JCB Power Products has moved into a new phase of its development with the acquisition of Broadcrown, a major UK manufacturer of diesel generators.
Located just 20 miles from JCB’s world headquarters in Stafford, it was not just geography, however, that attracted the equipment giant to the potential of the business.
Until the recent development the focus of JCB Power Products has been on smaller generators – traditionally below 200 KVA and powered by the manufacturer’s own range of diesel engines.
By contrast, Broadcrown had specialised on larger generators, specifically in the projects market, which presents obvious opportunities for the company with the iconic black and yellow livery to move into markets hitherto unexploited.
Bringing both complementary product ranges together, under the JCB umbrella clearly then has a compelling business logic, and, by utlisting Broadcrown’s existing specialist dealer network, will clearly have the effect of significantly expanding the Staffordshire-based manufacturer’s penetration into the power generation market, but what can contractors and plant hirers expect in terms of an end user experience?
JCB Power Products already has a network of 150 dealers, but this has now grown to over 200 with the existing Broadcrown partners.
In more good news for customers the former can now offer a core product range of more than 200 generators from 8kVA through to 3,300 kVA, and around 35% of that entire portfolio will be sold with JCB’s fuel efficient engines, whilst larger generators will utilise MTU, Cummins, Mitsubishi Volvo and Perkins units.
There is no doubt that the power generation sector is growing and valuable, with the high volume segment sitting at the 20 – 250kVA range, accounting for 70 per cent of the entire market.
JCB already has significant presence in this sector, including the introduction of the 10 models in the QS series, ranging from 20 – 200kVA, and new developments in the product portfolio this year sees the specific targeting of the rental market.
Firstly, the QS range is being expanded to include many features that will appeal to hirers, such as Stage IIIA engines, socket boxes, single lift points, fork pockets and three-way fuel valves.
Secondly, the new fuel efficient intelli-hybrid units, and B40 battery box, can also come equipped with many of the rental options if required.
RS Generators
Most importantly, however, 2016 will see the unveiling of a brand new and dedicated high performance range of generators for the rental sector.
These new RS generators, manufactured by the new JCB Broadcrown business, will have power outputs ranging from 20 – 2,000kVA.
A robust galvanised and powder coated steel canopy ensures durability on site, and protects the high quality components inside, which include MeccAlte AC alternators, controllers from Deep Sea Electronics, and switch gear from Schnieder.
The smaller generators in the 25 – 45kVA bracket are powered by JCB Diesel by Kohler engines, and the mid-range, of 60 – 120kVA, and the 150 – 200kVA range are equipped with JCB Dieselmax engines.
At the larger end of the spectrum, the 400 – 500kVA are Volvo powered, whilst the 800 – 2,000 kVA benefit from Cummins power. Where appropriate, all of the generators will be fitted with Stage IIIA engines and all models are supplied with bunded fuel tanks that deliver a minimum of 12 hours of continuous operation.
A three-way fuel valve is standard, as is three stage fuel filtration, to protect the system from contaminated diesel. Oil sump pumps are also standard and all models feature earth leakage protection, and various configurations of socket boxes.
In the rental sector ease of transport from site to site is a crucial consideration. That’s why each of the RS models has been fitted with a single lift point for cranes, and fork pockets below the chassis.
All units benefit from a two year, 4,000 hour JCB warranty, whilst end users can call upon the expertise and support of that extensive dealer network at every stage.
LiveLink Telematics System
Furthermore, the new RS range will be fitted with JCB LiveLink – the software system that lets you monitor and manage your machines remotely – as standard.
That means hirers can access a host of vital data, including machine alerts and fuel reports, either online or by email.
In fact, all generators from JCB Power Products from 65 – 600kVA will now feature the company’s telematics solution as standard.
The developers of LiveLink argue that the system will improve performance and reduce cost of ownership in real terms.
Features that customers can enjoy as a result include starter battery monitoring, to ensure the machine always starts, notification of fuel levels, working hours, and the time to the next service.
Notification alerts for concerns such as high coolant temperature and water in fuel can be issued, as well as rapid fuel discharge, which could indicate diesel theft.
Further security features include location tracking and geo-fencing capabilities, whilst movement alerts can be sent through the telematics system in the event of theft.
In addition, of particular importance to a hire company will be notification that a unit is operating outside of preset hours, providing fleet managers with a powerful billing tool.
A perennial problem for fleet managers is the activation of the emergency stop, with service engineers making unnecessary call-outs to fix what is actually a perfectly serviceable machine.
With LiveLink the ability to remotely monitor the status of the emergency stop eliminates this problem.
As well as that, it is widely acknowledged that generators are frequently oversized for the application. No contractors would use a 50 tonne excavator when a 20 tonne machine would do the job, so why do it with generators?
By measuring machine output and load per phase customers will be able to optimise the size of generator for an application, reducing light loading, fuel consumption, and operating costs into the bargain.
A hirer’s future purchasing decisions can then be made on the real requirements of their customers.
For more information visit www.jcb.co.uk
