New ZinserSpeed 51M evokes good response
It was exactly a year ago that Oerlikon decided to divest its natural fiber business, which marked the rebirth of Saurer. It was a seamless transfer of business to the new entity that happened in record time, and Saurer has started operations successfully from its new headquarters in Switzerland.
With the new entity in place, the company management team is now working on its strategies for future growth. In Saurer’s global growth strategy, India will play a very important role.
Mr. Daniel Lippuner, CEO, Saurer, says: “We believe India will be the biggest cotton yarn manufacturer in the future. It is of more importance to Saurer because of India’s continued focus on natural fibers, and hence we need to be more engaged with the Indian market”.
Saurer has a significant presence in the Indian market through a few joint ventures and subsidiaries. The joint ventures include Zinser Textile Systems in partnership with A.T.E. and the JV with Peass Industrial Engineers Private Ltd. (Peass) for winding and assembly machines. Saurer also has a 100 per cent subsidiary in India, Saurer Textile Solutions Private Ltd., which takes care of the overall business in India, the complete aftersales service and original parts for all the company’s brands in the Indian market, as also the Texparts component manufacturing facility at Halol in Gujarat.
Apart from the above ventures, Saurer also sells its specific brand of machineries through the Indian agents. For example, the Autocoro and Autoconer are handled by Engineering Agencies, the Zinser ring frames and the Volkmann range by A.T.E., whereas the and the BD rotorspinning machines are handled by Batliboi.
This gives a fair idea about the significant presence that Saurer already has in India through various joint ventures and partnerships. Although it might sound a bit complicated, Saurer believes in keeping it that way. ‘Think Global, Act Local’. “We believe in a decentralized approach to our business. We have a Business Head for each of the business units, and they directly report to the top management. This removes unwanted layers and also helps keep a lean organization. We put the customer in the center of all our decisions, and hence it is made close to customers and implemented very fast. The authority rests with the individual business unit’s Head, and wherever it involves significant investment decision, it is taken in consultation with the top management”, says Mr. Lippuner.
Zinser Textile Systems
As part of our coverage on Saurer’s presence in the Indian market, we recently visited Zinser Textile Systems Private Ltd. (ZTS). ZTS was founded in 2003 as 
a joint venture between the Saurer Group and A.T.E. The company has its main manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad and a satellite facility at Halol near Vadodara. ZTS manufactures Zinser roving frames for the Indian market. In May 2013, ZTS launched the ZinserSpeed 51M model roving frame in the Indian market. This is one of the latest models launched by Zinser globally, and it was launched in India within a few months of its global launch. This clearly goes to show the seriousness and commitment of Saurer to the Indian market.
Mr. K.P. Singh, President (Operations), ZTS, said: “The new roving frame ZinserSpeed 51M for manual doffing has been built after extensive research and customer feedback. The machine is designed to be energy efficient and more reliable in operation. The machine would consume up to 65 per cent less energy required for suction and blowing. The suction system and flyer table blowing system use far less power when operating in the new energy-saving mode. Full power is required briefly for the cleaning cycle and the intervals can be adjusted to suit the customer’s needs and material”.
The first machine of 51M was supplied to the Nahar Group, and since then the company supplied a good number of the product to all key customers, including Welspun, Shri Govindaraja Textiles, Jayalakshmi, Pallava, Bhavanam Spinning, Yogiraj Spinning, JaymalaSpintex, Poomex Clothing and Birin Spinning Mills. ZTS has a healthy order book for this model from all major markets. Saurer is also planning to export the ZinserSpeed 51M to nearby markets from the Indian facility.
“The new ZinserSpeed 51M is fitted with energy-efficient bobbin rail drive with improved gears, which again uses less energy. An additional suction system is not required to connect the travelling cleaner. It is directly connected to the integrated interface of the machine suction system. This direct connection of the travelling cleaner is an energy-optimized and cost-effective solution”, Mr. Singh added.
