— Prashant Shah, Director,
Vardhman Stampings Pvt Ltd
Vardhman Stampings Pvt Ltd is amongst India's fastest growing
transformer lamination services provider company. VSPL is
regarded as India's pioneering company to use CNC machines for
transformer lamination, apart from introducing India to modern
step-lap technology.
Prashant Shah in an interaction with
Electrical Monitor tells us on his company's philosophy of being
technology-centric and highly quality conscious. Shah feels that use
of quality material and manufacturing processes can bring about
much needed efficiency in the country's power sector.
Vardhman Stampings, as we understand, is India's pioneer
transformer lamination company to use CNC machines. Tell us
about your company's philosophy of being an early adopter of
new technologies.
We always believe in latest and advanced technology. VSPL, a
successful part of its wide established group of companies
involved in various business activities since 1972, was
established in 1989 with the back up of promoter's reach
experience in manufacturing business almost for 17 years.
During the X Plan period (2002-07) India planned to add
41,110 mw of new power generation capacity, which was almost
double in comparison to the IX Plan. During the IX Plan most
transformer lamination manufacturers in India were
processing CRGO by manual shear machines, which was cruel
method of processing as CRGO is very sensitive material and
must be handled and processed gently. Even during those days
in first world countries it was processed by CNC lines.
The advantages of processing CRGO by CNC lines are: low
development of stresses; minimizing burr level; precision work;
step lap core cutting; low noise level of transformer; and low
cost of labour resulting in reduction in NLL (no-load losses) and
load current up to 15 per cent.
Looking at the above technical advantages and demand of
Indian power sector, VSPL decided to buy CNC line and installed
the same around 2003-04. After getting positive response from
industry, VSPL has started to install number of CNC lines and as
on date we have eight cut-to-length lines, three CNC slitting
lines with two lines still in pipeline. With these facilities, we
have the highest installed capacity in India to process CRGO on
CNC lines.
Today we have proud to say we were the first amongst
lamination industry who has spread awareness in market for
step-lap core and currently almost 75 per cent of our total
production comes in step-lap design. By this our customer
always remains competitive and with latest technology. All this
could be possible only due to the technological vision of our
Joint Managing Director, Mr. Deepak Shah.
Testing and quality control has also been VSPL's forte. Tell us
about your testing facilities and how you strive to ensure strict
compliance to quality control norms.
Quality of our products and production process is our primary
concern, which has been the driving force behind our rapid
growth. We conduct numerous quality checking procedures and
audits right from material acquisition to packing. We are on the
path of TQM almost since 10 years, where we plan the quality
improvement by regular analysis.
Training of our production and quality personnel by renowned
external agencies on regular intervals facilitates development
of skills and knowledge to meet the ever-growing demand of our
customers. Not only quality but we also emphasize on safety
also and therefore we had adopted OHSAS 18001: 2007. Today
VSPL is one and only company among all lamination processor
who is accredited with this certification.
It is our endeavor to create a
culture of Total Quality where
continuous improvement of our
people, our processes and our
products become a way of life. We
had done heavy investment in
setting up in house laboratory
equipped with latest equipment
from Germany to assure consistent
quality. Today we are proud to say
that we are enjoying fair share in
the customer list of the reputed
transformer manufacturers in India
and overseas.
We gather that VSPL was to install
three new CNC lines last year. What
is the current status?
Yes. Two CNC cut-to-length line and
one CNC slitting line were installed
as per target and they are now
running at full capacity.
Please explain in some detail the
role of an efficient lamination in a
transformer.
Processing of CRGO lamination at
an instant looks very casual and uncomplicated but it involves a
high degree precision engineering. At VSPL, we are fully
equipped with latest state-of-the-art CNC machineries to cut
transformer lamination from 5kVA to 765kV class with auto
stacking facility. CRGO is a sensitive material and requires
gentle or minimum handling during processing.
Hi-b grades are also beneficial but only when transformers
are designed at higher flux density. Moreover, step-lap design
in which we are the Indian pioneers also helps to reduce core
loss and current up to 15 per cent.
