Tandem Roller Market

Market Overview

Tandem rollers are a type of compacter used in the compaction of asphalt, concrete, or earthwork. It is also called a double drum roller as it has one roller in the front and the other one at the back, making it more efficient in compacting. Tandem rollers are known to flatten and pave entire sections quickly and efficiently. Its prime application is in asphalt compaction, where large and gradual surfaces are present.

Market Dynamics

Product Lifecycle

The global tandem roller market is beginning to reach maturity. However, manufacturers have brought in advanced tandem rollers in order to keep them relevant in the market.  

Parent Market Overview

The construction industry has witnessed its ups and downs in the past decade. Additionally, road construction, especially in the developing economies where urban to rural connectivity has become vital, is accelerated. The Middle East and Asia-Pacific have been witnessing a continuous rise in road construction projects. In fact, the Middle East region is beginning to shift its reliance on oil and is developing world-class infrastructure, mainly for travel and business hubs. Infrastructural projects with respect to the incoming FIFA World Cup 2022 are also creating positive conditions for market growth.

An increased industrial activity, along with rising automobile sales in India, has boosted road construction activities. With 100% FDI in the road sector, private players along with the government, have started Public-Private-Partnership models. Additionally, the government’s recently introduced Goods and Service Tax has been reduced from 28% to 18% for construction equipment, which is expected to boost the market.

The road construction scenario in the developed world, mainly in the U.S. and Western Europe, is beginning to embrace digital technologies in the construction industry. Builders and contractors have started using artificial intelligence, the digital twin’s concept, and cloud technology to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and maintain worker safety. The use of digital technologies has paved the way for better collaboration between parties but has also created the need for a skilled workforce that can efficiently operate the facilities using these tools.

Compaction machines still remain important in road construction projects. Streets, highways, airport runways, and other construction activities require compaction machines for compaction of base material under paved surfaces. With technology making headway into the market, compaction machines with intelligent compaction, sensors, displays, and telematics are making the compaction machines market grow.

Rental Machines Influencing Market Growth

Heavy investments and high initial costs have led several builders and contractors to resort to renting heavy equipment. With the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy, contractors are more likely to get rented heavy equipment with heavy tandem rollers, with more than 7 to 8 ton capacity amongst them.  Heavy equipment manufacturers are sure to find newer business models post COVID-19 as contractors will look to rent heavy equipment. This strategy will play a key role in the developing economies where customers will are unwilling to spend high initial costs post-pandemic. Companies who already have deals with the aftermarket service companies will be at an advantage.

Telematics Creating Digital Transformation

With the adoption of digital technology by the construction industry, heavy equipment users are beginning to upgrade their conventional equipment with construction equipment and telematics. Telematics allows users to monitor the location and performance of their equipment, mainly GPS location, engine hours idling, and fuel consumption. The use of telematics makes it easier to analyze the performance and take steps to address the problems faced.

Telematics also makes it easier to enforce contractual or legal obligations. They can also improve maintenance scheduling, decrease breakdowns, and reduce losses eventually. JCB India, in January 2019, displayed a wide range of its equipment embedded with intelligent compaction. This provides a relative compaction value, which helps in uniform and consistent compaction. This technology works, along with Livelink, a telematics technology. Livelink technology enables SMS alerts, operations, and securities, making efficient fleet management, reduction in the expenses, and better time management.

Manufacturers are also trying to focus on developing products with additional features suitable for particular terrains. One such feature is the Wirtgen Group HAMM’s hydrostatic drive that maximizes traction. This ensures even weight distribution, directional stability, resistance to tipping, and shock absorption.

Segmental Analysis

Municipal Sector to Be the Fastest-Growing Segment in the Tandem Roller Market

The municipal sector is expected to be the fastest-growing segment in the tandem roller market as the use of tandem rollers for the compaction of asphalt pavement is higher. Asia-Pacific leads the way in the municipal segment as China, India, and Vietnam have increased the construction of road pavements drastically. Tandem rollers are used extensively in the construction of urban streets, rural roads, highways, footpaths, and cycle paths.

For the forecast period, the share of roads in the global infrastructure investment is expected to be the highest compared to rail, port, and airport. The growing number of higher middle-class families will eventually mean higher spending power for them to buy automobiles. Governments will feel the need to boost the infrastructure, especially in the roads sector, boosting up sales of tandem rollers. Moreover, industrial, residential, and commercial sites require soil compaction where the use of tandem rollers is limited as compared to the municipal segment.

Recent Developments

• The Wirtgen Group has been heavily involved in the construction of a new airport in Istanbul. The first phase of the airport opened in April 2019, while the next three phases are expected to be opened by 2025.
• Mecalac Group, in April 2019, introduced a joystick driven tandem roller concept. The company claims that this will provide safer access and comfortable operation. The joystick has been placed in the place of the rollers steering column, making the seat more comfortable.
• In March 2020, BOMAG GmbH showcased its first fully autonomous tandem roller. The tandem roller uses GPS and LiDAR technology to obtain information on its position, situation, and movement. It also has Asphalt Manager, which enables automated intelligent compaction control, monitoring, and documentation.
• AMMAN Group on its 150^th anniversary in 2019, unveiled the Amman Compaction Expert (ACE). It uses LED lights to indicate compaction progress and also measures compaction.
• In the light tandem roller category, Dynapac introduced a small tandem roller that can perform better on driveways, patchwork, and parking lots. Even though it is small, the company has managed to install dual amplitude to it. Dynapac has also increased drum diameter to prevent asphalt from being shoveled in front of the drum and causing transversal cracks.
• Sakai introduced its fourth tandem roller with oscillation. The company claims that the new tandem roller manages to achieve good results for dense-grade hot-mix asphalt mixtures and stone matrix asphalt mixes used for highways, airports, and test tracks.