Rane Brake's Trichy plant becomes operational

Rane Group's brake friction manufacturer, Rane Brake Linings, today said it had inaugurated its new plant at Trichy to manufacture disc brake pads. The new plant, a 100-per cent asbestos-free facility, will help the company increase its total cpacity by 160 per cent and will make 10 million units annually in technology collaboration with Tokyo-headquarterd Nisshinbo Industries Inc. 

RBL makes brake and clutch friction products including brake linings, disc brake pads, clutch facings, railway brake blocks - are highly safety critical items for automobiles and Indian Railways and the automotive sector. Ther company is a major supplier of friction material products to the major vehicle OEMs through their Tier 1 brake and clutch assembly manufacturers in India and exports to SAARC, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

P S Rao, president, RBL, cited two major reasons for the expansion, "The first is to invest in latest manufacturing technology in close co-operation with our collaborator M/s. Nisshinbo Industries Inc., Japan in order to provide high quality products meeting emerging customer requirements. The second is to increase capacity ahead of market requirements in order to meet our customers' growing demand" he said. "This facility will remain testimony to our relentless drive to improve all aspects of our operations and to maintain our status as one of the best suppliers in the industry," he stressed.

"This facility will remain testimony to our relentless drive to improve all aspects of our operations and to maintain our status as one of the best suppliers in the industry," stressed P S Rao, president, Rane Brakes.

Rao said there were two reasons for the Tichy investment -  invest in the latest manufacturing technology in close co-operation with Nisshinbo to provide high quality products meeting emerging customer requirements and,  to increase capacity ahead of market requirements in order to meet our customers' growing demand. 

According to Bheemsingh Melchisedec, plant head of the Trichy Plant, the new facility was built with extensive interaction and participation of Nisshinbo executives, with  some of the critical equipments have been imported from Japan to match manufacturing processes between Rane Brakes and Nisshinbo.

"We also improved the overall layout of the various functional areas of the factory to ensure a more efficient flow of materials, from receiving and storage to assembly, packaging and finally shipment, said Melchisedec. "The facility emphasizes on poka yoke (mistake proofing) in all manufacturing processes to ensure defect free products to our customer " he added.

RBL produces highj quality brake friction products for use in the automotive, industrial and railway sectors. It also makes clutch friction products including clutch facings and sintered ceramic clutch buttons for the export and domestic markets.

"Manufacturing excellence and benchmarking of quality will continue to contribute strongly to our business growth as a group," said L Ganesh, chairman, Rane Group. "By expanding our capacities and capabilities, our constant endeavour is to continually improve the supply chain and better serve customers locally as well as globally. The new RBL plant in Trichy will be the most modern asbestos-free disc pad plant in India."

The $2687-million sales Nisshinbo has varied business interests in the textiles, automotive brakes and friction materials, chemical products, paper and machine tools. Its brakes division, which includes automotive brakes and friction material products, generates revenue of $537 and contributed 20 per cent to the overall sales of the company.