Pune-based Husiraz Engineers specialises in making pipe couplings used in the hydraulic braking systems of CVs, and to some extent passenger cars too. They feature prominent CV manufacturers like Tata Motors and Eicher Motors among their clients.
Siraj N Gangardiwala of Pune is a well-travelled man. Now of course he often goes to China, Japan, the US, the UAE, Germany, Australia, and, so on either to visit trade fairs and know more about the global automotive market, as well as gain insights into new technologies or simply to take a pleasure break. Earlier though, after he had obtained a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Dahod in 1970, he travelled from his native place in Gujarat across Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra to look for job opportunities and gain valuable experience in the only field he understood and had a passion for – automotive engineering. That finally brought him to Thane where he worked with Hi-Tech Engineering Works, manufacturers of mechanical actuators, gearboxes, screw jacks, rod bending machines, and rod cutting machines.
“That was one place where I learned the ABC of engineering and got an overview of how an entire process takes place – from the drawing board to the final product,” Siraj recalls. In 2002 though, the itch to turn into an entrepreneur became so strong that he resigned and came to Pune to set up his own unit, called Husiraz Engineering, to make brake liner fittings for commercial vehicles. “We started making couplings for hydraulic liners, especially used for trucks,” Siraj says. Fortunately for him, the first client who found his products perfect for their assembly operations was Tata Motors. And since then, Tata Motors has been their primary client, followed by Eicher Motors and others.
“It is not as if there weren’t other companies making pipe couplings for brake liners. What put the deal in our favour was that we were strict about quality and finishing, understanding the fact that any deviation from the customised or standardised dimensions could prove dangerous because leaks in a hydraulic braking system could lead to brake failure in a critical situation. That is what our clients liked about us,” says the founder’s son Hussain Gangardiwala, who joined the factory soon after getting a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering degree from Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering in Pune. Together, they have managed to increase their outlay from just 10 coupling making machines to more than 40.
Elaborating about the technical aspects of their couplings, Hussain states, “We manufacture this product in bulk in three types according to DIN 2353 – very light, light and heavy. For special models, particularly couplings for higher pressures, we can customise as per the client’s requirements. We provide absolute reliability for HEP pipe couplings of steel for steel pipes, brass for copper pipes, etc. These pipe couplings are used for pneumatic systems, hydraulic runback systems, oil heating, commercial and passenger vehicles, small-type refrigerating machines, synthetic piping, etc. Our product portfolio comprises straight couplings, equal elbow couplings, straight bulkhead couplings, equal tee couplings, equal cross couplings, welding coupling, breakaway couplings, non-standard couplings, and so on.”
Over the years, the company has started supplying couplings for the replacement market also and it receives regular orders not only from Pune but also from cities like Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Delhi, Dewas, Indore, etc. “We make and supply in a wide range – from 4 mm to 42 mm and our products are known for their machining and hardening,” Siraj says. These couplings are particularly in use now for nylon piping, the current trend in the automotive industry. With an installed capacity to make couplings in two shifts per day to reach a turnover of at least Rs 5 crore per annum, the current automotive downturn though has impacted Husiraz Engineers too.
Admits Siraj, “When the going was really good about three years ago, we had crossed Rs 7 crore in turnover. Now there’s a 30 to 40 per cent slump.” Hussain though is optimistic about a change in the scenario. “The ban on both coal and iron ore mining was a big setback for automotive component manufacturers, particularly those supplying to the commercial vehicle segment. Now though the lifting of the ban may turn the tide in our favour and we hope to post better numbers in 2016,” he says. There’s also hope that the government’s spending on infrastructure development may gradually increase, which in turn will boost the CV industry’s performance.
The company is already geared up for expansion if required. “We have the space to install 10-20 more machines,” Hussain says.
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