Kennametal India
As we constantly innovate, ideas transform into solutions. Customer needs are dynamic, and we align our offerings accordingly. This has led to Kennametal being recognized as a dominant player in earth-cutting and construction tools.
Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan - Managing Director, Kennametal India
How is your company driving innovation and R&D to meet the evolving demands of the construction industry for faster project delivery?
With the ability to develop high performance tools that deliver productivity, reliability, and extended life in tough operating conditions, we help customers solve wear problems, avoid costly downtime, prevent failures, and aid them in achieving significant savings.
We offer a comprehensive range of foundation drilling, road rehabilitation, and wear protection solutions. Some innovations in the foundation drilling category such as conical tools, holders, flat cutters, customized core barrel rings, etc. are known for maximizing productivity and boosting overall performance.
In the road rehabilitation category, Kennametal’s NEXT-GEN Road King™ tool series provides superior milling machine performance. Its new design elements maximize tool life and make tooth changes easy and efficient for operators.
With projects becoming larger and more complex and with stricter timelines, what are your plans for business expansion— both vertically and horizontally?
Our expansion plans include leveraging Kennametal’s facilities across the globe, backed by the expertise of its people to introduce leading technologies. This synergy has enabled us to deploy cutting edge solutions in India. We continue to work on establishing long term relationships with several OEMs where our India team, in collaboration with Global Product Managers, partner with our customers to enhance their productivity. For example, through one of the conical tool variants DS01-59 for a diaphragm wall cutting application, we were able to demonstrate ~20% improvement in tool life for a customer.
How do you view the use of advanced tools like your NOVO™ and NOVOsphere™ in enhancing your product line and overall supply chain efficiency?
Technologies like NOVO™ empower commercial teams, solution engineers, end-users, and distributors by providing digital access to comprehensive product data and tooling knowledge, and streamlining connections across systems and processes throughout the entire manufacturing lifecycle.
Prior to digitalization, programmers had to manually search through catalogs to find the right tool, then tediously input tooling information into CAD/CAM software. This process often led to assumptions and incomplete data entry. With advanced solutions like NOVO™ and NOVOsphere™, however, programmers can quickly identify the optimal tool for the job and seamlessly integrate all relevant tooling data into the CAD/CAM environment. This digital integration not only enhances programming accuracy but also speeds up the process, boosting overall efficiency and productivity.
In a competitive market, what parameters would you recommend buyers evaluate when selecting products and finalizing a brand?
Since tools are at the front end of the operations, customers require high-quality, high-performance tools to ensure minimum downtime. They should select a supplier based on availability and technical support, and with competence to understand customer needs and offer value-based solutions accordingly. Buyers need to view tooling companies as long-term productivity partners and shift their association from transactional procurement to performance contracts.
What customer support and services does Kennametal offer its customers?
Kennametal extends robust after-sales services to our customers. Our team is equipped to advise them on the best solutions for their most challenging applications—from tool recommendations to feeds and speeds, and also cater to any customizations required to help them achieve their productivity and efficiency goals. Our teams offer on-site training as well as support to ensure customers understand how to position tools correctly and are aware of the best practices for using tools.
We are constantly expanding our footprint across India, leveraging our channel network and manufacturing footprint to ensure a “last mile connect” with our customers.
How does your participation at Bauma India 2024 reflect the theme of 'Innovation for Nation Building'? What products are on display at your stall in bauma CONEXPO INDIA'24?
With the Indian government’s emphasis on enhancing mining and construction activities to support the nation’s growth and propel self-reliance, there has been significant progress in the adoption of mechanization to bring speed and productivity in operations. Today, Mining and Construction equipment majors are looking for reliable tooling partners for value-based solutions where Kennametal is a market leader.
We are constantly innovating our portfolio to offer world-leading tungsten carbide tooling for a wide range of earth-cutting applications. Our exhibits at bauma CONEXPO INDIA represent our key portfolios. In the foundation drilling category, Kennametal’s premium shank series conical tools and concomitant holders for hydraulic rigs and wall cutters, as well as the KF Series quick change flat cutters, weld-on teeth and flat teeth with TC buttons, etc. are known for maximizing productivity and boosting overall performance.
In the road rehabilitation category, Kennametal’s recently launched the NEXT-GEN Road King™ tool series, as mentioned earlier, featuring new design improvements in the current generation of tool holders for optimum carbide tip usage, better rotation, and reduced axial play, which further improves holder protection as well as retention.
In the surface mining solutions category, Kennametal is known for its conical tools for surface miners that yield new levels of performance and productivity, as well as KenCastTM wear protection solutions that prevent wear damage to equipment. We invite our customers to visit our stall to witness these products and their capabilities.
