Global and China Mining Equipment and Machinery Industry Report
In spite of gloomy global economic situation, the mining equipment & machinery industry has shown relatively stable growth on account of the three as follows:
First, most of the metal ores have been mined for half a century or even longer, so the ore grade declines year by year. For example, the copper ore grade was 0.91% in 1985, but it falls to below 0.75% in 2012; it is expected to drop to 0.70% in 2015. The copper output can not be raised, and the copper price remains comparatively stable. Once the demand increases slightly, the copper price is likely to soar. To raise the output, the mines have to apply more sophisticated equipment; if the grade declines severely, they may replace all old equipments with new ones.
Second, in the mining equipment & machinery industry, the working conditions are harsh and the equipment has rather a short lifespan. For instance, a shearer's lifespan lasts five years, while the drum bitting of a roadheader only has the lifespan of 2-3 months.
Third, the follow-up maintenance costs and service costs of mining equipment & machinery are quite high. Take a shearer as an example, the maintenance costs in five years double the first purchase price. For international large-sized mining equipment manufacturers, over half of their revenue comes from after-market services.
It is better that the mining equipment is supplied by complete sets. If all of the equipment is provided by the same manufacturer, the subsequent maintenance costs can be reduced greatly.