“The solutions we developed for the Indian market are being exported to the overseas markets by our customers.” says Sanjay Patwari, Head – Mobile and Wind Sales Development, Bonfiglioli Transmissions Pvt Ltd

  Bonfiglioli delivers gearmotors, drive systems and planetary gearboxes to meet demands for industrial processes, automation, mobile and renewable energy. The company has also increased footprint in the construction equipment domain. At the recently concluded Excon, Bonfiglioli displayed a range of innovative solutions which grabbed attention of many OEMs. Excerpts from an interview with Sanjay Patwari, Head – Mobile and Wind Sales Development at Bonfiglioli Transmissions Pvt Ltd:

Bonfiglioli provides unique solutions for wind, mobile, industrial and photovoltaic OEMs. Could you brief us how Bonfiglioli fits in to the construction equipment domain?
Bonfiglioli is a global designer and manufacturer of precision planetary gearboxes. In India, we were the first manufacturer to provide locally manufactured planetary gearbox for yaw and pitch drive applications for wind turbine operations.

After this foray into the wind turbine gearboxes, we started developing gearboxes for construction equipment (CE).  One of the first products we introduced was the transit mixer gearboxes, again being the first to do so. Subsequently we have developed a range of gearboxes for excavators, compactors, pavers, batching plants, tower cranes, to name a few applications for CE industry.
Over a period of time we have built a significance presence in the construction equipment domain and provide a range of complete solutions for power transmission to all major manufacturers of CE. We believe in partnering with OEMs and try to tailor-made our products to suit their requirements.

As 24/7 uptime of a machine is becoming essential, what are your innovations to increase the machine reliability?
The reliability factors are very important factors. Again we are the first to introduce new integrated solutions for track drives. Instead of a gearbox, motor and valves being procured by OEMs separately and then integrated. We have come up with innovative solutions called 700CK series track drives where the whole thing is packed in a single unit. Extreme compactness, lightweight, efficiency and smooth operation are the key features of this new series. The 700CK series track drives are powered by integrated axial piston hydraulic motors. It is developed in India partnering with Japanese company Kayaba. The drives are available for machines in the 1.5 to 100-tonne class range. 700CK series is an extreme reliable solution due to its innovative design and enhances machine reliability significantly.

How do you see the consumption of your transmission solutions by the Indian domestic manufacturers?
We are partnering with all major construction equipment OEMs in India. Together we have come up with solutions tailor-made for Indian market conditions that have been very successful. However now we find that such solutions have resonance across global markets, particularly developing ones who have similar market conditions. These construction equipment are typically mid-sized machines, with adequate features that offer excellent value for money proposition. Going forward we expect this trend to catch up with exports enjoys a significant share of business. BTPL is well placed to take advantage of this opportunity, being present for over 15 years in India with high localisation content and deeper understanding of the market, making us an ideal partner for all major E&CE manufacturers.

Other than 700CK, what are the other products you are manufacturing in India?
Apart from compact 700CK drive, we offer a vast array of solutions E&CE industry, made out of our facility in Chennai. These include highly robust 700 C Series with fail safe parking brake compatible with most cartridge type fixed or variable displacement motors for track drive and drum drive applications used widely in machines ranging from pavers, compactors, loaders to drilling equipment. Innovative 700T Series that provides safest and most effective solution for all slew drive applications in excavators and cranes. Convenient 600 Series wheel drives with option of park brake disengagement for towing the vehicle during emergency. Absolutely dependable 500 Series drum drives used for transit mixer applications and famous for their low maintenance. Versatile 300 Series, used in concrete mixers, tower cranes and all other applications where shock loads are more a rule than exception.

Most of our customers make a wide array of construction equipment, each one having its own specific structural and duty characteristics. We offer a broad range of products that is unmatched in our industry, perfectly tailored to meet theses varied demands making us a one stop shop for our customers.