Coimbatore is the machine-building hub of South India, with a large cluster of foundries, fabricators and machine builders. Being in the heart of this cluster is advantageous for a plant engineer or buyer. This is because all the skilled labor and service support for tools and components are within a short distance. However, every shop is not equivalent. At some point, the production manager needs to study in detail a few practical aspects to choose the right equipment partner.
What Pulls Equipment Buyers to Coimbatore
The machine-building culture in Coimbatore is more than two decades old. The local fabricators, machine shops and electrical panel shops support each other, which aids in quick machine construction and helps in sourcing spares. Buyers can often see different stages of a machine construction within a small distance. Among the leading machinery manufacturers in Coimbatore, the ones who can combine this local strength with a certified engineering practice are the best.
Design and Engineering Capability
A good equipment supplier is more than reproducing a standard drawing. The supplier should study the product, the target output, the space constraint of the shop floor and then suggest a better layout. A local machine shop with in-house CAD/CAM and a testing lab is a good sign as the shop can determine strength and tolerances before shipping the machine. Logos Weld Products has such a facility in Coimbatore. They also have their own R&D section.
Range of Products
Engineers assessing suppliers should check whether an entire process is covered. For example, a welding electrode plant requires dry and wet mixers, wire straightening and cutting machine, extruders, conveyors, baking ovens, printing units and packing equipment. It is advantageous to procure such equipment from a single source, since it helps in maintaining a balance in production line and minimizes the risk of mismatched production capacity. In addition to these equipment, Logos Weld Products also offers inspection equipment like a microscope and profile projector, and fabricates flux cored wire machine for the customers.
Build and Shop Floor Quality
It is advised to take a look at the production floor. An organized and neat shop floor indicates better control over fabrication quality. Logos Weld Products states that its shop floor is maintained as per the ISO standards, and its production adheres to strict quality checks. Prospective customers can have product trial runs, request for certificates of materials used, and inspect work in progress before dispatch.
Installation, Training and After-sales Service
The performance of equipment is greatly influenced by the level of commissioning and training provided. The best suppliers would send engineers to the customer’s site to commission the equipment, set it up, and train the staff on operation, cleaning and regular maintenance of the equipment. The suppliers’ promptness to service calls is critical, since a short stoppage of the equipment may impact the customer’s ability to meet delivery commitments to their customers. Logos Weld Products offers erection and service support and has sold its products to clients across India and to several countries in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
Find out what the competitors are doing whenever possible and how they compare to the supplier in after sales support. All these checks are inexpensive ways to make sure there are no hidden surprises with your equipment purchase.
Final Thoughts
As a buyer, it is critical that you distinguish between strong and weak machine builders. Buyers who are able to distinguish between strong and weak machine builders, instead of assessing machine builders based on price alone, are likely to commission plants that operate smoothly for many years.
