The Olympic motto “faster, higher, stronger” characterised last summer’s Games in Rio de Janeiro. It also aptly describes the development of BMA’s product business. With sales of well over 200 centrifugals in 2016, BMA has consolidated its top position as the world’s leading supplier of centrifugals to the sugar industry. We were able to strengthen products from BMA in our regular markets, as well as successfully establishing them in new markets.
01.07.2017
Faster, higher, stronger
Good things take time
According to a well-known saying, some things take time to mature. That is true for good wine or cheese, and also for many decisions. Over a period of two years, we discussed several scenarios with an Indonesian customer, involving various centrifugal models and different options from the vast BMA product range. In the end, our customer opted for a package comprising the E1390 (four machines) and K3300 models (eight machines), which were installed and commissioned last summer. That decision was taken at exactly the right time: BMA had just updated its control system, so the E-type centrifugals were fitted with the latest available automation system.
It is often said that quality speaks for itself. With that in mind, we simply exhibited a K3300 on our exhibition stand at the Fenasucro trade fair in Brazil – with an excellent result. Our customer Zilor decided to install the machine in his Barra Grande factory, initially just to test it. After the trade fair, he commissioned the centrifugal shortly before the end of the campaign, and used it throughout the following campaign as well. As the machine fully met Zilor’s expectations, they actually decided to keep it!
Optimism abounds
Despite the political and economic challenges currently facing Brazil, the mood in the country’s sugar industry has generally been optimistic since summer 2016. BMA Brazil has been feeling it too. The number of enquiries have rocketed and, in the last quarter of 2016 alone, our customers ordered another four centrifugals for the 2017 campaign. It’s the overall package that appeals to customers: BMA technology, local workshops, local after-sales service and attractive financing offers.
Colombia is another market in South America where our continuous and batch centrifugals have made an impact. At the start of this year, we commissioned the first K3300 there, fitted with our state-of- the-art PLC-based control system (see BMA Info 54 “Development of centrifugal range continues”).
The customer chose the Allen-Bradley variant of the system from our range of options. And the largest factory in Colombia decided to have its new centrifugal station fitted with E1810-type batch centrifugals from B
The Chinese sugar industry is currently experiencing a restructuring and consolidation stage. High production costs and low-cost imports are presenting a challenge to the factories, as are tasks such as investing in enhancing efficiency. The Chinese government’s goals as laid down in the current five-year plan also include improving quality, profitability and security in the sugar industry.
BMA is helping the country meet these goals, with centrifugals made in Germany and models assembled locally in China. The trusted BMA design and core components are supplied by BMA in Germany. And the machines are completed in the BMA China workshops using local parts; following delivery, they are professionally commissioned by service technicians from our subsidiary. One Chinese customer ordered ten continuous centrifugals for a large-scale project. BMA China managed to fully meet his expectations while keeping to the tight schedule. The centrifugals were delivered and commissioned last autumn.
Our established markets: the success continues
We are also delighted to have further expanded the excellent partnership with – mostly long-term – customers in our established markets. Here are a few examples:
- In Germany, both Südzucker and Nordzucker continue to rely on centrifugals from BMA.
- A sign of confidence: over 10 % of orders comprise more than five centrifugals
- In 2015, the first two factories of the Wilmar Group in Australia opted for centrifugals from BMA; in 2016, another two followed their example.
