Customized materials handling ‘KE’takes the arduous route
Bangalore-based KE – Material Handling Pvt. Ltd. is a renowned manufacturer and exporter of materials handling equipment. Its product spectrum covers Bucket Elevators, Belt Conveyors, Chain Conveyors, Vibration Conveyors, Roller Conveyors, Dust Extraction Systems, Test Rig & Load Simulators and Allied Equipment. The company also makes Tea Cleaning & Blending Machines. KE provides reliable and economical solutions for customized material movement and ensures that their performance expectations are fully met. Mr. P.K. Balasubbramaniian speaks to Mr. S.A. Gonsalves, Director, KE- Material Handling to discover the inherent strengths and capabilities of this innovator. Excerpts:
Q. What’s your standing in materials handling?
KE-Material Handling was started in 1990. We are into Bulk and Unit Materials Handling. Under Bulk Handling, we make Belt Conveyors, Bucket Elevators, Chain Conveyors and Auger Conveyors. Under Unit Handling, we offer Roller Conveyors, Slat Conveyors and Package Conveyors.
Q. Is Bulk Handling your forte?
We specialize in making Belt Conveyors to handle difficult materials for which conventional belt conveyors will not do. With our special conveyors, there would be no spillage and dust emission is controlled.
Where critical, as in the case of Germination Seeds, the integrity is protected to ensure required field results.
Q. What are your innovations in Unit Conveying?
We customize equipment to meet individual application. The interface between work stations and transfer points are automated to provide reduction in manpower. This approach requires experimentation by scaling or simulation which we do at our In-House test facility. Although input Engineering is high, we invest in this as large established Players are usually not responsive to Customer need.
Q. What are the various applications your Equipment are designed for?
Our focus is on Agro Seed Industry for Bulk Handling and Process Industry like Aluminium for Unit Handling. We combine Environment Protection into the system by including Dust Extraction.
Q. Is your presence predominant in the tea industry?
We make Tea Cleaning Systems for separation and removal of impurities and subsequent Tea Blenders of Drum type. We have set up plants in Saudi Arabia & a large one in Sri Lanka. Presently our concentration is on overseas markets. The tea industry in India is very price-sensitive.
Q. What’s special about your designs?
We have a separate lab for in-house testing and validation of equipment manufactured. Validation is done by actual testing or through simulation of the end-application.
Q. How customized are your solutions?
When it comes to Agro Seed processing, we need to ensure that the seed germination levels assured by the Customer is maintained.
In the same way, in Tea Blending the purity of tea after cleaning has to be ensured. This presages the efficiency of the blend. Thus selection of the process is very important so as to ensure that the end result is achieved without compromise on quality. We have to have a lot of interaction with the customer before finalization of an order.
Q. What are your outstanding achievements?
We have received the Best Vendor of 2013 Award from Bayer CropSciences. This was conferred on us after evaluation of several qualification parameters. Similarly, we have also received appreciation from the Defence Establishments for developing and supplying custom-built validation and simulation equipment for their intricate applications.
Q. Who are your major customers?
Our major customers include Bayer, Monsanto, DuPont, HAL-Lucknow, Hindalco-Renukoot, DRDO-Hyderabad, SGS India and BEML-Bangalore, just to mention a few.
Q. What are the challenges you face?
The element of risk is high in the kind of projects we undertake. Consequently, we need to be very careful while quoting the implementation Schedule and Cost. We train our Employees in- house on design and testing, which makes them a reliable resource.
Q. Could you say something about the reliability and safety aspects of your end products?
Our very motto is Safety, Quality, Reliability with Profitability trailing last!
Q. What is the importance you give to the process?
Once a requirement comes, we check the application requirements and then customize the design to meet the exacting needs. Then we go through the Process Plan and Quality Assurance. Our Anticipation Failure Analysis is very significant. We also take feedback from the customer and take all precautions to make the end product failsafe.
Q. Could you tell us more about your manufacturing facilities?
We outsource the basic fabrication. We have two manufacturing units. In Unit-I we do assembly and testing. In Unit-II, also in Peenya Industrial Area, we have our Lab with full scale testing facility and with actual equipment. Process simulation is done either on full scale or scaled down level to check the performance.
Q. What are the prospects for materials handling business in India?
The prospects are very good as basic handling processes are being continuously automated. Apart from manpower reduction, there is the benefit of power saving and reduced or nil emission. These changes are facilitated by the availability of low cost Programmable Logic Controllers with easy-to-use Software. Once the existing Customer realizes the advantages, the up-gradation or replacement of the material handling equipment available is quickly implemented. Material Handling being the starting point for most Process Industries, the potential is unlimited. Exposure to the levels of Automation existing in advanced economies provides us with the confidence that our growing economy needs our skills.
Q. Have you explored any newer applications?
Yes we are exploring. In fact we are trying for a tie-up for new technology in the area of Bulk Solids Handling.
We are in the niche market. Customers come to us by word of mouth. We have proven time and again that we are trust worthy and flexible. MNCs in particular take decisions based on trust. So we just cannot afford to go wrong. The project has to yield the capacity it is designed for. There should be no breakdown during warranty. We have to ensure faster ROI (return on investment) and lowest cost of ownership.
Q. What’s your vision for KE-Material Handling?
In our business model, we cannot scale up fast. We take up smaller projects and complete one after the other to ensure Customer Satisfaction. We thrive in and enjoy doing non-standard jobs which others do not undertake because of the risk involved. We have accomplished some challenging projects for Aerospace and Defence. If you see our milestones, in 1992 we supplied a Roll Test Rig for evaluating fatigue limits of fighter aircraft wheel assemblies for HAL-Lucknow as part of the LCA program.
In 1995, we made a test rig for engine Environment testing for the MBT developed by the Combat Vehicle Research & Development Organization at Avadi. In 2001, we supplied a Dynamometer for testing friction & wear properties of Brake Pad Material for DRDL, Hyderabad.
In 2002 we executed a repeat order for Roll Test Rig for the development of SU30 Wheels again for HAL after a gap of 10 years. This has come because of the trust the client has in our capability and commitment.
The Brake Disc Dynamometer we have developed is the one we are most proud of. After 14 years of rigorous use, DRDL is in discussion to upgrade the controls to Digital. We expect to have the opportunity to do such challenging projects in the future.
For more information
Web: www.materialhandling.in
