Industrial Automation Magazine India

We have an end-to-end manufacturing capability in India

Published on : Friday 01-07-2022

Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan, Managing Director, Kennametal India Limited. 

Kennametal is a pioneer in the true sense of the term, the company based on a technology breakthrough achieved by the founder. What are the milestones along the way?
Kennametal Inc has been an industrial technology leader for over 80 years, delivering productivity to customers through materials science, tooling, and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering, and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. 
 
It all started in 1938, when metallurgist Philip M. McKenna created a tungsten-titanium carbide alloy for cutting tools that provided a productivity breakthrough in the machining of steel. With his invention, Philip started the McKenna Metals Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, later renamed Kennametal.
 
The company has added several significant milestones since its inception, by way of its continuous innovation, and expansion and acquisition efforts by leveraging its long-standing expertise in materials and manufacturing. To name a few, Kennametal's unique, patented thermit process for producing impact-resistant macrocrystalline tungsten carbide today remains the best way to produce extremely tough tool materials for demanding applications such as mining. We are leaders in the development of silicon-nitride based ‘sialon’ ceramics for the machining of exotic aerospace materials and quick-change tooling systems that today lead the world in versatility, speed and accuracy. 
 
Kennametal maintains its technological leadership through its $30-million Technology Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and complementary facilities in various locations around the globe. The continuous innovation stemming from these facilities are helping solve our customers’ biggest challenges so they can deliver the products and services we rely on every day and live up to our vision to ‘transform how everyday life is built’. 
 
The company has been present in India for quite some time. What is the nature of Indian operations?

Kennametal’s journey in India commenced in 1964 when Widia India Private Limited was incorporated in Bengaluru with a strength of 30 employees and one shaping plant. Kennametal acquired Widia in 2003 and established Kennametal India Limited. Today, Kennametal India Limited continues to be headquartered in Bengaluru with a modern manufacturing facility spread over 29 acres and offices in eight territories that serve customers across the length and the breadth of the region. Our team is responsible for producing high quality-products that are coveted in the Indian market and exported across Europe and Asia. 
 
Our business portfolio comprises three segments: Our Metal Cutting segment is dedicated to offering world-class metalworking solutions and services including an array of milling, turning, hole-making, threading, and tooling systems products through our two widely-recognised and trusted brands – Kennametal and WIDIA. 
 
Our machining solutions group manufactures special purpose machines, tool and cutter grinding machines, as well as fixture and tooling solutions through the WIDMA brand, catering to a plethora of important customers, including top OEMs.
 
The company’s Infrastructure segment is a global market leader in wear solutions, engineered components, earth cutting and construction tools that deliver productivity, reliability, and extended life to a wide range of industries in demanding conditions, and the harshest environments. 
 
What are the highlights of the recent modernisation of the manufacturing facilities? How smart is the factory now, how green, and sustainable? 
Our manufacturing setup is divided into production units that develop products, both for the domestic and international markets. Kennametal has made a significant investment to modernise its facilities globally, and as part of that initiative, we are deploying advanced technology and equipment here in Bengaluru that will bring value to our customers through improved quality, product performance, innovation, and delivery.
 
At Kennametal, we believe that sustainability is an inextricable part of doing business and are committed to programs that ensure protection of the environment for future generations. Last year, Kennametal released its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report that provides a comprehensive summary of the progress and opportunities in this area. Our Bengaluru manufacturing facility has adopted various measures to ensure minimum impact on the environment. For instance, close to 80% of our energy comes from solar.
 
How prepared is the machine tool industry in general for the impending shift to the EV ecosystem?

The advent of the EV is not the first time that the machine tool industry has been subject to the need for a radical transformation. Technological developments such as Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing, automation have triggered various advancements in machining technology and the industry has been agile to ride these trends. Similarly, the shift to the EV ecosystem is propelling the industry to adopt new machining technologies to support lighter materials, optimised combustion systems and high precision parts.
 
Kennametal sees the electric vehicle market as an area of opportunity. We are always working closely with our customers so we can anticipate their needs and innovate to help them be more productive, efficient, and competitive. As automotive manufacturers expand their offerings of hybrid and electric vehicles, we are well positioned to support their evolving needs in this area. For example, in India, we have recently introduced a standard Vertical BTA machine for machining shock absorber components for an electric two-wheeler manufacturer. Additionally, we have offered finish boring machines to a leading 2-wheeler EV maker.
 