We understand that India is a dumping ground for substandard
CRGO steel. How does this affect the quality of transformers
produced in the country?
Today utility are demanding star-rated transformers to reduce
loses which requires Hi-b grades of CRGO. Source for prime
grade CRGO is either directly from
mill or through authorized channels.
As on date there is huge dumping of
secondary grade/used material
through traders, which gives
adverse impact on national quality
standard. Nowadays government
has already taken action to stop
importing such kind of secondary
grade material by imposing BIS
standard. So we hope after
implementation of BIS standard
there will be a full stop on import of
secondary grade CRGO in India.
What do you feel about India's
dependence on imported CRGO?
We do feel that foreign currency
should be saved and that India
should be liberated from the
dependency of overseas suppliers.
Indian government should force
steel giants of the country to
produce complete range of CRGO to
satisfy domestic demand.
In China, Europe and USA the
demand of CRGO gets satisfied with local manufacturers to the extent of 70 per cent. India is the
second fastest growing economy in the world and as a major
growing economy we should reduce dependency on import and
also exercise control over import of secondary grade material.
Being in the business of transformer lamination for over 20
years now, do you see the group manufacturing transformers or
offering any other transformer-related services?
At VSPL we believe our bottom line is customer satisfaction and
the faith the repose on us. We believe that our customer is a
stakeholder of our company. We strive to be their loyal supplier
not competitor.
We are dedicated to the transformer industry for last twenty
years. The transformer lamination industry is very wide and
there is still a big pool of requirement. Naturally, wide gap
between supply and demand in organized industry still exists.
We are continuously making our efforts to fill the gap by adding
our capacity every year. To deliver value-added services, we
also manufacture radiators, assembled cores and wound core
for power & distribution transformers.
How is VSPL gearing up to meet the demand from India's power
transmission infrastructure that is moving to the EHV and even
UHVAC class?
Keeping this in view, we have enhanced our capacity and
adopted latest technology to meet the future demand. We have
added new CNC machines of 1,000mm width with auto-stacking
facility and upgraded our existing CNC machines to meet the
ever-growing demand of quality conscious customers. We are
fulfilling regular requirement of Areva, BHEL, Bharat Bijlee,
CGL, GE Prolec, Siemens and many more. Our facilities are also
approved by NTPC and PGCIL.
Coming back to BEE's mandatory star labeling for distribution
transformers, do you think this move will promote the use of
prime (H1-b) material and edge out marginal players that use
inferior material?
Yes, the demand for used or secondary grade material among
transformer manufacturers has decreased, resulting in a
corresponding increase in demand for prime as well as HI-b
grade CRGO. To get maximum advantage of Hi-b grade material,
transformers should be designed at higher flux density and
lamination should be processed on CNC machines to retain the
magnetic property of CRGO.
We urge utilities to take initiative on revision of IS standards
that were made almost 2-3 decades ago. Today all CRGO
manufacturers have improved their product standards. We all
are aware that Government may miss the target of adding
62,347 mw, which is revised from 78,577 mw in the XI Plan due
to paucity of power generation equipment and coal supplies.
Coal deficit has widened from 4 million tonnes in 2004-05 to 40
million tonnes in 2010-11. We therefore believe that the
government should make it mandatory for all utilities to use
energy efficient transformers to bring down load and no-load
losses. Today most of transformer manufacturers are geared
up to produced energy efficient transformers.
Do you think of any further measure than 'Star rating' will help in
building energy efficient transformer?
Yes, currently the market is flooded with various lamination
suppliers who provide cheap material at the stake of quality.
There is no standard of quality, material traceability, material
storage, and cutting pattern. There is always chance of
receiving sub-standard material than committed. World renowned
companies like PGCIL and NTPC have very strict
norms for CRGO lamination processing. The CRGO lamination
companies who are approved from PGCIL and NTPC confirm the
usage of prime material and high standard of material
processing right from raw-material storage to CNC cutting and
quality material delivery.
As discussed earlier, government boards and utilities should
enforce transformer suppliers to purchase CRGO lamination
from these approved companies to ensure energy efficient and
quality transformers, which will be in true national interest.