Crucial Service of Design Change Rendered at Customer’s Site to Reduce Maintenance that Transformed the Loss Making Unit into Earning Decent Profit

M1 Division of Crompton Greaves Organisation had supplied range of Induction Motors to various
types of Industrial applications. Induction Motor was supplied to Reduction Gear box Manufacturer at
Anand, Gujarat State for all types of varieties of gear boxes. This supplier had supplied to Tuticorin
Alkali and Chemicals (TAC) Organisation at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu for driving the belt that was used
for transporting material from one place to another within plant.
Even after 5 to 6 years of Operation, the TAC’s Management found that they were not able to touch
the breakeven point. On analysing they attributed to frequent planned shutdowns of all conveyor belts
in plant in order dismantle open the gearbox drive and open Motor to clean the Motor winding - where
the oil from gear box used to enter Electric Motor and getting deposited on winding. As per prevailing
perception they resorted to opening the Motor and cleaning the deposited oil on winding. This was
reducing Plant Utilisation to the level of about 75% to 78%.
At this stage, the Management approached OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of Reduction
Gear Unit Manufacturer. The Equipment Supplier closed the complaint by replying that they have
supplied to many customers in the country and none have complained quoting such an incident. They
advised TAC to look internally. In order to get a possible solution, the TAC Management thought of
approaching the Next in Chain OEM supplier, M1 Division of Crompton Greaves who had supplied
Motors for all the Gearbox drives that were installed in this Plant for transporting material.
On seeing the problem, to overcome “Juggad Technique” was thought by me to be used on
experimental basis and that became highly successful. So when Plant implemented the evolved
solution for all applications throughout the Plant, Plant Utilizations enhanced beyond 90% and TAC
Organization made a decent profit in the subsequent year.