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Black trap stone is unique to the region of Gujarat and National Stone Industries is one of the leading players in the area of mining and crushing and supply. For the first time National stone Industries from Gujarat has invested in % Volvo FM 420- Rock Body Tippers in this application.
NATIONAL STONE INDUSTRIES
Black trap stone is unique to the region of Gujarat and National Stone Industries is one of the leading players in the area of mining and crushing and supply. For the first time National Stone Industries from Gujarat has invested in 5 Volvo FM 420 – Rock Body Tippers in this application.
We were so happy to note that the Volvo Trucks were more productive, doing more in lesser number of trips.
Gujaratis are known to be business savvy and are driven to succeed. From small traders to mega business houses, Gujaratis are playing a major role in the Indian economy, thanks to their inherent entrepreneurial traits. The Gujarati is never deterred by matters such as place or weather. Shri Shamji Bhai Patel, lived in the marshy saline clay desert of Bhuj. He came from a farming community, but as an enterprising individual, he wanted to do something more, like running a business. In 1981, he set up the National Stone Industries. He leased out a stone quarry and started mining operations in Antroli, in Himmatnagar district about 80 km from Gandhinagar of Gujarat. The times were tough. Mechanization and technology were minimal. It was hard manual labor, but Shyamji Bhai had found his calling. Like every family business, he introduced his sons Shri Manilal Bhai Patel & Shri Jayanti Bhai Patel into the business. Together they established themselves as one of the leading companies in black trap stone mining.
Mr. Navneet Bhai Patel, Mr. Satish Bhai Patel, and Mr. Kamlesh Bhai Patel are three brothers, the third generation of the family. Elder brothers took over the reins of National Stone Industries in 2000.
It was the time when automation was introduced in many segments. The mining industry was not far behind. The thirdgeneration Patel brothers knew that automation was the way forward. They introduced automation in mining from the crusher plants, to its distribution.
Quarrying for black trap stone is a challenging task. Initially, the transportation of the stones to the crushers was handled by contractors. This was not a cost-effective solution as they had to deal with different contractors, with different rates for transportation of loads. The productivity and uptime were lacking and a lot
National Stone Industries had 5 efficient crusher plants, three plants of 300 tph, and two plants of 200 tph, but the supply to these crushing plants was erratic. The value trucks deployed to transport the stones were small and had to make more trips from the quarry to the crusher. These trucks added to the traffic in the mines and, safety was becoming another concern. The value trucks were lower in capacity, higher in fuel consumption, and still far away from the desired productivity.
Three years ago, Mr. Patel had met one of the Volvo Sales Team members. He even visited Bangalore for a factory visit and understand how the Volvo Trucks would help his business. But then, they were not ready to invest in premium tippers yet. Mr. Navneet Patel was dealing with a lot of operational issues with the smaller trucks in the fleet. Productivity was getting hampered and he went back to thinking about the Volvo Trucks he had seen a few years ago.
He got in touch with Mr. Anil Bhagtani. Area Sales Manager. He organized a demo truck on the site. They checked fuel efficiency and the number of trips and for a month. “We were so happy to note that the Volvo Trucks were more productive, doing more in lesser number of trips.” National Stone Industries finally invested in 5 units of FM 420 – Rock Body Tippers in January 2021.
“We operate for 20 hours a day and for a production of 10,000 tons. Value trucks used to transport approx. 25 tons per trip with 4.5 litres of fuel, Volvo trucks transport 35 tons per trip with the same fuel, which means what the small trucks use to transport in 3 trips is done by Volvo Trucks in almost 2 trips, also turn-around-time of Volvo trucks is better by 50%, overall increased productivity & fuel saving”. Mr. Navneet Patel is happy to deal with Volvo Trucks directly as there are no dealers involved. Whereas with Value Trucks, there was always a problem of tall promises and not meeting the commitment. With Volvo Trucks, the service technicians and driver training are available on call.
With the Volvo Trucks in the fleet, the mood is upbeat amongst all his team members. The Project team is happy that they can deliver the orders on time, the Operations team has lesser hassles on hand, in terms of breakdowns and maintenance. The drivers are the happiest lot with automatic transmission, air-conditioned cabins, and safe work conditions. The mines are less congested and overall safety is increased. Mr. Satish Patel, who is in charge of Operations and Site Management, uses the Dynafleet feature extensively. This has helped with the Preventive Maintenance and understanding the performance of each driver and tipper.
Mr. Navneet Patel, besides being an astute businessman, cares deeply about the society he operates in. The mines have employed over 400 people in the area. The third brother Mr. Kamlesh Bhai Patel is into organic farming and cold storage business. As part of the CSR activity, the Patel brothers run a Trust called Dada Dadi Ni Wadi, which feeds people twice a day. The cost of a meal is just INR 1. “We all are busy making money, but what are we doing for society? My request to every businessman and the industry is, that it is equally important to serve the people in need”.
The stone mining industry is still largely unorganized. But National Stone Industries is making a difference by putting systems and processes like RFID, cameras in the mines, and other innovative measures. They have set an example amongst their peers in the region by being the first company to use Volvo Tippers in quarrying operations. They also have other Volvo Equipment like Excavators, Breakers, and Loaders. With Volvo equipment, doing business is so much easier, says Mr. Navneet Patel. We at Volvo Trucks look forward to a more enriching association, post the pandemic with National Stone Industries.
We are the first in Gujarat to invest in Volvo Tippers for stone mining. People in the industry are still wary of huge investments. Our buying 5 Tippers should motivate the people in the industry to achieve more with peace of mind
