Acritical component in the rotation and movement of the material is the gearbox. Reliability is crucial since the gearbox is a vital connection between a prime mover and the driven machine. Under stringent environment, the components' levels of vibration, noise, and temperature must be within limitations for the gearbox to function well for many years.
Given this, it has numerous different applications in process industries like steel, cement, sugar, chemical and rubber.
Industrial operations are once again seeing increasing buoyancy after a very difficult two years due to the epidemic, and as a natural consequence, core sector industries are growing. Hence, it’s a great opportunity for all Gearbox manufacturers to rotate the wheel of growth.
The Government of India has resumed capital expenditure for the development of infrastructure projects, such as high-speed trains like Vande Bharat (Train 18) and other locomotives, as a result of the adoption of the 'Make in India' programme.
Kirloskar Pneumatic Company Limited (KPCL), one of the principal Kirloskar Group firms, was founded in 1958. With more than 57 years of experience in the gear manufacturing industry, KPCL remains a prominent solution provider for issues relating to the field of power transmission.
One of KPCL's main pillars has always been innovation, which is supported by a pool of talented and qualified workforce. Today, the company has created a niche for itself when it comes to providing mechanical power transmission solutions. As such, it embodies all of the virtues that come with a rich 130-year tradition in manufacturing and industrial innovation.
State-of-the-Art Infrastructure in Place
KPCL has in-house design capabilities for high torque and high-speed critical applications. These capabilities include technical competencies in the field of industrial gearboxes for steel mills, cogeneration of power, gears for diesel & electrical locomotives, wind turbine gearboxes, and marine gearboxes.
KPCL has the highest production capacity for rail G&P and axle drives and offers exceptional gear teeth profile grinding quality. Owing to this, KPCL is now able to provide proven patented products for even mountain class locomotives. A load test bed setup up to 1 MW, 1000+ installation references, in-house design capability as per DIN/ISO/AGMA/API-613/ API-677, in-house capability to perform Damped & Undamped analysis, and customized solutions to suit customer specific critical applications.
KPCL has also delivered an in-house designed and built gearbox of 50 MW transmission capacity with specialized in-house developed journal bearings capable of speeds of up to 12000 rpm. And with precision heat treatment and DIN class 3 grinding, KPCL is the only manufacturer that can satisfy the needs for compressor block air ends to fit gears operating at up to 72000 rpm. In addition, KPCL has an in-house NABL accredited Lab for Mechanical & Chemical Material properties along with Spectro analysis.
Not limiting to aforementioned capabilities, KPCL is also backed by Scada controlled inhouse heat treatment facility with capacity upto 3 ton quenching, state-of-the-art gear grinding upto 2.5
mtr with accuracy upto Din class 3 for external and internal gears, full fledged mechanical run test setup, customized Test rig for application specific industry standards with capability to regenerate power for energy recycling, 5 axis CNC machines for precise machining of casing, 4 Mtr X 2.5 Mtr X 1.5 Mtr capacity coordinate measuring machine for precise product manufacturing, and also a shaft and casing vibration analyser with real time vibration data capturing during shop trials for gearboxes.
A Portfolio Of Innovation Driven Products
Keeping quality standards at its optimum, KPCL has been successfully offering unique range of products, which includes High Speed Gearboxes up to a capacity of 50 MW - Steam Turbine Driven Power Generation, Wind Turbine Gearboxes - Main Drive, Pitch and Yawing applications, Hydro Turbine Gearboxes, Pinion stand for Steel Industry, Conveyor duty Gearboxes, Steel Mill Distribution Gearboxes, Custom Built Gearboxes, Railway Traction Gears & Pinion.
The organization also has a competitive advantage in custom designing and specific manufacturing capabilities including high precision gear grinding machines.
Furthermore, KPCL is also known in the market for its 1000 KW Planetary gearbox suitable to take heavy torque upto 2500 Knm for sugar industry, 1500 KW Helical gearbox for heavy torque cement mill application, distribution mill gearbox for 4500 KW steel mill drive, complete ball mill packages for limestone, coal, wet ball mill applications, banbury mixer gearboxes for tyre industry, import substitution and replacement of foreign make gearboxes for critical applications, and mountain class loco transmissions working in extreme weather conditions. When it comes to Wind Turbine application, it has 2000+ Installations across India.
Moreover, the company has also been a significant contributor in Nation Building with supplies for transmission solutions to the Indian Army & Navy.
With this competency at hand, KPCL has been successfully catering to its clients across varied industries, including oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, food and beverage processing, steel, marine and fisheries, textiles, and automotive. For more than three decades, KPCL has been a major supplier of gears and pinion to the Indian Railways. It is the sole player with approval for all railway gear requirements. KPCL methods and expertise are reviewed and authorized by RDSO on a regular basis, wherein, the company guarantees trouble-free gear performance with a seven-year warranty which is the industry's longest.
A Client-centric Organization
“We believe in understanding our clients' demands and being far ahead of the curve. We interact and constantly improve our services to meet the most recent industry demand gaps. What began as the production of air compressors and pneumatic tools has now expanded into the production of air conditioning and refrigeration systems, marine HVACR, process gas systems, and mechanical power transmission solution for industry applications through custom built gears & gearboxes,’ says Neeraj Bhargava - Vice President (Air Compressor & Transmission Division), KPCL.
“We are indisputably the market leaders in Railway Traction Gears and Pinions. We also have a one-of-a-kind design for mountain class loco transmissions and shunting locos in industries such as steel, cement, power, coal, and mineral processing. In accordance with the Government of India's focus on renewable energy, we have the unique ability to supply the Gearbox for both Hydro Turbines and Wind Turbines. Niche player in critical capital equipment manufacturers like High-Speed gearboxes for steam turbine driven application which require stringent manufacturing & quality control. These are specialist markets that necessitate a higher level of engineering expertise in order to compete with global competitors,” he adds.
KPCL has consistently moved ahead of changing market dynamics by improving its people, process, and technology capabilities
Robust Roadmap Ahead
KPCL has consistently moved ahead of changing market dynamics by improving its people, process, and technology capabilities. Going forward, it aspires to establish a knowledge-driven organization that encourages creativity while providing clients with tailored techno-commercial financial solutions and striving for greater returns. It has done so by building a meritocratic work atmosphere with respect for individuals, supporting collaboration and collaborative efforts, and preserving the highest possible standards of ethics and integrity in corporate governance. Today, KPCL instills a sense of ownership and dedication in all team members while building an excellent corporate culture where the interests of the clients come first.
“Our key competency is the precision machining of high-accuracy gear profiles. While we will continue to dominate in traditional businesses such as railways, we will also concentrate on open gear components and bespoke gearboxes in the renewable energy, Cogen, Waste Heat recovery, electricity, and steel industries,” concludes Neeraj.
