Ranvik Engineers opens plant for chassis frames

Here is one Pune company that is set to benefit in a big way when Tata Motors shifts production of its heavy trucks to Jamshedpur over the next two years and concentrates assembly of its LCV models in Pune. Ranvik Engineers projects that its turnover will quadruple from the present Rs 50 crore by 2010 solely on the strength of chassis frames for the 407 light truck family that it has already begun to supply to Tata after it was selected in a worldwide e-bidding process.

The company is now the sole strategic supplier of the entire range of 21 types of frames for the 407, and is in price discussions for supplying the 709 and 909 model series as well, partner Ranjit Jagtap told reporters on a visit to the new 53,000 sq ft facility at Bhosari. "We have assurance letters from Tata that we will see 35 percent growth over the three years of the contract,” he said.

According to company founder VM Jagtap, who is Ranjit's father, the entire E2 bay at Tata Motors' E block is in the process of being shifted to Ranvik. It is currently turning out 30 frames in one shift, but he said that this would be ramped up to 300 in two shifts as Tata progressively offloads this business.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

The pressed parts for the chassis are supplied from family concern Fairfield Pressings in Ranjangaon in painted condition. This will change when Ranvik opens its own sheet metal press shop at Pimpri in the next few months and invests next year in the latest cathodic electrodeposition technology, which will obviate the need for individual parts to be painted before assembly. According to Jagtap senior the company bought out some parts for the first three months. "What we did earlier was assembly; now we manufacture everything in-house," he said.

Ranvik has received an RFQ for chassis frames for Tata's Y1 LCV programme, intended to replace the 407 series in the long term. It is also planning to develop front, drive, and dead axles for this vehicle starting next year, Ranjit told Autocar Professional. The new press shop will have large presses of 800 and 1,000 tonnes and will also supply to automakers like Volkswagen and General Motors outside the Pune octroi limits.

SUPPLIES TO FIAT

Tata has bought sheet metal pressings for the Tata 207 from Ranvik for the last 12 years, and it is also the sole supplier of the floorpan for the Safari. Besides Tata, it also supplies wishbones and assemblies to Fiat India Automobiles in Ranjangaon for the Palio, and is developing "sheet metal aggregates and asemblies" for the Grande Punto, Jagtap said.

It is working on an RFQ for export of press parts to Same, and according to Ranjit has been identified by Sauer-Danfoss as a source for steering column assemblies that will be integrated with the latter's hydraulic steering units for John Deere tractors and JCB backhoe loaders.

ELIOT LOBO