The paints and coatings industry in India is growing rapidly and undergoing several changes driven by technological evolutions and changing market dynamics. For instance, there is a growing usage of epoxy and PU-based paints due to their effectiveness in preventing surface corrosion and easier manageability. Similarly, the task of work execution at height, including painting, is evolving significantly with safer methods like rope access replacing traditional techniques. As the industry continues to evolve, there are also many challenges such as price fluctuations of raw materials, safety and quality assurance considerations, technical knowledge of professionals, and timely project delivery.
Addressing these challenges expertly is Specialty Products and Services (SPS), a leading name in the industrial painting and work-at-height maintenance industry. Following a multidimensional approach focused on ensuring punctual project completion, comprehensive quality inspections, robust technical consulting, and leveraging the ingenious high-speed industrial rope access method, the company assures utmost client satisfaction.
Tech-First Solutions
Identifying as a technology-first company, SPS utilizes advanced access technologies which set it apart in the highly competitive painting and coatings industry. Leveraging technologies like IRATA rope access technology and custom-engineered motorized suspended platforms, the company is creating opportunities for safe and efficient work at heights and restricted spaces. These methods also allow swift completion of projects in addition to allowing multiple people and payloads to reach heights quickly, safely, and efficiently.
“Our solutions and services primarily work at height and difficult-to-access areas and include industrial painting, civil and structural inspection, repair, maintenance and cleaning, and waste energy conservation solutions. Our unique access technologies, in-house R&D edge, and an end-to-end basket of high-quality industrial maintenance services set us apart. These have helped us grow exponentially and acquire a premium customer base in a short period of time, in a crowded market filled by generic service providers who tend to compete primarily on price”, shares Som Sengupta, Director of New Business and Innovation.
Committed to innovating unique solutions, the firm also utilizes drones and industrial asset crawling rovers for condition monitoring and inspections including visual inspections, ultrasonic pulse velocity tests, and other non-destructive tests. These proprietary drones function exceptionally well among ferromagnetic interferences and industrial hazards thanks to their rugged built and unique fail-safe features. The drones also feature HD video, high-resolution imaging, and infrared thermography capabilities to conduct visual inspections of tough-to-reach places to asses condition and corrosion as well as perform ultrasonic thickness measurement of shell thickness.
The company is also responsible for having developed India’s first and only drone capable of executing ultrasonic testing readings at heights up to 100m and surface temperatures up to 200 degrees C. SPS has achieved another significant feat by being the first company to develop a robotic magnetic crawler that facilitates external ultrasonic circumferential thickness mea- surements of industrial pipes and tanks with pipe flange crossing capability.
“SPS has achieved remarkable technological advancements in the field of Drones and UAVs, enabling swift and adaptable positioning at any altitude and location.
These vehicles offer the advantage of maneuvering within confined spaces, eliminating the necessity for direct human intervention and mitigating associated risks. With an in-house R&D team, SPS prioritizes developing advanced solutions to enhance the speed, efficiency, and safety of asset inspections for clients”, further shares Som Sengupta.
However, the commitment to advancement is not restricted to techniques alone. The firm also focuses on materials, using graphene-based paint which is a nanotechnological additive known for enhanced surface protection. These selections are also guided by sustainable practices, ensuring that the firm follows standard procedures designed to reduce wastage and improve efficiency, uses paints and coating produced in line with MSDS requirements, and implements appropriate measures to minimize health risks, and contamination risks.
Specialized Services & Solutions
SPS’s comprehensive range of services encompasses specialized solutions including dry ice cleaning services that are customized for effective contaminant elimination from a diverse array of high-value industrial assets, waste heat recovery designing and implementation solutions that facilitate primary fuel savings and CO2 emissions reductions, and inspection services via varied access options to allow preventive maintenance. Ensuring superior outcomes, each of these services is meticulously designed and delivered by SPS for an enhanced customer experience.
In the dry ice cleaning services, for instance, SPS leverages solid carbon dioxide, which acts as a kinetic media, providing a non-toxic and non-flammable cleaning experience. This cost-effective manner also stands out for its capacity to not generate secondary waste, while expertly ridding surfaces of high-value assets like turbines, heat exchangers, motors, engine blocks, and more, of the toughest contaminants.
Within the realm of its waste heat recovery solutions, SPS collaborates with its German partner to offer path-breaking thermal energy storage (TES) solutions that enable capturing and storing high-grade heat derived from industrial processes. The waste heat is repurposed to offer a climate-neutral energy source that offers diverse applications.
“At SPS, we utilize high thermal capacity materials to engineer modular and scalable Green Energy solutions for long life, sustainable, and economical energy storage. These solutions are modular and scalable with storage capacities from 4 MWh and above, provide extremely high energy density of 1.2 MWh/m3, are sustainable, utilizing up to 85 percent recycled materials, and achieve amortization in less than 2-3 years”, further adds Som.
SPS’s repair and maintenance services using rope access methodology are another specialized area of work with the workforce seamlessly executing repair works and refurbishment projects at any height across a range of civil and structural maintenance jobs including shutdown-based assignments. Skilled at efficiently executing these projects, the firm prides itself in using creative methods that help minimize downtime, saving considerable operational costs for clients.
Identifying as a technology-first company, sps utilizes advanced access technologies which has set it apart in the highly competitive painting & coatings industry
Future Roadmap
Since its inception only seven years ago, SPS has grown exponentially presenting a revenue growth at CAGR 185 percent and its paint application vertical alone contributed 40 percent to it. The company, positioned as the largest industrial rope access company in India, has grown to over 1600 employees in this duration and executed over 3 million person-hours of work at height. With a pan India presence and a diverse client base spread across booming sectors including steel, petrochemicals, oil and gas, fertilizers, power, and cement, to name a few, the company has established itself as a dynamic industry player.
As SPS designs the path for its future endeavors, its focus remains on achieving a high growth rate. The company is on target to almost double its revenue in the current financial year and aims to keep growing at a similar rate over the coming years. To realize these goals, the company will continue to leverage its in-house R&D and tech-powered innovation capabilities. Moreover, the company aims to further expand its geographical footprint and capitalize on its other service verticals to increase its market share. Guided by a well-rounded vision for its future and an inclination to foster innovation, the firm is poised to achieve tremendous growth in the years to come.
