferred payment plans yes yes no

Return option no no yes

Maintenance program optional optional yes

Figure 1: Atlas Copco’s most common financing products

1 for further details) and dedicated and knowledgeable personnel. It also needs to respond quickly and ensure that procedures are efficient and simple.

Atlas Copco Customer Finance provides financing for all equipment, consumables and services sold by Atlas Copco Group companies.

To date, Atlas Copco Customer Finance has concluded thousands of financing transactions in more than 60 markets and the demand for its products and services continues to grow rapidly. As a result, local financing programs have been established in several markets, including Australia, Canada, China, Chile, Germany, Spain, UK and USA.

competitive advantageAtlas Copco Customer Finance is increasingly confident that it can make a success of this venture, and for good reason. Atlas Copco Customer Finance has superior understanding of the equipment produced by Atlas Copco, the way its customers work, their daily challenges and competition, and their industries. It is also able to create financing structures and payment plans that fit its customers’ unique business needs.

This is confirmed by Finance people reporting back from the field. Their experiences and successes are described in several articles in this issue of Airmail, and facts and figures are summarized in Figure 2.

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Client Geography Equipment/Services financed Purpose Credit amount Term

De Wet and Seuns South Africa 2 x XRVS 476 + 4 years service ZAR 2300826 48 months

Drilling Exploration

Development

South Africa XRXS 30 bar + 4 years service Support hydraulic

drill rigs

ZAR 1519156 48 months

Earth Resources South Africa 2x XRVS 476 Support exploration

drill rigs (CS 14)

ZAR 1846800 48 months

Aegis (Shanghai)

Machinery Co

China 8x XAMS 1026 CDH

(made in Wuxi)

Sandblasting CNY 3.7 m financial lease 3 years

Option for another 8 x XAMS 1026 CDH Sandblasting CNY 3.7 m financial lease 3 years

Aegis Malaysia Malaysia 10x XATS 456 CD Sandblasting SGD 836000 5 years

10 x XATS 456 CD Sandblasting SGD 836000 5 years

Figure 2: Some recent Atlas Copco Finance deals

There are even flattering reports of customers deserting the competition in favor of Atlas Copco. Perhaps Anders Sundberg, Area Manager at Atlas Copco Customer Finance Latin America, sums it up best: ”ACF is making a difference in the customer’s overall consideration—even though at times Atlas Copco’s equipment can be more expensive.”

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xperience our business, our assets, our strengths

“ f i n a n C e s at i s f i e s t h e C u s t o M e r ’ s s P e C i a l n e e d s — a n d w e P r o v i d e s u P P o r t t o C l o s e t h e d e a l fa s t e r ”

“There are very good reasons why businesses turn to us for financing; “ says Maria. “Surprisingly, we do not necessarily give more credit than banks. Our real value lies in a better understanding of our customers’ business. This allows us to adapt the financing to match the cash flow that their investment will generate. In addition, we are faster (financing is typically completed within two days) and easier than banks. Although our interest rates are generally on the same level as the banks, we can offer honeymoon periods (a grace period before repayment starts) and skipped payments during months that are normally slow for the customer. (It is common in South Africa for companies to close during December and subsequently not have to pay the installment for that month.)”

benefiting mutually“Financing can be an effective way of making Atlas Copco Customer Finance customers into Atlas Copco users (if they are not yet), and attracting them away from the competition;” Maria underlines. “For example, if I know beforehand that a customer may need additional equipment—which Atlas Copco could supply— I always suggest including this equipment in the financing as well. Although this may not result in a better purchase price, our ‘one-

stop shop for financing’ makes things easier for the client, and Atlas Copco gets to close a sale. Furthermore, we almost always suggest Atlas Copco’s service plan when presenting our financing plan, and for good reason. Atlas Copco Customer Finance can offer its customers a better rate if service is included (even though there is no established discount for this). This is because we can ensure the machine is taken care of properly, which means that the risk of losing money in the case of repossession will also be less. In addition, the Customer Center gets paid upfront for the servicing. And the customer is able to get it financed and pays for it on a monthly basis. Another win-win situation.”

holistic approachFinance works closely with Sales—Pieter Viljoen, Area Sales Manager at Atlas Copco South Africa is a very good example—when meeting with customers to discuss their financing needs. It is therefore important that all Portable Air sales people in South Africa have a good understanding of our financing. Pieter is very enthusiastic and sells the finance and serviceplans to the drillers.Maria continues: “Equally vital is presenting our financing as part of a total package, together with Atlas Copco products and service.

