Lumax Cornaglia has added to its manufacturing footprint by commissioning a new plant for emission-compliant products with an eye on the future, writes Prajakta Chavan.
Lumax Cornaglia Auto Technologies Pvt. Ltd. commissioned a state-of-the-art facility with a 2.5 lakh sq. ft expanse in the Khed district, Pune. Vikas Marwah, Chief Executive Officer, Lumax Auto Technologies. Ltd. (LATL) asserted that the company is in a position to offer market-ready emissions compliance solutions to Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). “This new facility, perhaps, is the only Indian company establishment to have plastic moulding technologies in-house all under one roof – Injection, 2D Blow, 3D Blow and rotational moulding. We have become a one-stop solution for complete vehicle-level emission product requirements of any auto OEM,” he informed.
Vikas Marwah, CEO, Lumax Auto Technologies Ltd
Following the successful 16-year partnership, Lumax Cornaglia Auto Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a Joint Venture (JV) Company between LATL and Cornaglia s.p.a., Italy, the company has expanded its operations with the new manufacturing facility at Chakan, Pune through which the company offers a range of emission compliance supplies like air-fuel tanks, for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
One-stop shop
Equipped with a dedicated 7,000 sq. ft. in-house Research & Development (R&D) laboratory. The new manufacturing plant is claimed to be a one-stop solution for the complete vehicle-level emission products requirement of any auto OEM, in India and beyond. The auto component manufacturer has made an initial investment of over Rs. 30 crore. With a workforce of over 200 employees, including 30 highly skilled and experienced engineers, this facility will serve the emission products requirements of the Indian Auto industry., said CV portfolio commercialisation.
Pier Antonio Cornaglia, Group Sales & Marketing Director, Cornaglia Group
Lumax Corgnalia Auto Technologies has also gone to the market with its CV range. The company has developed plastic fuel tanks for Light Commercial Vehicle (LCVs) which can be combined with urea tanks, as per the new emissions rule. Today, the company is offering all three combinations to the market a fuel tank, with a urea tank (separately); or a fuel tank comprising a urea tank or adjacent to it. “With the commissioning of this plant, we would be able to offer better and varying customised solutions to the OEMs,” Marwah opined.
The new facility is equipped with modern precision European machines for best-in-class, high-quality production for a diverse product range of air filtration systems, snorkels, various blow moulded products like AdBlue Tanks (Urea Tanks), degassing tanks (expansion or coolant tanks). A unique and niche technology of 3D blow moulding products like hoses and ducts will also be manufactured here. All the products comply with the new regulations laid by the Government of India like the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) and Real Driving Emissions (RDE) norms.
Capacity utilisation
Lumax Cornaglia Auto Technologies will enhance its current production capacity by almost 40 per cent, in a phase-wise expansion roadmap. “So the future is quite exciting. We will cater to the West-based OEMs here in terms of their product requirement. We have another plant at Pantnagar up north, so Lumax Cornaglia has a footprint of two plants today, and depending on the business opportunity towards north and south that can be explored further,” Marwah explained.
The JV company has also entered the roto-moulding segment for manufacturing plastic fuel tanks, fenders, roofs, and mudguards along with design and development facilities. An earlier manufacturing facility at Chakan with a smaller expanse of 32,000 sq. ft. in comparison compelled the company to relocate and upgrade to optimise production capacity and shopfloor utilisation. The brownfield construction is eco-friendly thanks to solar panels, covering the roof, with a capacity of 990 kV and other capabilities like water recycling. Besides sales, product management, R&D laboratory, machining, and assembly, the new site is known to house a large warehouse, intended to serve the Jut-In-Time (JIT) requirements of valued clientele. The company’s major clientele includes OEMs like Tata Motors, Skoda Volkswagen India, Skoda Czech and VW Poland, Toyota India & Indonesia, Mahindra, Stellantis, MG Motors, and SEAT. The new plant has been built with a surplus of 30 per cent excess capacity for future expansion, Marwah informed.
Safe and Sustainable
Compiling all current safety and sustainability norms and future requirements, LCAT’s new Chakan plant is a humongous architecture accommodating spectrum plastic conversion technology under one roof. This includes Roto-moulding, 2D Blow, 3D Blow technology, both Suction and Robo assist technology, and various joining technologies. “We cover the length and the breadth of technology when it comes to manufacturing plastic auto components. Moreover, we have also tried to make this plant self-sustainable with renewable energy,” explained Marwah.
