Seven months after inaugurating its first axle production facility at Pirangut in Pune, SAE-SMB Axles, a 100 per cent subsidiary of ADR Axles, has sold 1,300 road axles for trailers in the Indian market. The initial penetration is just the tip of the Ice-berg as the company aims to grow 10 times the current sales volume. However, the company is in no hurry but wants to gradually build the business on a firm footing.
Mr. Gulio Segneri, Plant Director, ADR Axles India Pvt. Ltd., stated: “Currently in one shift we are doing 500 axles per month, and it is still not our full capacity. Given the fact that we have been able to sell around 1,300 axles in seven months, we look to achieve a target of 2,000 axles every month by 2019. That time we will utilize our full capacity and look for expansion.”
Mr. Segneri’s confidence stems from the high quality axles that the company produces and on the back of the technology that the group company boasts of. The two brands, ADR and SAE-SMB, represent two different axles. While ADR is well known for agriculture axles, SAE-SMB is the market leader in road axles for trailers in Europe. ADR, the leader in agriculture product, when decided to get into road axles they acquired the company that have the knowledge experience and the product know-how. “The fact that SAE-SMB Industries belongs to the group ADR is a real opportunity, as we can benefit substantially from both its financial and technical capacities in testing, certification and R&D, to the create quality products suited to the local market requirements,” asserted Mr. Segneri.
Excellent foundation
One of the important factors contributing towards a formidable product is SAE-SMB’s reliance on quality guidance from Italy. Although customization is done in India due to the localization of the product, the components and its material have to be approved from Italy. “We rely on exactly the same design that of the global standards of our products, just that the local supplier needs to be approved by global R and D team. Be it bearings or brake liners, needs to meet our quality parameters. Similarly, for other materials need to be equivalent and the R and D in Italy has to approve the material, given the corrosion and other durability consideration,” revealed the Plant Director.
In case a supplier doesn’t meet the requirement, they don’t shy away from importing the component from globally approved manufacturers. “Since we don’t find a suitable supplier here for our ABS sensors, we import it. This exercise guarantees a best price-quality ratio for our products,” he added.
Another important parameter that gives SAE-SMB axles an edge over others is its tubular and monolithic beam structure. “Our main beam is imported, as it is monobloc. It is one tube, that with one process of forging is modified (deformed) to take the shape of final beam. There is no welding, it is one single beam. Given this structural strength, the axle can take more load compared to the welded ones. It also negates tyre wear or bearings getting damaged. Even the alignment is much more precise. As and when the demand increases, we would look at manufacturing the beams locally too,” he stated.
SAE-SMB delivers 13 tonne axle with a nominal track on ground of 1850 mm and a 16 tonne axle with a nominal track on ground of 1950 mm and 1850 mm for people to make either tridem and tandem. They also have a 28 tonne capacity landing leg.
Asked about the warranty the company offers, the Plant Director said: “Currently the warranty period is one year and 1,00,000 km for non-consumable parts, with axle hub greasing at 3,00,000 km.” In order to provide quick assistance to its clients, SAE-SMB has 27 service centres across India at strategic locations for customer’s convenience. “We intend to take the number to minimum 40 before the end of this year,” he claimed.
Apart from the SAE-SMB trailer road axles, ADR Axles India will produce the ADR-branded agricultural axles, with and without brakes, of capacity ranging from 250 kg to 10 tons, along with suspensions and stub-axles. In October its agricultural axles were tested under ARAI, making ADR India one of the few firms whose axles are certified for brake testing. “Right now, the trolley is used without brakes, when it is overloaded, and if the tractor brakes, there is no brake on trolley and it collides. We hope the Government would make brakes on the trolley mandatory,” he opined.
India has become the world’s fastest growing economy and the expectations for fast agricultural mechanization are high and real. ADR has entered the Indian market with the aim of serving its customers with superior products and services. Driven by its belief that the market will undergo huge economic development, the company is keen on laying a strong foundation.
“Our product has proved its efficiency all over the world. Our axles, with brake solution, which is unique in India, are actuated by piston. So when the tractor brakes even the trolley brakes, due to the hydraulic connection between them with the same braking power system. This could help save a lot of lives,” concluded Mr. Segneri.