A case in point is the launch in February 2007 of the new XRSX 30-bar compressor for around 70 South African customers, where Atlas Copco Customer Finance introduced its financing services. The underlying reason behind this was to make customers aware of the benefits of opting for finance and service when purchasing Atlas Copco equipment, such as compressors.” This proved to be a successful event: the launch together with the finance presentation has led to a number of done deals (not only for the new XRXS product but for Atlas Copco portable compressors in general). “More importantly, we managed to win over several of our competitor’s South African-based customers, including De Wet and Seuns, Drilling Exploration and Earth Resources (see Figure 2 for details).” These deals underscore the added value of financing. It not only makes a targeted sale possible and faster, but it also enables other Atlas Copco products and services to be piggybacked on the sale.

Maria Mattsson, Area Sales Manager at Atlas Copco Customer Finance South Africa, explains why customer financing is a win-win proposition, and how combining a customer finance presentation with a product launch can help conclude a deal.

Maria Mattsson, Area Sales Manager

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“at l a s C o P C o ’ s f l e x i b l e f i n a n C i n g — a k e y r e a s o n t o s w i t C h s u P P l i e r s ”

Atlas Copco Customer Finance’s objective is to use financing to increase profitable sales of Atlas Copco products. That is exactly what it did when Atlas Copco Asia made several important sales to Aegis (Shanghai) Machinery Co and Aegis Malaysia. These are subsidiaries of Evercorp Co. in Singapore, a reputable company involved in sandblasting work at shipyards in SE Asia, and which has recently moved into China. Significantly, finance played a key role in all these sales and readers may be interested in understanding the underlying reasons for this.

added valueAccording to Aegis, the deals (see Figure 2 for details) were driven (apart from product price) by timely delivery of the Atlas Copco equipment, as well as an attractive and flexible deferred payment plan —a key reason for the deal going through. The offer enabled Atlas Copco Malaysia to score an additional sale to Aegis Malaysia.

Importantly, these favorable conditions, together with delivery problems with their previous supplier, prompted both subsidiaries to switch to Atlas Copco for the total package.

Another benefit for Aegis is that they can match the cash flow received from their customers with the repayments of the loans. This is more attractive than requesting a credit line from a bank, which may request additional security, charge higher margins and grant shorter credit. In addition, Aegis finds Atlas Copco’s one-stop shop—everything from products and spare parts to warranty and financing—most convenient.All of this can also mean a reduction in the number of suppliers for larger companies, as well as improved efficiency. Smaller businesses can also benefit from our attractive financing terms, something a bank or independent lease company cannot offer because it lacks intimate knowledge of the customer’s business, such as ACF has.

our approachSo, how do we compete with other suppliers also offering financing? Unlike our competitors—who often leave their customer at the mercy of a leasing company or bank— Atlas Copco provides its own financing solutions, or works through dedicated and well-informed business partners.

Even more important is ACF’s most valuable asset: Atlas Copco’s own people. In the Aegis case, Air Power’s Business Line Manager (BLM) at the Customer Center and ACF’s own staff were all instrumental in minimizing the credit risk and in pro-actively working to structure the credits. I have seen many sales forces operate in the 11 years I worked for a bank, but let me tell you these business line managers are unique in the way they mitigate credit risk.

Todor Panayotov Area Manager at Atlas Copco Customer Finance Asia discusses how customer finance makes a difference in dealing with a major client with operations in China and Malaysia

Todor Panayotov, Area Manager

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t o ta l s o l u t i o n s i s a w i n n i n g f o r M u l a

atlas plant hireAnother example is Atlas Plant Hire, the third largest rental company in South Africa serving the construction, industrial and automotive industries in Eastern Cape. “Af-ter Atlas Plant heard of the Cat Rental deal, they asked us to quote for 35 machines comprising XAS 97s, XAS 136s and XAS 186s,” Dirk explains. “What really clinched the deal was Atlas Copco’s financing, something our main ri-val could not provide.” Atlas Plant has gone on to order an XAMS 407 and two 500 kVA units, all with Atlas Copco financing, and they have shown interest in placing ad-ditional orders for generators.”

