Trelleborg Opens Industrial Anti-vibration Systems Production Facility

Off -highway sector to be vital market area

Mr. Mikael Fryklund, President Trelleborg Industrial Solutions, lighting the lamp during the innauguration of the new facility. Standing back is Mr. Patrick Romberg, Senior Vice President,Corporate Communications, Trelleborg Group, on left is Mr. Denis Blanc, Business Unit President, Trelleborg Industrial Antivibration Systems, standing right is Mr. Aapo Nurmi, Director, Product Area, Electrical protection.

Swedish Seals producing entity recently opened its second facility in Bengaluru to manufacture industrial anti-vibration systems and molded components. The new facility covering an area of 2,800 square metres possesses complete end-to-end processing facilities for metal preparation, injection molding and post molding preparations backed by laboratory facilities for material and product testing. The new facility which would be a part of Trelleborg Engineered Systems business area, will initially employ around 40 people. The inauguration event for the new facility was attended by Trelleborg’s clients from off-highway, marine, energy, telecom and industrial markets along with local dignitaries as well as management and key personnel from Trelleborg involving, Mr. Mikaeal Fryklund, Patrik Romberg, Senior, VP, Corporate Communications, Trelleborg Group, Mr. Dennis Blank, Business Unit President, Trelleborg, Anti-vibration Systems, Mr. Aapo Nurmi, Director Product, Area Electrical Protection, Trelleborg Molded Components, Mr. Rajeev Gupta, Regional Sales Manager, Trelleborg Industrial Products India pvt ltd and Mr. Ranadip Basu, Plant Manager, Trelleborg, Industrial Products, Bangalore.

Delivering a key-note speech during the facility inauguration, Mr. Mikael Fryklund, said that, with high level of growth expected from Indian market, the new facility would place Trelleborg in the strongest position to provide world class engineering and service capabilities and support the growth of their major customers in this important region. Mentioning further during the event Mr. Ranadip Basu, stated that the new facility in Bengaluru would bring a significant increase in local support capabilities for their customer base in the country allowing easier access to our manufacturing expertise and vastly decreasing their reaction times to local product and services needs. Most importantly, it would allow cross fertilization of their R&D knowledge base to create the desired products for customers.

Solutions for Off- Highway

Anti-vibration products and solutions would be used to cater the growing requirements of off-highway, railway transportation, energy and telecommunications industry. Speaking to NBM&CW on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Rajeev Gupta said that off-highway sector in India catering to construction and mining applications would be one of their key market areas to promote their solutions. Buoyant demand was expected from the sector with growth in infrastructure. He informed that Trelleborg currently makes available anti-vibration solutions to off-highway equipment comprising excavators, compactors, backhoe loaders, haulers and motor graders. The anti-vibration solution comprises front and rear engine mounts, control links, chassis bumper pads, conical bearing reaction rods, mds mounts, anti-circulation mounts, engine and radiator mounts among others. The products are made available directly to the OEM’s by Trelleborg. The company does not have any plan to promote its products for the aftermarket.

Asked on the company’s plans to diversify across other verticals of off-highway equipment, Mr. Gupta explained that, they were contriving to tap the areas offering volumes business. Responding to a query that how does the company see the crushing and screening sector for its anti-vibration solutions, and how would the company be looking to make different solutions for the premium and non-premium crushers available in the market? Mr. Gupta answered, the crushing and screening sector was indeed a potential market for them where they had solutions to address the requirements for the same. However, they would not be making any qualitative distinction while making their solutions available to various crusher manufacturers. Anti -vibration solutions for crushers by Trelleborg comprises mounts and foot support systems for cone crushers and also other products.

Mr. Gupta further stated that given quality ingredients, their products come at a premium which results in increased working efficiency of the equipment with instances to be high as 80-100% along with increased life span reported to be 8-10 years in certain cases. On being asked that how the company would look to offer support to the end users of equipment in off-highway sector in India in order to have an extended life span of their plant and machinery considering the fact that equipment are subjected to rough usage at Indian job sites during their life cycle? He replied that in order to minimize the same, they render onsite support to monitor wear and tear analysis of their vibration systems and suggest remedial measures to arrest the same. Responding to the question that whether Trelleborg would be looking to cater the requirements of the growing replacement market, he said that they are yet to take a call on the same.

Trelleborg in India

Trelleborg and Trelleborg Vibracoustic, the joint venture in anti-vibration solutions for light and heavy vehicles have manufacturing facilities in Bengaluru, Noida and Chandigarh. The facilities develop, manufacture and supply hydraulic and pneumatic sealing systems for fluid power, automotive and aerospace among others. The company also has a centre of excellence for engineering and design focusing on marine industry in Ahmedabad thus apart from regional sales and support offices. The company employs roughly 1000 people and its sales amounted to $76 million in 2011.