Gearspect India is a subsidiary of GearSpect Group, Czech Republic. The company specialises in the manufacture of gear measuring equipment, and has set up a plant at Pune in Maharashtra. The plant is equipped to manufacture gear measuring instruments and gear cutting machines required for automobiles, aeronautics, heavy engineering, construction equipment and defense sectors. Excerpts of an interview Huned Contractor had with Jiri Horacek.
What connects GearSpect to the automobile industry?
GearSpect Group, a Euro 90 million company, is a leading manufacturer of gear cutting machines as well as gear measuring instruments that find application with automobile companies, and automotive ancillary manufacturers. Our clients include Volkswagen, Skoda, PSA Peugeot Citroen, ZF Sachs, etc. We supply products and services to the markets of Europe, USA, Asia and Russian-speaking countries. We have manufacturing facilities at Celakovice in Czech Republic. We started our engineering activity in 1990 by establishing IPG v.o.s., a company for reconditioning of gear-cutting machines. In 1993, the company expanded under a new name, Strojirny Celakovice s.r.o., by addition of machining workshop, laboratory and research & development activities. In line with the 100-year-old tradition of our parent companies TOS Celakovice and Praga Praha, which specialised in the production of gear-cutting machines and truck gearboxes, we started using our own brand GearSpect in 1995. Our main product portfolio comprises gear cutting machinery, profile gear-grinding machines, gear hobbing machines, gear shapers, gear shaving machines, milling machines and grinders for the production of spiral bevel gearing, including devices and instruments for measuring gear tooth deviations.
What are the activities of GearSpect India?
GearSpect India started as a sales subsidiary in February 2011 at Pune. It facilitated the supply of our products by importing them. However, looking at the rise in demand, we decided to set up an SSI unit in Pune, making us the only company in India to manufacture gear lead profile pitch inspection equipment. We also have a dedicated service unit. Spread over 6000 square feet and built with an investment of Rs 6.5 crore, the manufacturing facility at Pune will eventually manufacture gear measuring equipment and gear cutting machines required for automobiles, automotive ancillaries, aeronautics, heavy engineering, construction equipment and defense sectors. The facility is equipped with state-of-art technology to design, develop and manufacture gear measuring equipment. It will help us to deliver quality products at cost-effective prices. We will initially be manufacturing 12 units per annum and then increase our capacity in the future. Our long-term plan would be to use this facility for exports as well.
What is the kind of market for gear lead profile testers in India?
Our study indicates that there is a market of about 30-35 units per year. We are targeting 30 per cent market share. Apart from automotive giants, Pune has a large number of gear manufacturing companies, which is why we have chosen to set up the plant in Pune. Moving forward we also plan to set up sales offices at Chennai and Gurgaon which have a significant base of automobile manufacturers.
What’s the future plan?
We are also looking to set up an assembly unit for gear cutting machines in the next two years and would start manufacturing gear cutting machines in the next five years.
What kind of gear measurement machines do you make?
There are machines to measure the geometric accuracy of gears. The DO 3 PC for example, is capable of complete measurement of geometric deviations of involute gearing. Profile deviations, lead deviations, pitch deviations, redial run-out, diameter over ball, span, etc. Then there are machines for measurement by double flank rolling method such as the DO1PC, which enables computerised double flank evolution of spur/helical gear and is also cable of diameter over ball measuring.
What about gear cutting machines?
We have several models, including SF 80/200 CNC, which is a gear hobbing machine with high productivity rate. It has a modern mechanical design with torque motor that ensures excellent dynamic machine characteristics for using of efficient tools. Then there is the SF 350/500 CNC which is gear hobbing machine with 6-axes CNC controlled gear generating machine with high mechanical rigidity and high operating machine accuracy. We have up to nine such different machines in our portfolio.
Was it a challenge setting up a factory in India?
Fortunately, it turned out to be a quick and smooth process because of our contact with Arun Kudale, the managing director of Kudale Instruments (P) Ltd. Kudale Instruments too is a company that manufactures gear measuring instruments used in the automotive sector but of a different type. We signed a MoU with him in September 2012 during a trade exposition held at Brno. Kudale helped us acquire the land and set up the plant.
What is going to be your USP in India?
We are now the pioneers in India in terms of providing gear testing technology and that is why we see great potential for our business in the coming years, also for the fact that the gear industry in India is estimated to be about Rs 1,000 crore and growing. Also, considering that it becomes more cost-effective to manufacture in India, we could become the primary supplier of spare parts and even machines to many of our locations across the world.
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