cat-rental Take for instance Cat Rental Store, which specializes in renting small and large plant in South Africa and is part of Barloworld Equipment. “Following presentations of XRXS and Total Solutions, Cat Rental’s general manager showed a keen interest in the buy-back possibility,” reports Dirk. “Despite our sales price being higher than our competitor’s, Cat decided to cancel their order with the competitor and ordered 11 XAMS 406 units—together with a buy-back option and ServicePlan—from us.” Atlas Copco has since delivered another 16 units and received a new order for another 55 XAMS 407 units.

however, the most successful sales portable air has made—thanks to atlas copco’s financ-ing option—are with drillers.“Here we have put together several financing and ServicePlan packages based on the number of operat-ing hours.” A ServicePlan option reduces Portable Air’s risk, and it is able to pass on the resulting savings to its customers in the form of a lower interest rate. “Currently, 50% of our sales in high-pressure machines are done this way—and we only started in February,” says a rather pleased Pieter.

Total Solutions with its financing and buy-back options continues to be a hit with customers, as Dirk Ville, Portable Air’s Business Line Manager in South Africa

and Pieter Viljoen, Area Sales Manager at Atlas Copco South Africa, reveal.

Dirk Ville Business Line Manager

Customers are increasingly demanding more than just quality products and customer service. That is why Total Solutions—with a menu of options which already include portable compressor and generator platforms, ServicePlan and CoverCARETM, as well as a used-equipment buy-back program and the COSMOSTM remote service monitoring system—is so popular. In fact, it is getting even more popular, especially its financing option, and Dirk Ville, Business Line Manager at Portable Air in South Africa and Pieter Viljoen, Area Sales Manager at Atlas Copco South Africa, have first-hand experience of this.

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w h y i s e u r o r e n t s o P l e a s e d w i t h i t s Q a s g e n s e t s ?

Genset users do not like surprises. The electricity these gensets provide is indispensable to their users. That is exactly why Euro Rent, a prominent Belgian rental company, picked Atlas Copco’s professional range of QAS generators.

Euro Rent has just upgraded its range of 14 to 200 kVA gensets with the QAS, in order to deliver the same high quality over its entire range. There are of course good reasons why they selected this product range: “The power supply is first and foremost very stable. It can provide continuous and uninterrupted power, even with continually varying loads. The QAS’ theoretical maximum capacity is in practice always available,” reports Kris Coppens, Euro Rent’s director.

As Mr Coppens goes on to explain: “users of voltage and frequency-sensitive equipment can also rest assured. The QAS has built-in controls that ensure it can detect and react accordingly to varying loads. In addition to its user-friendliness and reliability, the QAS

comes with extensive safeguards and a conveniently designed digital control panel with easily accessible safety indicators. In addition to the normal operational checks, an equipment operator has not much else to worry about. And thanks to an external fuel tank the QAS can go on working indefinitely between services. With a noise level of under 65 decibels at 7m, the QAS is also very quiet, allowing it to be operated close to hospitals, schools and residential areas. It is also environmentally friendly, and comes with a leak-proof undercover and low-emission-producing engine, thanks to the standard spark arrestor (similar to the kind used in the petrochemical industry) on the exhaust. This is why Euro Rent finds the QAS so attractive, and so do its customers. “Euro Rent chooses quality, which it then rents out at a very competitive price—a choice which leaves the client better off!” confirms Kris Coppens.

A reliable power supply requiring minimum supervision is the key reason why this Belgian rental business company selected the QAS, as its director explains

Kris Coppens, Euro Rent’s director

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xperience our business, our assets, our strengths

v e r h e l s t i s d r i v e n b y Q u a l i t y

Verhelst Machines is a renowned Belgium rental company specializing in cranes and hoists and with an annual turnover of 5m Euro and a crew of some 20 technicians. This company also rents out generators that supply electricity to building sites to run its cranes and hoists. For the last ten years, Atlas Copco has been the preferred supplier of gensets to Verhelst Machines. Atlas Copco also supplies compressors to a construction company owned by Groep Verhelst - Verhelst Aannemingen, and involved in demolition work.The Belgium energy market has evolved, placing new demands on portable generators of course. “Since the energy market was liberalized, getting the electricity connected has become much more difficult,” explains Johan Verhelst, Director of Verhelst Machines. “This means that increasingly more and faster temporary generators are needed for building projects.”

