COMANSA's wholly-owned subsidiary in China is geared up to meet the increasing customer requirements in China and in overseas markets for more technically advanced products. PP Basistha reports on the company's manufacturing capabilities, following his visit to its plant in Hangzhou.
Eleazar Raya
The Comansa plant, located 175 km from Shanghai at Hangzhou, is of strategic importance, as it serves the company's China markets as well as the export markets of Asia, South America and Africa. Featuring state-of-the-art manufacturing systems, the plant will catalyze the company's plans to strengthen and consolidate its position as a manufacturing hub in the country.
In 2010, the plant produced its first flat-top tower cranes - the 21 CJ 400 and 21 CJ 550. The year was crucial, as it was also when the facility was expanded, and delivered its first tower crane to India. In 2015-2016, it delivered machines to South America and Africa, and the first 'selectric' luffing crane CML 190 to the Chinese domestic market.
Informed Eleazar Raya, Group Sales Director at Comansa, "The Hangzhou facility's strategic location has been instrumental in expanding our market reach within China and to markets abroad. Its proximity to Shanghai Port has facilitated faster export of our cranes to several important global markets. The plant is also close to the Shanghai Airport, so components like gears, drives and electrical items imported from Germany, are transported faster, which speeds up our delivery time to customers."
Comansa has upgraded its China manufacturing capabilities with state-of-the-art production systems, automated processes, and new technologies, as it aims to widen its range, enhance the quality of its products, and bring in high-tech machines. It has incorporated lean manufacturing processes to speed up production and reduce wastage and costs. Over 180 skilled technicians are employed in steel cutting, fabrication, assembly, painting, component fitment, testing, etc, while the designing of the cranes is done in Spain.
"We are realigning our group's strategy to make our products more customer-oriented. Our advanced manufacturing processes will help deliver products faster and with assured availability. The plant has comprehensive cutting and fabrication of steel, procured from local sources, which meet Comansa's high standards for welding, cleaning, sand shot blasting, anti-rust treatment, and painting, and there are two hoist testing facilities. Altogether, there are 25 stages of production for producing premium quality cranes with assured higher performance, reliability and availability," said Raya.
"Moving forward, we will be broadening our product range with more advanced and technically sound products and more stringent testing. We will also be increasing our sales and technical support team to meet customers' service and support requirements," added Raya.
