Premier’s predominance in Machine Tools
Mr. D.S. Totre, Vice President (Machines Division), Premier Ltd.
Established in 1944, Premier Automobiles Ltd pioneered automobile manufacturing in India. Now known as Premier Ltd, the company focuses on two core businesses: Automotive and Engineering, and operates from its sprawling ISO 9001 certified manufacturing plant at Chinchwad, Pune. Premier’s engineering business provides components for wind energy, power generation and infrastructure sectors. It is also the leading manufacturer of large and heavy duty CNC machines such as CNC Gear Hobbing, Shaping and Shaving Machines, CNC Gear Tooth Chamfering and Rounding Machines, Vertical Turnmill Centers, Vertical and Horizontal Machining Centers and SPMs. Mr. P.K. Balasubbramaniian converses with Mr. D.S. Totre, Vice President to get a ringside view of Premier’s Machine Tool Div and its capabilities. Excerpts:
Q. Premier is a multi-divisional engineering company. What are your activities in the Machine Tool Division?
Premier has been in business of machine tools since 1961.
Our Engineering business currently has two core focus areas:
A) CNC Machine Tools
B) Heavy Engineering
We are recognized as a pioneer in the Indian Machine Tool Industry where we are a leading manufacturer of large and heavy duty CNC machines such as CNC Gear Hobbing, Shaping and Shaving machines, CNC Gear Tooth Chamfering and Rounding Machines, Vertical Turnmill Centers, Vertical and Horizontal Machining Centers and Special Purpose Machines. In our Heavy Engineering business, we provide components for infrastructure and wind energy along with power generation. In addition to the wide range of machine tools we design and manufacture, we service all the machines we produce and sell.
An engineering masterpiece: A machining center from Premier
Q. What is your niche in machine tools?
We pioneered the introduction of CNC Milling Machines in India and are also Leaders in Gear Hobbing Machines. We provide Total Solutions in Gear Cutting and Vertical Turning Machines
Q. What’ special about your CNC gear hobbing machines?
As we are leaders in Hobbing and Shaping Machines,we provide Total Gear Solutions to customers with a wide range of Gear cutting machines featuring the latest technology. Premier introduced the Gear Shaving Machine as a finishing operation.
Q. What about your turning centers?
Premier designs and manufactures Vertical Turning machines with a wide range of products starting from diameter 300 mm up to diameter 5000 mm. Turning machines are equipped with C Axis for drilling and tapping application.
Q. What is unique about your machining centers?
Premier started manufacturing CNC machining Centers in the range of Vertical and Horizontal Machining Centers. HMCs are manufactured with special requirements and with rotary indexing table, quill type spindle, moving column type, etc.
Q. What are the other machines and SPMs in your range?
Premier manufactures SPMs as per customer requirement mainly for Line Boring Machine, Duplex Milling Machines, Rotary Milling Machines, Deep Hole Drilling Machine, Multi-Spindle Drilling Machines, etc.
Premier’s machine tool manufacturing facility in Chinchwad, Pune
Q. Who are your major customers?
Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra, Shanthi Gears, Hindustan Motors, Hero Honda, TVS, Bajaj Auto, Cummins, Indian Railways, BHEL, L&T, Siemens, Kirloskar, Kalyani, HAL, Ordnance Factories, etc.
Q. How do you instill quality in your products?
We are an ISO 9001 – 2008 certified company (since 1993). Our quality parameters, checks at every stage of production and at final inspection are what set us apart.
Q. What is the level of sophistication in your machine tools?
We have developed machines for Export Market with CE Certification and also machines with latest technology used in the world.
Q. Could you throw some light on your R & D efforts? Have they been recognized?
We have Technology Centers at Pune and Bangalore with design expertise in machine design. Well qualified design team and machine design is done on 3D CAD Software.
Q. What are the recent customized solutions you have provided to the automobile industry?
We provide Total Gear Solution to Automobile components using automation and meeting quality requirements
Q. Do you also work on defense or aerospace projects?
Yes. we work for defense and aerospace. We have supplied machines to HAL and Ordnance Factory
Premier’s state-of-the-art turning center, model PTC-1600
Q. Please enlighten us on your production facilities and manufacturing excellence.
We have all types of latest machines for manufacturing parts required for machine tools. We have 5 Face milling machines, Slideway Grinding machine, Spindle grinding machines, Machining Centers, etc.
Q. What are the challenges ahead for you?
Competition from all other foreign companies and in some products from Chinese.
Q. What steps do you take to maintain your leadership position?
Through continuous product development and improvements in existing products, value engineering, and better servicing for customer satisfaction.