Key reasons why this selective rental company picked Atlas Copco as its preferred supplier of generators and compressors

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When dealing with a critical market like the construction industry with its strict business, operational and environmental requirements, selecting just the right supplier makes good sense. “We evaluated three other suppliers before deciding on Atlas Copco,” says Mr Verhelst. Today Verhelst Machines has 20 Atlas Copco generating

sets for hire, ranging from 20 to 138 kVA. The company recently purchased an additional 10 generating sets, varying from QAS 20 to QAS 100, for rentals in East and West Flanders.

value for moneyThere were good reasons for selecting Atlas Copco, as Mr Verhelst explains: “Atlas Copco’s generating sets are fully equipped to respond to rising capacity requirements, such as an unexpected need for additional power. In addition to their environmentally friendly energy-saving and low-emission features, these gensets also meet noise requirements imposed in residential areas, where most building sites are located.”There is more. “Considering where our rental gensets are located, a robust outer casing, sufficient number of power points and easy

maintenance access are all crucial. A good appearance and design are also essential for our company image, as is reliability. Unreliable equipment could lose us business.” Once again, Atlas Copco successfully rose to these challenges.

Mr Verhelst’s concluding remarks are quite complimentary. “Atlas Copco surpasses its competitors when it comes to Aftermarket service, something we ourselves focus on and strive to excel within our region. One more thing. Atlas Copco equipment has a good resale value. If it is not Atlas Copco, we can almost never resell it!”

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xperience our business, our assets, our strengths

Qingdao Port on the Shandong Peninsula is very favorably located, making it one of China’s best ports. However, rising global trade is increasing demand for large, deep berths with heavyweight handling capacity. That is why the Qingdao Municipality has decided to invest some US$ 183 million in 2007 to upgrade Qingdao Port to a truly international port with 23 new deep-water berths.

To assist in this expansion, Guangxi New Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd, a leading contractor for port and waterway engineering, was hired to provide professional underwater drilling services in building deep-water berths. Atlas Copco compressors are also playing a prominent role in this project.

special tools for special needsUnderwater drilling is different from land drilling. Harbor drilling, for example, has to be carried out where existing underwater structures may not be damaged. There are also a variety of surfaces requiring different drilling pressures. This means that compressors must be sufficiently versatile to accommodate the ever-changing demands of harsh weather conditions.

Nine barge-mounted Atlas Copco compressors—five XRHS 485s and four XAHS 416s provide a free air delivery (FAD) of 28.8 m³/min

Nine Atlas Copco barge-mounted air compressors meet high pressure drilling demands for seabed drilling operation to deepen Chinese harbor waterways for new deep-water berths

i n t e r n at i o n a l d e M a n d t r i g g e r s P o r t u P g r a d e i n C h i n a

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and 25 m ³/min at 20 and 17-bar pressure, respectively—were chosen by New Harbor Engineering Co. to meet the continuous high-pressure-air requirement for the underwater drilling tools. These compressors are mounted on two barges to ensure easy maneuverability around the harbor and the drilling sites.

The seabed rock encountered was predominantly hard granite, and drilling was done using a 165 mm diameter drill bit and a 219 mm casing. New Harbor Engineering’s contract calls for more than 700,000 m² drill meters to be carried out. This generally involves drilling 3 m into the seabed to increase the depth to 15 m. “Unlike onshore drilling, additional factors to be considered include the movement of the barges caused by 2-4 m high sea swells and fast currents,” says Wei Zhuangji, Manager of the Equipment Maintenance Dept at New Harbor Engineering. “We also had to contend with 15 m of bending casings below the water surface.”Blasting was carried out using waterproof emulsified dynamite with between 4-8 kg / hole meter. When drilling and blasting close to jetties and walls, the contractor performed controlled blasting with reduced explosive and segment explosion. Seismographic procedures were also undertaken on the jetties.

customized solutions with low cost of ownershipThere were very good reasons for selecting Atlas Copco: “Atlas Copco’s portable diesel compressors perfectly meet the technical requirements of New Harbor Engineering for high pressure compressed air up to 20 bars,” reports Mr. Zhuangji. “In addition, the low cost of ownership—including overall cost, maintenance, repair and consumption of diesel oil—as well as the

strong reputation for providing reliable, high-quality products with a long life span made Atlas Copco an attractive proposition.”There was also the question of reliability. “We have been using Atlas Copco compressors for over five years. There have been no major malfunctions and the utilization has reached as high as 98%,” says Mr Zhuangji.

