Lamilux is a world leader in providing light-weight glassfiber-reinforced plastic (GRP)/fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) solutions for a wide range of applications. The German firm has been offering solutions for customers in the Indian market for sandwich panel construction for truck bodies and many other applications through its subsidiary Lamilux India Pvt. Ltd. since 2009. Mr. Rohan Bellikatti, Regional Technical Sales Manager – South India and Sri Lanka, Lamilux, comments on Indian cold chain transport scenario.
Excerpts:
Brief us your manufacturing program and operations in India.
Having played an integral role in helping develop the country’s cold chain in close association with the National Centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD), Lamilux remains committed to the Indian market with renewed thrust on market expansion and deeper penetration.
We at Lamilux are working on getting closer to our customers. For this we have relocated our warehouse In India from Delhi to Bhiwandi, near Mumbai. The new warehouse is almost 300 sq. m in size and can store nearly 20,000 sq. m of material which would suffice for building reefer containers on nearly 400 trucks! All our customers would benefit with such an arrangement. If any of our customers has a problem, we immediately travel to their site and ensure things are back on track as smoothly and quickly as possible. Our aim is to the deliver the best quality product and back it up with the most reliable service assistance so that our customers are happy.
Can you highlight some salient technical features and USPs of your products?
There are a lot of Advantages of GRP compared to steel: resistant to chemicals, GRP and the gel coat layer are solid coloured compared to painting, printing and painting of the GRP is possible, easy to handle in the process (sawing, drilling, jet cutting …), compared to the sharpness of the edges of steel the risk of injury (cutting) with GRP is much lower (Safety), high chunking resistance (screws, rivets), no breaks or buckling while processing, much better thermal insulation than steel, GRP has a better sound reduction index than steel sheets, better environmental balance than with many other materials, GRP is (without any special additives) an insulator, so adds to the requirement of reefer containers in increasing efficiency, GRP transfers forces only remote, repairing possibilities of damages and scratches. reduced Downtime as reparable at site if required, consistent quality through continuous production process, production width of GRP up to 3.20 m, qualified for usage in the food industry (also have HACCP certificated products), moisture resistant and no corrosion.
Tell us about co-operation with body builders/OEMs during the reefer body building stage.
Lamilux has started a new Program called as “Lamilux Partner Program” which has a set of requirements which once fulfilled qualify for the same. This was basically started so that the Quality of the GRP panels are up to the required standards. These Partners get a lot of benefits like Process Audits done regularly, Observations, Recommendations, Repair training, News Letters, Latest Launches, Innovations & Know how, so that they can build better Reefer containers in this competitive market.
Let’s hear few of our Partner client’s testimonies which speak for themselves the level of involvement we have with them at every stage of the process.
“Iceman being the unrivalled leader in the refrigeration industry for the last 22 years, one main reason behind our success is our partnerships with world’s best. Looking back, today I have no reservations of my decision made to partner with LAMILUX for Glass Reinforced Plastics for the composite panels we manufacture for refrigerated truck bodies. Thanks to the superior quality and properties of LAMILUX products, we have changed the conventional truck body building to a superior standard. Qualities such as high thermal insulation, excellent elasticity, food safety, corrosion free, regular and an even surface, has made it ideal for our truck body panels. High thermal insulation saves energy and helps preserve the temperature so that quality of food stuff transported is guaranteed. Excellent elasticity has made the panel minimum damage in a collision and easily repairable which drops the downtime. I proudly say that LAMILUX has taken us another step ahead and today, with their extremely helpful technical support as well, we do not just satisfy customers, but delight them.”
– Mr. Dushan Perara, Director, Iceman Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
“We are Industrial and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturer Including the Cold Chain Solution of Refrigerated Van. We are using Lamilux glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic sheets for Construction of outer body in refrigeration Vans. The quality of Lamilux GRP is extraordinary. Due to its light weight yet very good strength it is highly demanding against metal body. It gives an aesthetic look to the vehicle and is also rust proof with high strength. Lamilux technical team is always ready to provide technical support as well as training to our production Team.
Lamilux’ efforts to provide training are highly appreciated. We are very happy with the product as well as service of Lamilux.”
– Mr. Rajendra Patel, Director, Ice make Refrigeration Ltd.
“We are proud to be associated with a company like Lamilux and to use 100% Lamilux GRP for manufacturing Sub Zero reefer boxes. The technical support offered by them is beyond our expectations and we will surely remain partners for a long time to come.”
– Mr. Deep Khira, CEO, Sub Zero Insulation Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
“Our association with Lamilux started way back in 2009 and since then we have been regularly importing GRP materials from them. Our association with Lamilux helped us to get more technical support from them in developing some of the critical manufacturing process and also equipment for our new products. The Lamilux technical team periodically visits our facility for process and quality audits and each such visit has been highly informative and supportive for our efforts of Green Container development. In India, light weighting and safe transport are the top priority requirements today, mainly in view of strict vigil on overloading being implemented. We would like to place on record our sincere appreciation to Lamilux for the continued technical and professional business support being extended to us.”
– Mr. V.P. Vargheese, MD, Surakhsha Transport Systems India Pvt. Ltd.
Comment on the technology impact over reefer vehicle and growth drivers for the segment.
We have a solution which can help overcome all the existing difficulties in cold chain transport. We can change the operational model completely by offering light weight vehicle, more payload, additional space, excellent insulation and perfect temperature maintenance, so that the food products are in ambient temperature for the required time and thereby remain in good condition till they reach the end user. Acceptance for change is the biggest hurdle anywhere across the Globe and in India it’s a bigger challenge as still people are happy with the conventional methods and are not open to change their mind set” which is very sad. If we could overcome this as I feel is the top most driver in this Reefer Industry.