Electropneumatics: ‘Forming’ The Right Future

With over 40 years of experience in designing, manufacturing & servicing machines and systems, Electropneumatics today has turned into a one- stop-shop for the metal forming industry. From single press or a turnkey system, Electropneumatics offers complete solution right from the concept to the overall planning and successful execution. Let’s find out more manufacturing plant in Chakan Pune.

Driving for about 30 kms from Pune as we reached Electropneumatics’s facility at Chakan, we were greeted by chirping birds in a lush green garden,  a sparkling fountain and a small pond.  Obviously maintaining the environment while manufacturing some of the most sought after metal forming technologies. Spread across 15 acres and built-up area of 15,000 sqm, the manufacturing plant also houses the head office.

A History of Success
Established in 1972 by Antony Rasquinha, Chairman & Managing Director, along with a team of five people, the company has come a long way.  The company started with a desire to innovate and develop new products and technologies that would benefit the Indian industry.

While giving me a tour of the facility, S K Saha, General Manager – Marketing, Electropneumatics & Hydraulics (I) Pvt. Ltd said, “The company started with manufacturing pneumatic valves, indigenously designed and developed as import substitutes. Today, the company provides customised machines and solutions for different forming applications such as deep drawing, trimming, hot moulding, powder compacting, honing, cold extrusion, hydroforming, tube/section bending and end forming, PLC/CNC systems, AC servo drives etc.”

We were also lucky to get a glimpse of the company’s history and milestones achieved with the help of some pictures. Later, Saha went on to give provide me a more detailed picture of the company’s activities.

From The Shop Floor 
The company is classified into three divisions – Machine manufacturing division, Component manufacturing division and Fluid power division that manufactures a wide range of products.

We started our tour from machine manufacturing division.

During the machine shop tour, Saha proudly said, “There are currently more than 5000 installations by us worldwide which itself talks about our strong commitment to building reliable quality products.”

We passed by workers who were engaged in assembling of the final products. The Machine Manufacturing Division offers products for different requirements of forming. Be it single press, an automated press line or a complete turnkey system, the company has the capability and the know-how to provide the same according to the need of its customers. Having built more than 5000 machines for deep drawing, trimming, hemming, coining, cold extrusion, moulding, plastics/composite forming, tool tryout, honing, powder compacting, tube bending, end forming and other such processes, the company’s experience in forming applications is diverse and all-encompassing. They are available in tonnages up to 15,000 tons and in bed sizes as per requirement.

A walk through the machine shop of Electropneumatics can also show one how space can be utilised in order to enhance efficiency.

Talking about the technologies available in machine shop Saha said, “We have a state-of -the-art machine shop consisting of CNC 5-axes machining centres, CNC floor borers, CNC turning centres, etc. of the world’s best makes. Our Motion Control Division facilities are the most modern to manufacture AC servo systems. Besides, we have well equipped material/component testing laboratory with modern instruments.  In general, we have procedures and control checks at different stages to ensure that our product is being built to the desired standards and specifications.”

Going further, we got a chance to know more about the component division that was established in 2002. The division offers innovative and cost-effective alternatives such as tube and sheet hydroforming, specialised pressing, tube bending and end forming, etc. to conventional forming, thereby providing customers the advantage of superior product performance-to-cost.

Saha said, “Almost all the Indian and various global automobile major (two-wheeler and four-wheeler) use our components. It includes Bajaj, Mahindra, TATA, GM, Volkswagen, Ford, Cosma, Bentler, Piaggio, Behr, etc. from automotives and Godrej, Renishaw and GEA Ecoflex among others.

Our next stop was the Fluid Power Division, the oldest division of the company. This division is engaged in manufacturing of hydraulic cylinders and power packs, pneumatic valves and cylinders for the last 40 years. Application segment includes plastic, textile, packaging, machine tool, automotive, general engineering industries and automation systems.

Quality check is one of the key processes in any manufacturing process, the same stands for Electropneumatics

Also Check: Visit to Electropneumatic & Hydraulics Shop Floor at Pune

Quality Control
Electropneumatics has a proper quality control system in place that is equipped with skilled manpower and sophisticated technologies. “We not only aim at the final product but work to build quality. From the time we receive an order to the various stages of production till the end result. Quality is built into our system and the final product is the result of our system. This is a continuous process which all of us, right from the top management work on diligently,” added Saha.

The company is ISO 9001:2008 certified, while the component manufacturing division is ISO/TS 16949:2009 certified. “More than a certificate against our name, we believe that our product and our service must speak of quality through our customer’s opinion and feedback, which we take seriously,” said Saha.

R&D Effort
Electropneumatics’s R&D unit has been recognised by the Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India for its continuous effort towards innovation and new developments. Research & development is an integral part of the company and it invests heavily for new developments and continuous up-gradation. More than 50 qualified engineers were working at the Design office on various products and it was my turn to take a look at the futuristic solutions being developed here.

The company started with developing the 1st import-substitute pneumatic valve and since then the focus of the company has always been to indigenously develop new technologies, especially related to the field of metal forming.  This is evident from the numerous technologies that have been developed single-handedly by Electropneumatics such as PLC/CNC control systems, AC servo drives, CNC tube benders, hydroforming technology, servo presses and industrial robots way back in mid 1980’s when import duties were very high.

“The advantage we offer to our customers is affordability of world-class technology which otherwise would have to be imported at notably higher prices. Our aim is to identify what our customers need in terms of part quality and complexity, productivity, reliability, etc., and to come up with ‘Intelligent Solutions’ for them,” said Saha.

Key Manufacturing Practises
After taking a tour of the sophisticated shop floor we went on to discuss more about the factors that led to the success of the company. According to Saha, their core strength lied in the fact that they are 100% indigenous in areas of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical & electronic design and manufacturing. This gives them an edge over their competitors and enables them to produce the latest of products without depending on others. Apart from this their capability of providing total solutions and executing huge turnkey projects for their customers and continuous efforts and investments in new product/technology development by foreseeing customer needs, irrespective of market condition has helped them stand apart.

With 650 employees and sales and service centers at Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Uttaranchal, Hyderabad, Nasik and Trichy to attend the local customers demand and a wide product range for industries like automotive, auto components, railways, defence, ship building, aerospace, power transmission, boiler etc, the company has a great future ahead.

Today, the users are looking for machines which are highly productive, energy-efficient, accurate and at the same time cost-effective. “The machines must incorporate the latest forming technologies and must often be tooled-up. In other words, the demand will grow for total solutions. Additionally, in our field, after-sales service plays a significant role of becoming an extension of our customer’s maintenance and production departments to help them run the machine effectively with minimum breakdowns,” said Saha.

Leading With a Visiosn
Electropneumatics has been working on newer technologies and products to provide its customers with ‘Intelligent Solutions’ that are environment friendly and suits customer’s requirement.

“Over the years, we have always tried to stay ahead in terms of technology. That is how we have developed many first-of-its-kind technology in India as import substitutes. We have kept pace with the developments in our field around the world and have always made sure that we can provide them to our customers at better price. The only hurdle that we often face is changing the mindset and convincing our Indian users as against a foreign supplier. It is always the question of the chicken and the egg, which comes first,” explained Saha.

As I wrapped up, I realised how the right vision, excellent manufacturing practises and customer centric approach can make an Indian company at par with the global technology providers. But having said that, the mentality has to be changed and people should understand that Indian companies can also provide high end technologies. According to Saha, Electropneumatics products are the answer to all those who feel Indian products still lag behing on the technology front.

nishant@mfgtechupdate.com