General-purpose, off-the-shelf solutions do not always work, according to James Zhou, Business Line Manager at Atlas Copco (Shanghai) Trading. “Atlas Copco helps devise customized solutions. By determining the total operating cost over five years, we were able to carefully select the type of compressor that would meet our customer’s needs and minimize overall operational costs.”And Atlas Copco’s customer care is flexible and creative. To ensure the Qingdao Port expansion is completed on time and within budget, Atlas Copco is sharing its standard Aftermarket services provisioning with New Harbor Engineering. For day-to-day maintenance, Atlas Copco has helped to devise a series of maintenance procedures to remind operators of timely care, while monthly reviews of the plan are equally necessary to revise maintenance plans. Other maintenance initiatives include regular changes of the filter element and lubricant every 500 hours, and hourly collection of data from the compressor engine, such as temperature, pressure and rotation speed.

And Atlas Copco’s vision is being realized: “Atlas Copco has become a total-solution provider—much more than just a product supplier,” concludes Mr Zhou.

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xperience our business, our assets, our strengths

C o s M o s , t h e d e C i d i n g fa C t o r i n s e l e C t i n g at l a s C o P C o

Belgium-based Locasix, which has been associated with construction equipment for over 30 years, rents Atlas Copco equipment, generating an annual turnover of more than 5m euros. “We have always regarded Atlas Copco as a quality brand, a name in the industry to be reckoned with,” says Locasix Director Luc Six.

Locasix first came into contact with Atlas Copco around 20 years ago when it needed electric-powered gensets and compressors. “Unfortunately, we could not afford the Atlas Copco QAS units at the time, and turned to a British manufacturer; Wilson,” reports Mr Six. “However, with the rise of the British pound against the Belgian franc, Locasix had to review this situation. “This time, we decided to go for it and purchased our first Atlas Copco machine in 2001, and have bought another 63 machines since,” explains Mr Six.

Some 80% of Locasix clients are active in the construction industry. Its electric power generators are used mainly to drive rotating tower cranes, containers, pumps and cement mixers. Locasix recently delivered 10 Atlas Copco gensets for

use in bridge construction on the TGV Aken-Antwerp high-speed rail project. A few of Locasix’s clients are also into road transportation, where gensets are largely used to drive pumps. smart rentalLocasix is more than pleased with Atlas Copco’s creative offering. “Atlas Copco is the only company to offer a tool such as Cosmos, as part of its ‘intelligent rental’ package. In fact, Cosmos was the key reason for selecting Atlas Copco and why we have it installed on more than 15 of our generators.”

Cosmos, designed for global operation, provides excellent support coverage. It uses GPS to track and locate equipment in real-time, and supplies customers with accurate and up-to-date information. This allows Locasix to monitor its machines and even repair them remotely. Cosmos can also save the renter money in other ways. “In case of an equipment problem, the event-logging memory (which Cosmos can access) lets us compare what actually happened with what our customer reported. This saves us money, as well as possible disputes with our clients.” But there

is another more interesting benefit. “Cosmos can track and locate our equipment at all times—useful in recovering a stolen machine.”

Despite the competition copying its products, Atlas Copco— a pioneer in its field—has remained the best and the most comprehensive supplier of power generators, according to Mr Six. “We found in Atlas Copco a reliable and cooperative supplier, who has allowed us to set up a rental fleet and Aftermarket support that our clients and we ourselves appreciate. What’s more, Atlas Copco’s equipment offers great resale value. One reason we prefer renting, versus selling, our equipment,” concludes a content Luc Six.

Locasix, a Belgian rental company of construction equipment, was most impressed with the financial benefits delivered by Atlas Copco’s global remote management system.

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i n d o s at P u r C h a s e s 2 4 3 at l a s C o P C o g e n s e t s

Indosat, an important telecommunications operator and service supplier in Indonesia, recently took delivery of 243 Atlas Copco gensets—comprising QIX 540, QAX 20, QAX 30, QAS 60 and QAS 250—for a total value of EUR 2,660,000.

