Skip to main content

Volvo excavators are DNA of India’s SVA

Indian extraction company SVA Blue Metals is producing millions of tonnes of aggregates/year, using a fleet of Volvo excavators SVA Blue Metals was founded three decades ago by the father of present owner R Ramakrishnan, who handed the business over to his son 15 years ago. The company runs a facility in Karanampettai village close to the bustling industrial city of Coimbatore, around 471km from Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, and has a license to extract from a portion of the site – with a view
March 28, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
Indian extraction company SVA Blue Metals is producing millions of tonnes of aggregates/year, using a fleet of 2394 Volvo excavators

SVA Blue Metals was founded three decades ago by the father of present owner R Ramakrishnan, who handed the business over to his son 15 years ago.

The company runs a facility in Karanampettai village close to the bustling industrial city of Coimbatore, around 471km from Chennai,  the capital of Tamil Nadu state, and has a license to extract from a portion of the site – with a view to expand capacity in the future, depending on market conditions and demand.

The company excavates large chunks of blue metal rock, also rather surprisingly known as jelly, which is a coarse particulate material used in the construction industry. This is among some of the most popular materials for extraction in the world and is indispensable to road building because of its predictable, uniformed properties and its value as a low-cost reinforcement material that binds well with cement to form concrete.

It has been used for several decades to manufacture concrete but is also used in road base, railway ballast and many other civil construction and commercial building materials. The by-product is also used as a substitute for sand.

“You will find our aggregate used in numerous construction applications,” said Ramakrishnan. “Because the ore extract is crushed and mixed with other materials it doesn’t keep its colour but it’s in high demand because of its versatility. It strengthens metals’ molecular structure for construction use.”

Assisting SVA Blue Metals in its operations are five Volvo machines including, two Volvo EC210 BLC, two EC210 B-Prime and one EC290 B-Prime excavators. They excavate the blue metal rock, which is then transported from the quarry and sent to major customers in India. The company bought its first Volvo excavator in 2007 and plans to extend its Volvo fleet. The machines work 12 hour shifts, 25 days/month for 10 months/year.

“The business grows by the day, so it makes sense to invest in Volvo machines in order to meet the ever-growing demand,” said Ramakrishnan. “The machines are extremely productive and fuel efficient, which is why we use this quality brand of equipment. I also believe that Volvo excavators have a longer life cycle than other brands of machinery, meaning less machine downtime and more value for money.”

The Volvo EC210B-Prime excavator has an 110kW low-emission, turbocharged diesel engine with water cooling, direct injection and after-cooler system, especially developed for excavator use. The machine is said to be suitable for any job site, contributing to good fuel economy, low sound level, less wear and a longer life. The automatic idling system also reduces the engine speed to idle when levers and pedals are not being used.

SVA is also said to be pleased with the service it gets from Volvo CE’s local dealer, Advanced Construction Technologies. The dealership has been running for 25 years and is a leading provider of construction solutions and equipment in India.
Ramakrishnan is the president of the Karanampettai Blue Metal Quarry Owners Association, which helps to promote the blue metal industry.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Chinese quarry increasing size of Caterpillar fleet
    December 10, 2013
    Chinese quarry producer Beijing Xindadi Equipment Company is looking to increase the size of its Caterpillar machine fleet as part of its plan to increase output The company is based at Beijing Miyun Taishi Village and currently produces 1-1.5 million tonnes/year of limestone, which is used for general construction in the Beijing area. Zhang Guofeng is equipment manager for the firm and said, “Business is good because the market is not affected by the downturn.”
  • Zaxis-5s up to tough test challenge
    April 11, 2013
    Since the new Hitachi Zaxis-5 range was launched at Intermat in April 2012, the ZX250LC-5, ZX290LC-5 and ZX350LC-5 medium excavators, and ZX670LCH-5 and ZX870LCH-5 large machines have been delivered to a wide range of customers for their first assignments all over Europe by Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) (HCME). One of the first machines put to work was a ZX250LC-5 working for Trafikk & Anlegg AS on the E18 road construction project between Sandefjord and Tønsberg in Norway. Andres Sœtre has 30 yea
  • TSL Contractors in the UK adds more Volvos to its fleet
    October 16, 2015
    In the Scottish highland Isle of Mull, TSL Contractors has made a significant purchase of Volvo Construction Equipment products only a year after buying its first Volvo excavator. The company, based in the town of Craignure, will use the machines for building roads as part of the business’s many hydroelectric contracts. New machinery includes 14tonne EC140D excavators, three 22tonne EC220E and one EC300 30tonne excavators, as well as two A25G articulated haulers. TSL managing director Andrew Knight sa
  • Volvo lines up its SDLG brand for greater global export sales
    June 8, 2015
    No sooner had senior managers told a roomful of journalists that corporate restructuring is on track, news followed that Volvo Group’s chief executive had been replaced Olof Persson fell from his perch following pressure from shareholders' dissatisfaction over the group’s weak financial performance in recent years. Volvo group plans to appoint Scania’s head Martin Lundstedt to the role staring in October. Until then, Volvo Group’s chief financial officer Jan Gurander will be standing in. Lundstedt and G