The 3D stator bore tool is an interesting development. How will this influence the development of other tools and accessories in future?
Kennametal leveraged the design flexibility of additive manufacturing to develop our innovative 3D-printed stator bore tool. Remarkably, this tool weighs half that of the conventionally manufactured version, while still meeting accuracy, roundness, and surface finish requirements for aluminium motor body boring. 
 
Owing to these features, the tool has recently won MM MaschinenMarkt’s Best of Industry Award in the Production and Manufacturing category. This award is a testimony to the point I mentioned earlier about innovating for the EV industry. Our 3D printed stator bore tool isn’t a prototype or novelty – it is in use by automotive manufacturers today. Motivated by the success, we will continue to explore opportunities for leveraging innovation to support our customers as they ramp production of hybrid and electric vehicles. 
 
In addition to innovative metal cutting tools for the conventional structural parts and drive train components like gears, axles, CV joints, brake assemblies and drive systems, we provide comprehensive machining solutions, both with standard and custom tooling for various EV components like rotors and shafts, stator housing and transmission cases, differential and battery housing, etc. 
 
From SPMs for in-house requirements to standard machines, WIDMA has come a long way. What is the range available and how does it fare in terms of revenue share within the company?
WIDMA is a leading player in providing customised metal cutting CNC machines covering a wide spectrum of ‘finishing’ operations that demand high accuracy and productivity. Our portfolio is broadly categorised into component manufacturing and tool manufacturing solutions. The former comprises a variety of Special Purpose or customised machining centres (SPMs) such as boring and milling machines, multi-spindle drilling, tapping and deep hole drilling machines for manufacturers of two wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, railways, farm equipment, earthmovers, general engineering, and defence. We offer a host of other semi-standard machines, including vertical turn mill centres for up to 4-metre components to customers seeking higher flexibility over SPMs. The tool manufacturing solutions consist of two major 5-axis CNC platforms, i.e., Ecogrind and Ezeegrind Series, which are suitable for manufacturing simple and complex round tools for extremely accurate machining as needed by various industries. These are used for Kennametal tools manufacturing as well. WIDMA also offers engineering support for component manufacturing and process design through fixtures and tooled up solutions on standard machines of other reputed makes to end-customers. 
 
In terms of revenue, WIDMA constitutes about 13% of Kennametal India Limited’s overall revenue. More importantly, we are focused on continuous growth through our strategic imperatives of new product development, geographical footprint expansion and enhancing organisational capabilities. 
 
How big are the infrastructure business and the potential in view of the large scale projects in the country?
Kennametal India’s Infrastructure business portfolio is broadly categorised into engineered wear components, surface technology and powders/advanced materials. 
 
These solutions find a plethora of applications that are helping customers improve productivity and performance to support the nation’s ambitious infrastructure growth. To cite a few examples, Kennametal Conforma Clad™ provides superior wear-resistant claddings in a wide variety of substrate materials and geometries for a range of industries and applications. We offer the finest tooling solutions for road rehabilitation, trenching, and foundation drilling.  Kennametal mining tools and products such as mining drill bits, drums, blocks, and picks stay wear resistant and get the job done in the most demanding applications in underground and surface mining. Providing consistency, versatility, and wear resistance, Kennametal Carbide Wear Parts meet the challenges of the most demanding environments across industries.
 
In addition to our comprehensive product portfolio, we have an end-to-end manufacturing capability in India, from powder to finished product. Leveraging these competitive advantages and backed by solutions and service expertise, we are well poised to benefit from the opportunities arising from the large-scale projects across steel, power, process, O&G, construction and mining segments.
 
Vijaykrishnan Venkatesan is the Managing Director of Kennametal India Limited (KIL) since September 2020. The company is an Indian subsidiary of Kennametal Inc., a US based multinational and industrial technology leader in materials science, tooling, and wear-resistant solutions for customers across the aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering, and transportation industries. He spearheads the Infrastructure business of Kennametal Inc. for the APAC region in addition to his role as the MD of KIL.

Prior to joining KIL, he has accumulated over 23 years of experience in strategic and operational leadership roles, both in India and globally across reputed organizations like Saint Gobain and 3M. To name a few, he was the Global Portfolio Leader for Disposal Respirators; APAC Business Development Manager – 3M Personal Safety Division; Executive Director – Safety and Graphics Business, 3M India; Executive Director – Strategic Planning, 3M India, and Vice President – Abrasives systems Division, 3M India. He has led several change management and organizational development initiatives to excel in the competitive business environment with strong focus on customers and promoting growth and sustainability. In his current role, he is leading efforts to drive growth for Kennametal in India and create value for its stakeholders through manufacturing excellence, financial prudence and enhancing Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) standards for the company.