An Atlas Copco customer since 2005, Indosat has been expanding its network coverage in Indonesia for the last ten years. These gensets are being deployed as back-up power supplies for those Indosat’ cellular antennas situated in mainly remote regions where the electricity network is unreliable.

According to Uut Ananta, Portable Air Business Line Manager, Indosat’s decision to select Atlas Copco was baised mainly on its product quality, reliability and availability. Importantly, this sale was made in the face of tough competition from three established suppliers, some of which were already supplying Indosat. “More orders are expected in the future as Indosat continues to expand its cellular network,” says Ardas Irdus, AIP Sales Engineer.

Atlas Copco is proud of its sale to Indonesia’s prestigious telecoms company.

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backbone highlights & high points

d o i n g i t s b i t f o r f r at e r n i t y

DRON, a trusted Atlas Copco rental customer, provided the necessary gensets to power events at the Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 14th

The Bastille Day fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower and subsequent concert attended by over 600,000 people were made visible and audible thanks to the Atlas Copco power gensets delivered by DRON, a French renter of heavy-duty equipment.

Serving industry, building and civil engineering, local authorities, and events organization professionals for several decades, DRON offers clients a rental stock consisting of specialized equipment. For the Bastille Day events, DRON delivered a total power of 4500 kVA. Amongst others, a single QAS 325 and three

QAS 150s were responsible for generating some 3500 kVA for the concert sound system. A further two QAS 250s produced part of the1000 kVA needed to illuminate the pyrotechnic display.

special demandsThe equipment DRON rents is mostly deployed at public events or building sites in Paris and its surroundings. “This poses several unique and peculiar requirements,” says Bernard Viot, Product Responsible for gensets, Atlas Copco France. Machines deployed at public events, for example, need to be reliable, look good and operate silently (for obvious reasons). They should also be lightweight, easy to transport and maneuverable in restricted spaces. This is essential in built-up areas, where it is often impossible to block-off a street during loading and unloading. In addition, equipment needs to be easy to maintain and service and the delivery of parts very prompt. Equally important, equipment should be delivered as ordered, as well as on time and ready-to-run.“Atlas Copco has been most successful in meeting all of these requirements, and is the reason why DRON continues to use Atlas Copco and its machines,” says Bernard.

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Atlas Copco Chile scores a sale at this regional mining fair and devel-ops valuable sales leads

Exponor 2007, Chile’s premier trade fair for the mining industry, was a hit and Atlas Copco was part of it. Held every two years, this event hosted 455 companies from 16 countries. Attendance grew by 25% and organizers estimated that a total of US$ 180 million were made during the five days of the fair.

Atlas Copco’s stand itself attracted 25.000 visitors, an increase of 20% over 2005. Its stand display included the very first Rocket Boomer S1D, together with a Diamec U8 and a XRXS 566 compressor. Impressively, the stand team even managed to sell two SC 3001s to Geotec Boyles, a Chilean provider of mining drilling and water well services.

Exponor also provided an excellent setting for regional Atlas Copco executives, like CMT General Manager José Sánchez, to chat informally with clients over a barbeque. The attendance list included Sierra Miranda Mine, Proyecta and Gardicic, as well as Xtrata Cooper Lomas, SQM Nitratos and Codelco Chuquicamata.

And there were plenty of contacts with prospective clients as well. Thanks to a contest among its stand crew to make the most new contacts, Atlas Copco Chile now has close to 300 new sales leads—and the contest winner an Ipod.

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backbone highlights & high points

Atlas Copco launched at the start of 2006 a new Customer Center (CC) in Algeria, reporting to the Regional CC Great Maghreb West and Central Africa .

A new young Portable Air team was created during 2006 / 2007 now resulting in a tremendous growth for Portable Air.The ambition of the Portable Air team is to reach by the end of 2007 sales of 200 units for Algeria only, almost 4 times more than in 2005 and double in comparison with 2006.Today Algeria is a developing market with interesting growth in construction, infrastructure, pipeline projects etc.On the picture, you see the Portable Air team in front of 20 XAS 97 DDG-units which have just arrived for delivery to an important construction Company in Algeria .

a l g e r i a , n e w C u s t o M e r C e n t r e , n e w o P P o r t u n i t i e s , n e w P o r ta b l e a i r t e a M

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