—Feature Story 14 of the 20th Anniversary of LiuGong’s Globalization

Indonesia is located near the equator, and has abundant rainfall and forestry resources that provide sufficient raw materials for the development of timber and the industry’s industrial chain. With the channel advantages of local dealers, LiuGong Indonesia has made great progress in growing its forestry customer base.

In an “isolated” forest area where signal is almost lost, several LiuGong 915 FM excavators are busy in logging operations. This has been the case since the beginning of June this year. To arrive here, you have to travel in an off-road vehicle up a bumpy mountain road for more than 2 hours, then switch over to a speedboat that will take you through an Amazon-like rainforest waterway for over 30 kilometers.

The customer is one of the top-five forestry contractors in Sumatra, with a current fleet of over 400 units of construction machinery and equipment. He first purchased a LiuGong 908 excavator in July last year for sugarcane field operations. However, the first batch of equipment appeared to be “unsuitable”. LiuGong Indonesia immediately sent technical personnel to the site to conduct research and make adaptations to the equipment. The improved equipment worked perfectly for the working conditions, and the customer followed up with the purchase of bulldozers, excavators, and other equipment for palm and other forestry projects. He now has almost the entire line of LiuGong equipment, including nearly 20 LiuGong 915E FM excavators dedicated to forestry operations.

The 915E FM is a professional forestry excavator specially developed for logging, collecting and transporting wood under harsh working conditions such as forests and wetlands, etc. It is equipped with a Cummins engine and highly coordinated hydraulic system to realize sufficient output and smooth movement. To be reliable and durable in tough environments, it adopts reinforced configurations like enhanced grab, biliteral idler support and full track guards. In addition, 915E FM uses special protection for forestry and 960-mm-wide single-grouser track. The minimum ground clearance is up to 600mm to ensure higher safety and low grounding pressure for convenient travelling in the forest.

“Our main business is the cutting of Acacia crassicarpa to produce the pulp needed to make paper. The annual target production is 400,000–450,000 tons,” remarked Suratno, the head of the forest area. “I have been operating construction machinery and equipment since 1998, and have used many other equipment brands before that. Here, the 915E FM excavator operates almost 24 hours a day. Compared with other equipment brands that I have operated, LiuGong equipment is flexible, has fast rotation speed, and strong grip. “At present, the customer is still negotiating with LiuGong for the purchase of more equipment to meet their business development needs.

Coincidentally, another key customer is also located in Sumatra, who is mainly engaged in the equipment rental business, involving industries such as agriculture and forestry. He has previously purchased Japanese and American products. LiuGong Indonesia has been in contact with the customer since the second half of 2021 and sold him the 906E excavator in July last year, and has maintained a good relationship with the customer since then. In early 2022, the customer purchased dozens of rollers and motor graders at once for the grading of palm plantations. In July, they purchased the 915E FM mainly for cutting palm trees. At first, the 915E FM also appeared “unsuitable” for on-site operations, but after LiuGong Indonesia’s timely follow-up and improvement, within 2 weeks the equipment returned to normal performance. The customer was very satisfied to see that the efficiency has been greatly improved. As of September, he has purchased more than 100 units of LiuGong equipment, which are all operating well.

LiuGong Indonesia always listens to customer voices and provides customized products for various working conditions. LiuGong has once again demonstrated that it is a manufacturer of the full range of construction machinery and equipment, and is committed to providing customers with comprehensive solutions.