BADVE’S SUCCESS JUST GROWS AND G-R-O-W-S

If there is one thing that PAL’s Indian counterpart SR Chandrashekar of Kamtress Automation Systems likes, it’s responding to a challenge.

Badve Engineering, part of the Badve Group of Industries, certainly set him and his team an interesting challenge recently when they wanted two transporters and two additional tanks added to their Tri-Nickel/Chrome plating line at Chakan, Pune near Mumbai.

"The line, installed in February 2003, was already 60 metres long by six metres wide," explains Mr Chandrashekar. "Now it is the largest-ever plating plant in India. It was a Herculean task, for we had to add the transporters and additional tanks to a machine that was running nearly all the time. Production was only stopped for three days. The Kamtress and Badve Engineering teams worked in perfect harmony to do a lot of off-line work, for Badve has an on-line commitment to Bajaj, makers of the renowned Pulsar motorbike, meaning they have to deliver components 24 hours a day and 365 days a year! Adding these additional facilities increases output of the machine by nearly 28%, increasing the number of complex silencer (muffler) systems for Bajaj motorbikes from 2,500 to 3,200.

It’s not only the Chakan-based line that had to be expanded. Badve is so busy, they had to ask Kamtress to add two plating tanks to their Tri-Nickel Chrome plating line installed in their Aurangabad plant back in 2001. These two additional tanks have increased output by 10% enabling many more silencers and exhaust pipes for a range of motorbikes, including Kawasaki, to be plated. The machine at Aurangabad was the first to be built partly by PAL in Hong Kong and partly by Kamtress in India. The good news doesn’t stop there, for Badve has just confirmed an order for a POP (plating on plastics) line. Once again, Kamtress will make this machine with input from PAL. It will be dedicated to work for the Korean giant, LG Electronics. "We’ve instigated a ‘Super Quick Concept to Commissioning Service?" explains SR Chandrashekar. "This machine will be delivered by mid August and the time from concept to commissioning will be a mere four months."

"We are delighted not only by the quality of work we produce on our PAL:Kamtress lines but by the service we receive from Kamtress, and, thanks to the success of our first two machines, had no qualms about placing the order for the new POP machine with them," explains Mr Shrikant Badve, Managing Director of Badve Engineering.

"They responded splendidly to our recent expansion challenges and we are delighted to have greater capacity on our existing two lines. Quality and productivity are vital to us and both machines have exceeded our expectations. As we take on an increasing amount of business in the automobile industry we know we can rely on PAL and Kamtress to work with us to ensure that we can rise to the challenges of the industry."

MEANWHILE, IN IRAN

PAL and Kamtress were delighted to gain their first order from the Middle East. This was from Hadid Ravan whose state-of-the-art factory is in Tehran in Iran. This enterprising company has been producing machinery and automobile spare parts since 1990 and is now the largest supplier to the two-wheeler industry in the country.

"Our expert human resources, our factory, which is equipped with the very latest technology and directed by a vigilant management system are all aimed at manufacturing high quality parts at the best price, delivered on time. The objective is always the same - customer satisfaction", explains Mr Jahan of Hadid Ravan.

Hadid Ravan’s large fully automated three-gate type transporter machine was installed in June and is designed to plate 6,600 motorcycle wheel rims with Nickel and Chrome every day.

"We pride ourselves on our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and on the quality of work we produce, so in searching for a supplier for our new plating line our path took us to PAL and their Indian agent Kamtress," explains Mr Jahan. "We were delighted by their knowledge of our industry and therefore of our requirements, and the input they made in the design of our machine. Now it is about to be installed and will soon be working well and providing our customers with wheel rims that have been plated to top specifications. We certainly made a wise choice in our supplier!"

More on Hadid Ravan at www.hadidravan.com