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MOTORINDIA
l
March 2012
51
have been very encouraging, says
Mr. Arnob Guha, Deputy General
Manager (Product Development),
Gibraltar Airsprings Private Ltd.
The company has established a
strong presence with private fleet
operators and STUs.
Having established its presence in
the aftermarket, Gibraltar has started
working closely with OEMs. Its air
springs are now undergoing exten-
sive testing with some of the OEM
vehicles, and some firm contracts
are expected to be signed soon.
Gibraltar has expanded its prod-
uct portfolio, offering the complete
range of air springs for coaches and
for city buses. “We have developed
a wide range of air springs suitable
for every bus on Indian roads”, says
Mr. Basu.
The company is keen on fulfilling
the requirements of the Indian mar-
ket, a target set since its initial days
when the market was beginning to
mature. Now, the company is con-
fident that it is ready with the right
products for the market.
At the global level, air springs
are used mostly on trucks and trail-
ers rather than on buses. In the US,
more than 80 per cent of the trailers
use air springs. The Government has
in fact mandated use of air springs
on trucks and trailers to protect
roads against damage while carrying
heavy duty cargo. In India, the ap-
plication of air springs started with
buses, and now it is getting adapted
to trucks and trailers as well. Iden-
tifying this opportunity, Gibraltar
introduced in 2011 air springs for
trucks. In fact, the 8X2 trucks fitted
with lift axle come with air springs,
and Gibraltar has developed prod-
ucts to suit this requirement.
With OEMs introducing newer
vehicle platforms and designs, there
is a change in the design of suspen-
sions, influenced mainly by load and
other factors. A city bus and a coach
will have different specifications
and requirements. As manufacturer
of air springs, there is a need for
offering tailor-made solutions to
suit each such requirement. This is
where Gibraltar has an edge over its
competitors. The company has the
ability to quickly adapt its products
and designs to changing market con-
ditions.
A lot of work has also gone into
understanding factors like driver
fatigue which is very high in India
compared to developed markets. Gi-
braltar has done extensive research
into product development to deliver
an air spring that is the best in terms
of comfort and safety for the driver
and passengers.
The air spring market in India is
set for exponential growth in the
next few years. Some of the global
brands like Firestone and Vibra-
coustic have identified the oppor-
tunity and moved in by setting up
manufacturing facilities by joining
hands with Indian partners.
Firestone has a JV with TVS, and
Vibracoustic with the Sigma Group.
Others like Contitech are also close-
ly watching the market. Despite
such serious competition, Gibraltar
is confident that it will play a signifi-
cant role in the air springs market in
India. It already commands a 65 per
cent marketshare in the aftermarket
and is expecting some important
breakthroughs with OEMs. The new
production facility with world class
test setup will be a shot in the arm
for the company.
w
Component zone
A lot of work has also gone
into understanding factors like
driver fatigue which is very high
in India compared to developed
markets.