Apart from manufacturing two-for-one (TFO) twisting machines for traditional textiles, Rima Machines also produces TFO’s for producing technical textiles like like tarpaulins, tyre cords, hoses, fish nets, etc where heavy denier yarn is used
“The pace of growth of the technical textiles segment is nearly double as against the growth of traditional textiles segment, since usage of technical textiles products has expanded fast in recent years,” avers A.K. Kalra, Director (Technical and Sales) at Surat-based Rima Machines (P) Ltd. “Apart from manufacturing two-for-one (TFO) twisting machines for traditional textiles, Rima Machines also produces TFO’s for producing technical textiles like like tarpaulins, tyre cords, hoses, fish nets, etc., where heavy denier yarn is used. Most of these machines are customised as per the requirement of the customer and are available in spindle pots ranging from 70 mm to 400 mm, with the capability to run 20 or even 15,000 denier yarn.
J.C. Mahadevwala was already running a successful business of manufacturing textile fabrics, when he started Rima Machines in 1984. The company was started after his sons, Kishore and Dilip Mahadevwala who joined the family business after graduating in mechanical engineering. The company began by manufacturing twisting machines for nylon, pure silk and polyester filament yarns mainly for the Surat market. In 1994, the company diversified into producing two-for-one (TFO) twisting machines, again for polyester and nylon filament yarn.
Later on, Rima Machines ventured into making covering machines, which are used to cover yarn with elastic that are subsequently used in making elastic tapes. The company has among the top innerwear companies like Jockey India, Dollar, etc., among its customers along with numerous standalone elastic tapes manufacturing units across India for the covering machine. A.K. Kalra claims that they almost have a monopoly over supply of covering machines in India. In 2004, the company started producing double-deck TFOs for cotton yarn, a first in the world. This machine is a space and cost-saver, as it offers the same production in half the space and is mainly used in finer counts of cotton yarn.
Kalra claims that they have ended up selling nearly 2,000 double-deck TFOs since its inception, while they have sold around 4,000 conventional twisting machines for pure silk yarn in Karnataka alone, where it is a household industry. Recently the company has introduced a Lycra yarn warping machine used in warp knitting, and is the only company in India to supply this machine, with 4-5 competitors globally. The Lycra yarn is blended with nylon or cotton yarn while warping, to give the fabric more elasticity.
Through intensive research and development, the company has continued to develop and introduce better models of the TFOs, with the main concentration being on energy saving, as it is a major cost. In the 1980s, a machine with around 150 spindle pots and pot size of 100 mm used to have a motor of 20 HP. Now, with 70 mm pot size and a machine with 300 spindle pots, the motor capacity is only 7.5 HP. Rima Machines has also been able to reduce the size of the spindle as well as the balloon formation, which too has lowered energy costs. Additionally, by using superior metallurgy and changing the layout of spindles and also power transmission belts, energy consumption was further reduced.
“In the past few years, we have also added electronics and servo drives to our machines, which saves manpower, as the whole machine can be controlled from a control panel. At the same time maintenance cost too has decreased, as there are now no gears, wheels, etc., all of which again resulted in lessened downtimes,” Mayank Mahadevwala, Director (Production), says. Up to 2010, the company was getting components manufactured from third parties and were only assembling the machines. In 2010, with the entry of third generation, the company went into backward integration and now manufactures most of the components which go into the machine.
The company is now operating from two plants and employs around 200 people. The first plant manufactures the components, while the second assembles the components. However, the company will be shortly shifting to a spanking new 100,000 sq. feet plant where all the activities will be concentrated under one roof. Production capacity which is currently 25-30 machines per month will then increase by 20%. The company manufactures components on the latest production technologies like CNC machines and imported fabrication machines, due to which the there is a high level of precision and tolerance in the finished components. They need to only check the first component to ensure that it meets the quality standards, since the rest of the production will then meet the standards.
“However, components are again randomly checked. We also take care to see that we source the highest quality of raw materials from the best vendors. With the starting our own production plant, we have now better control over quality,” Kalra explains. “Ever since 2010, we have continuously continued to upgrade our production technologies, due to which apart from delivering quality machines, we have also been able to increase productivity, while also minimising cost of producing, which has enabled us to offer our machineries at competitive rates,” Mayank Mahadevwala adds.
Domestic revenues account for a majority of sales, with the rest coming from exports. The company began concentrating on exports 2013 onwards, with shipments to Asian countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia, which was further expanded to Poland, Slovakia, France, Portugal and Peru and now export to around 12 countries. “Most companies supply assembled machines, which after delivery can be started within 2-3 days, but Rima Machines chooses to pack the components and then assemble the machine at the customer’s plant. Although the machine may take 7-8 days to start, but the customers saves a lot on transportation or almost 75%,” Karla informs.