I N D I A ’ S N O . 1 M A G A Z I N E F O R A U T O M O T I V E N E W S , V I E W S & A N A LY S I S
Auto Monitor
Vol. 13 No. 07
www. amonli ne . i n
11 March 2013
NEWS
Smooth Rolling
Customer service with ERP
SKF launches tapered roller bearing for trucks Pg 09
ERP in the service industry
Seeking Greater Play Launches Maxximo Plus; opens tractor plant in AP Our Bureau Mumbai
M
a hindra & Mahindra is looking to enhance its portfolio of vehicles in the small and light commercial vehicle segment. The company is in the process of developing a small commercial vehicle below the Maxximo range even as it is seeking to move customers to its latest offering Maxximo Plus priced at `3.4 lakh (BS3, Ex showroom Thane). The company has discontinued the existing model (Maxximo). “One of the major challenges facing us is identifying segments in the market where we could offer products and play to our strength. It gets increasingly difficult for a new player to have a meaningful presence in any segment with a dominant player. This calls for developing product keeping customers and applications in mind,” said Rajan Wadhera, Chief Executive —Technology, Product Development and Sourcing, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sector. He added that the company is looking to develop a new small commercial vehicle and introduce it by 2015. The company recent ly launched the Maxximo Plus, a
DATA MONITOR Top 5 3W makers Company
Jan-12
Jan-13
Change
BAL
18,665
23,119
23.86%
Piaggio
14,941
14,191
-5.02%
M&M
6,126
5,811
-5.14%
Atul Auto
2,347
2,808
19.64%
1,800
1,101
-38.83%
TVS
24 Pages
Top 5 3W-Exporters Company
Jan-12
Jan-13
Change
BAL
24,771
23,144
-6.57%
TVS
602
3,317
451.00%
Piaggio
1,439
813
-43.50%
M&M
341
452
32.55%
Force Motors
84
168
100.00%
* Source: SIAM/ ** Excluding exports/ *** all sub segments considered/ ^ excluding MRPL
`50
NEWS
0.85 tonne payload mini-truck with fuel smart technology that allows vehicle to be driven at high power (26 HP; 19.2 kW) or high mileage (21.9 kmpl) mode, switching modes as and when needed. It is offered with a longer wheel base and a stronger sevenleaf rear suspension. “Critical to commercial vehicle ownership is the operating cost per tonne per kms. With the new Maxximo Plus the customer will potentially earn approximately 30 percent more, per year, over the competing vehicle. This is on account of superior mileage which lowers fuel cost, a lower maintenance cost and the ability to carry more load with faster turn-around time,” said Pravin Shah, Chief Executive - Automotive Division,
Mahindra & Mahindra. The new Maxximo Plus also comes with a class-leading two year / 60,000 km warranty. It will be manufactured at the company’s Chakan plant in Maharashtra. In the months leading up to the launch of Maxximo Plus, the company has identified and trained over 2,400 local mechanics to service the Maxximo Plus. The company recently opened a new manufacturing facility in Zaheerabad, Andhra Pradesh. The plant has been set up at an investment of over Rs 300 crore and will have an installed capacity of 100,000 tractors per annum. The world class facility, equipped to meet international manufacturing standards, is spread across 80 acres, making it the largest
The first tractor rollout at the Zaheerabad Plant, Andhra Pradesh.
Pg 10
One of the major challenges facing us is identifying segments in the market where we could offer products and play to our strength. tractor plant in India. “This is the largest tractor plant in Asia and a major investment for Mahindra in the state of Andhra Pradesh. With this plant we are also setting up a supplier park which will help to bring more investment and employment in the region,” said Dr Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra. The company sells tractors under two brands, ‘Mahindra’ & ‘Swaraj’. Last year, the company sold 221,730 tractors in the domestic market. It
S
chaeffler AG is changing its business strategy to benefit group brands. The company has three brands under one umbrella: LuK, INA and FAG. LuK is known for its clutch systems, and INA and FAG are the leading manufacturers of rolling and linear bearings. Each manufacturer has been offering its products and services individually in the past, but now the Group will approach OEMs with
its entire portfolio of products. The company believes that this will benefit each brand, but without as much marketing effort as before. Dharmesh Arora, President and CEO, Schaeffler India, said, “Now we are bringing the Schaeffler organization into the picture rather than individual brands. There will be just one point of contact who can explain our entire portfolio.” He added, “It is our way of becoming customer centric. The plan has changed to how the customer would like to do business with
has tractor manufacturing plants in Mumbai, Nagpur, Rudrapur, Jaipur, Mohali and Rajkot. It also has plants overseas - in the US, China and Australia. The new facility is equipped with advanced technology and processes including touch-less transfer of engines from assembly line to testing, and a clear interlock for restricting nontested and rejected engines from entering the finished engine storing conveyor. The cycle of engine testing is completely controlled and monitored using computerized techniques. The plant provides direct control of each and every load in the system making them ideally suited to industrial applications that demand maximum versatility and efficiency through the power and free conveyor. Chassis painting is performed using mobile robots, which considerably improves quality on the paint application which will be applied evenly every time, thereby saving 20 percent of the paint quantity.
Pravin Shah Automotive Division Chief Executive at the Maxximo Plus launch in Mumbai.
Synergising Anand Mohan Mumbai
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Juergen Geissinger, President and CEO, Schaeffler AG
us rather than how we would like to change.” In terms of R&D Schaeffler recently showcased an affordable automatic gearbox concept that is clutchless, but with a
manual shifting pattern. The technology uses an Electronic Clutch Management (ECM) system with sensors in the gearbox to engage the clutch when the gear is changed. The ECM is essentially a part of a DCT, but is required only for partial automation compared to total automation in DCTs. Asked if the company sees a trend of using existing technology to innovate new products like this new automatic transmission, Dr Juergen Geissinger, President and CEO, Schaeff ler AG, replied, “Yes, there is a trend forming and it will also come to Eastern Europe and South America. In that sense, India is a trendsetter.”
Contd. on Pg 9