Forward View
“Although India is the classic example, there is a strong
ambition to improve education levels in all of the countries in the region.” In South Asia, important Trelleborg plants are situated in India in Noida, outside Delhi (automotive), and in Bangalore (seals), as well as in Sri Lanka in Kelanyia (industrial tires). Recently, a Trelleborg centre for engineering and sales of marine systems (fender systems) was established in Ahmedabad, India, and more is to come. “We are well positioned for the future in India and Sri
Lanka,” Nilsson says. “We have modernized our plants and are working with interesting customers.” He points to Indian Railways
(see T-Time 4-2008) and Indian car makers as examples, and the offshore center in Kerala as a future business opportunity.
In Southeast Asia, several of the economies are showing impressive growth rates. “Singapore has become sort of
“There is no doubt that Asia will grow faster than any region in the world.”
Kay Jin Tan, Managing Director, Trelleborg Engineered Products Asia. Photo: Trelleborg AB
a hub for us,” says Nilsson. “It’s a country with high standards, an extremely international environment, competent people and good links to its neighbours.” With strong manufacturing bases and substantial populations, Vietnam and Malaysia are undergoing rapid development, and Indonesia is expected to catch up. Samples of the business in the region for Trelleborg includes seals for aerospace, sales of which are growing in Malaysia with Singapore as the service hub. While agricultural and, especially, forestry tires are benefiting from Indonesia’s ambition to be the global leader in palm oil production, which is used to
produce biodiesel. “Just as BRIC has been an important acronym for the
group of fast-growing economies in Brazil, Russia, India and China, we will hear more and more about VISTA, which comprises Vietnam and Indonesia as well as South Africa, Turkey and Argentina,” Nilsson says. “VISTA will be the next wave of rapidly emerging markets in focus for both investors and global industrials, and Trelleborg has ambitious plans for this development.”
Offshore and afloat
In offshore, the float-over process is where a topside structure is transferred from a transportation vessel onto a pre- constructed structure. The transport vessel enters the jacket, and by ballasting, float-over hardware, Leg Mating Units (LMU) and the Deck Support Unit (DSU) work together to transfer the load from vessel to jacket. Once complete, the vessel exits the jacket. “Float-over is a definite trend,” says Julian Wee, Managing
Director for Trelleborg in Singapore, where the LMUs and DSUs are manufactured. “Since we entered the market a
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couple of years ago, we have secured two major projects, in Qatar and Turkmenistan.” The LMUs consist of a steel structure incorporating
rubber elements to achieve specified spring stiffness, depending on the expected design loads and metocean data. “The float-over process is more cost-effective than the
alternative, floating cranes,” Wee says. “As the weight of the topside structure increases, the number of suitable cranes diminishes.”
Seals for Indian aircraft
The light combat aircraft Tejas is India’s first modern fighter aircraft, designed to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force. Deployment will start in 2010. The Tejas, most often described as a product of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has actually been developed by a national consortium of more than 100 defense laboratories. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions in India has supplied T-seals,
Plus Seals, Wear rings, Excluder seals, O-Rings and Back-up Rings for the advanced digital fly-by-wire flight control system and the hydraulically actuated control surfaces, along with seals for main and nose landing gears. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are global giants in
natural rubber, accounting for more than 70 percent of the world’s production. “These three countries, along with Sri Lanka, are also the most important suppliers to Trelleborg,” says Pio Gizzi, Vice President Group Purchasing, Raw Materials at Trelleborg. Wheel Systems accounts for more than 50 per cent of
Trelleborg’s consumption of natural rubber annually. “The use of natural rubber in tires is fundamental and required for performance reasons,” says Gizzi. The natural rubber content is especially high in industrial tires, products for which the Trelleborg plant in Kelanyia, Sri Lanka, has the advantage of sourcing locally. “Sri Lankan rubber quality is excellent and can be delivered quickly, which makes this a very attractive solution for us,” says Gizzi.
Rubber industry
The history of Sri Lanka’s rubber industry dates back to the late 19th century. Trelleborg has played a part in the local industry for more than 20 years. “Today we have two factories in Sri Lanka,” says Antonio
Garcia, Managing Director for Trelleborg in Sri Lanka. “The total volume of tires produced in 2008 exceeded 29 000 tons.” Recently major investments have been made to upgrade
these production facilities to world-class efficiency and to cope with even higher volumes. Besides upgrading the infrastructure of the plant and
installing new technology, focus has also been on developing the competencies and working conditions for the employees. “Over the past few years we have put in considerable
effort to enhance the relations with our employees, and we are now regarded as one of the best employers in Sri Lanka,” Garcia says. “Nevertheless, we will not be complacent about our
achievements and we will strive to achieve even better results in the future.” l
For more information, visit
www.trelleborg.com
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