An important feature on the ZinserSpeed 51M, which is particularly relevant for the Indian market, is the protection against frequent power failure. The machine guarantees smooth operation, even in locations where the main power supply is unreliable. After power outages the roving frame shuts down in a controlled manner.
Another new feature is the easily accessible change gear which helps speed up lot changes. The EasySpin touchscreen and feeding creel are positioned ergonomically, and the operator can empty the travelling cleaner centrally.
The new ZinserSpeed 51M has met with good success in the Indian market ever since it was launched in May 2013. The machines are assembled at the Ahmedabad plant with a few components sourced locally from vendors and some sub-assemblies for critical components. Most of the critical components are sourced from global vendors approved by Saurer as per their quality standards.
The main assembly section for the control cabinet, the drive systems and controllers are done at the plant. The plant also has the facility to do complete testing of the control cabinet. Currently ZTS has capacity to manufacture upto 20 machines a month on a two shift basis. There is clearly more scope for increasing the capacity based on market demand.
ZTS has been a very successful venture for Saurer, and has proved very profitable. In 2005 the Ahmedabad plant was ISO 9001 certified. Built over an area of 2,500 sqm, the plant has more than 75 technical qualified people working for the company. In 2006, ZTS doubled its production capacity to 2,500 spindles per month. In order to further expand its operation, the company has installed CNC milling machines.
In 2009, ZTS set up another satellite facility at Halol near Vadodara. In fact, the first two ring frames Zinser 360 were actually produced at Halol. These machines were actually produced in China, and the plan was to start manufacturing them in India. But due to recession in the textile industry, this project was put on hold. However, Saurer is now seriously contemplating adding a few more machines which can be manufactured or assembled locally. One of them would be ring frames.
ZTS has also been constantly innovating and improving the product offerings based on market demand. In February 2009, the company launched its new type of roving frames in narrow gauge. With land space becoming more expensive in India, the company realized the need for changing the size of machines and came up with narrow gauge machines with which more spindles can be added in the same space.
ZTS also introduced machines of longer lengths. Initially the company was offering frames with 120 spindles, and later started offering machines in varying lengths from 120 to now even 208 spindles in narrow gauge, making this the longest available machine on the market. ZTS will deliver the first machine with this remarkable length soon. In a very short time, ZTS garnered a healthy marketshare of close to 16 per cent.
Saurer is now thinking of what would be the logical step forward for introduction of new machines and models and how to further enhance the manufacturing footprint in the Indian market and add value to its customers. Ring frames for spinning will be the most logical option, but this segment is price sensitive with squeezed-up margins and it might be initially difficult for Saurer to compete with Indian manufacturers on the price front.
Mr. Lippuner observes: “The importance of India in the world market is growing. Hence we would be investing in India but we have not taken a final decision yet. What is very positive for us is that the market trend is changing. Particularly in ring spinning, the focus for many years was only on cost. This has changed dramatically in recent times. Customers are looking for higher quality and performance which makes Zinser as the choice for their requirement. The market is also moving towards automation and energy efficient solutions. Hence customers are realizing that it is not important anymore to look at just the initial investment alone but to look at the complete lifecycle cost, which is the maintenance and operational cost during the life of the machine”.
Service and original parts
Saurer Textile Solutions Private Ltd. (STSPL), a Saurer organization in India, handles the complete aftersales service and original parts for all the business units in India. The company has a strong service team of 150 people who are in constant touch with customers on a day-to-day basis. This provides the company with valuable feedback on their experience and their requirements. Saurer recently hosted a conference for the Indian team wherein there was active discussions and exchange of information on product performance and customer requirements. All these information are then taken back to the drawing board for corrective action and future product development.
It’s a new beginning for Saurer, globally as well as in India. With the transition from Oerlikon to Saurer successfully done, the company is now looking at expanding into profitable businesses. “India is an important part of our global business and the importance will continue to increase in the years to come”, adds Mr. Lippuner.