S-CCI plans to set up factory in Gujarat
S-CCI India Private Ltd, an IndoJapanese joint venture company which manufactures engine coolants, brake fluid, auto accessories and speciality chemicals, plans to set up a factory in Gujarat to produce coolants for Suzuki Motors. It already has 2 manufacturing units at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan and Sitarganj in Uttarkhand.
S-CCI branded products include the Golden Cruiser Extreme Super Long Life Antifreeze Coolant and Heavy Diesel Coolant. The Golden Cruiser is a full strength antifreeze concentrate that provides trouble-free protection in all weather conditions round the year. The Antifreese Coolant Golden Cruiser Heavy Diesel anti-corrosion coolant has a highly advanced technology.
The company is supplying coolants to Tata Motors and Force Motors in Gujarat from its plant at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. The capex proposed for the new project is Rs 15-20 crore. S-CCI will also explore the potential for the supply of its product to companies like Mahindra and Eicher Motors.
SK Singh, Director, S-CCI Golden Cruiser, told AutoComponentsIndia that the “automakers are very sensitive about coolants. OEMs are expecting very long life for coolants basically a fill and forget type. We are supplying currently to Honda’s Passenger car segment which is promising a life 200,000 kms or 10-11 years, the life of the car. India always needs more for less and value for money is delivered through this.”
The technical expertise of S-CCI lies in the field of understanding the need of an engine or equipment and suitably catering to the individual requirements. The complexity of every engine warrants the need for a cooling medium that suits the conditions best. This calls for products which are chemically engineered to give certain quality levels and performances required.
“This is why automobile manufacturers worldwide choose Golden Cruiser AFC as original coolants for their vehicles. A product of contemporary technology from CCI Corporation, Japan, Golden Cruiser is trusted by American, European as well as Japanese automakers for its technological advantages over other products with over several million kms. of field testing done on different chemical systems, the golden cruiser products have had an edge for several years in different parts of the world.”
For the truck segment, the company is supplying coolants which are intended to cover half a million kilometres. “MAN is one of the trucks being bathed by our coolants. Tata Motors is our major customer and also we supply to Force Motors, Swaraj Mazda and Isuzu. Setting up a factory in Gujarat is a fillip for our organic growth,” he said.
“The coolant resists corrosion, prevents boil-overs and maintains the temperature. Diluted Monoethylene glycol diluted in water in the ratio 30:70 does that perfectly,” Singh said. The manufacturer also stated that the coolants should neither be acidic nor alkaline but the ph value should be maintained. There are new technologies for eco-friendly coolants. OEMs have their own criteria for coolants. They avert mercury and cadmium. Some of them want to avoid borides and silicates. Tata has a strict ‘no’ to nitrides and European companies do not prefer phosphates. Monopropylene glycol is considered environment friendly and Volkswagen prefers this.
The coolant/water mix dictates the temperature up to which the coolant can sustain. “We have coolants where 1 litre of coolant mixed with 1 litre of water can work at a temperature up to minus 30 degrees. In India, the weather will not reach such low levels and on diluting 1 litre of coolant with 2 litres of water the temperature mark drops up to minus 18 degrees. This is again not needed for the country and the same 1 litre can be diluted with 3 litres of water to raise the temperature up to minus 7 degrees. In this case additives are also diluted. The lifetime of the coolants normally is promised for 3 years but with this ratio only 2 years is guaranteed,” Singh said.
The current coolant capacity of the company is 50000 kilo litres a month but we are planning to increase it to 65,000 kilo litres and we expect a growth of 8% this year. The company stated that OEMs take the larger proportion and the aftermarket supply is 15%. It has about 150 distributors in India. Over
36% of coolant in the aftermarket is counterfeit products. The packs are duplicated and sold under the brand names. It is very difficult to trace them and consumers have to be vigilant.
The company also has an R&D centre. Though the ground technology is supplied by Japan, the centre has the capability for design and development for engineering custom built products for antifreeze coolant and brake fluid as per international OEM specifications and other specialised applications.
It is also highlighted that unlike cars which come to dealership for servicing where the coolant changes are recommended there, the excavators and tippers are given change period as 4000 hours. It is necessary for the manufacturer to keep track of the same and push a refill.
“We are very much poised to tap the coolant-supply order from the Japanese Yanmar tractors going to enter India. Being a Japanese player we have that fillip and everything should go hand in hand with the growth statistics laid out,” Singh said.
For commercial vehicles the metallurgy of the engine is different from passenger cars. These ply on the roads for a long time. Regulatory norms like BS IV and BS VI by 2020, are attempts to curb environmental pollution. However for commercial vehicles there are many challenges. CVs are coming up with technologies like Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with Diesel Particulate Filter. Diesel Exhaust Fluid when comes into the picture the coolant remains the same. “We are planning to manufacture diesel exhaust fluid as there is a big market for that in India. We would commence production from July,” Singh said.