• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

M. Ramesh

CHENNAI, Aug. 15

RANE Brake Linings Ltd has tied up with the University of Bradford, UK, under which the company's personnel would be trained by the University in the "latest in braking trends".

The company's President, Mr Sundar Ram, told Business Line recently that some 60 employees of Rane Brake would receive inputs on the latest trends in braking technology under the University's distant learning programme.

The material for the 18-month course has been customised for Rane Brake, with special focus on friction material, so that it is more relevant to the company's people. Rane Brake produces brake linings — the products which hug the brake drum or the disc and stop the vehicle when the brakes are applied. Mr Sundar Ram said that the course would cost the company around Rs 40 lakh. This was a one-time course, but after it is over the company would look at tying up with the University for further programmes.

He said the company first needed to bring its employees up-to-date with the latest trends in braking technology, so that the company's R&D thrust would become more meaning ful. Rane Brake proposes to spend around 2 per cent of its turnover (of Rs 107 crore) on R&D.

Rane Brake has a technical collaboration with Nisshinbo of Japan. Asked if the Japanese could not have trained the employees, Mr Sundar Ram said the training of Rane Brake's staff with the collaborator was indeed a routine affair. However, "collaborators only teach know-how, but not know-why", he said. In other words, the collaborator would teach the company how a technology works, but not why it works.

Besides, Rane Brake also produces products that are outside the purview of the technical collaboration. It would be embarrassing for the company to ask the Japanese for technical inputs pertaining these products, Mr Sundar Ram said.

Meanwhile, Rane Brake is gearing itself up for two major thrusts — exports to Europe and supply of brake blocks to the Railways. The former was a long-term exercise, Mr Sundar Ram said, observing that it might take 4-5 years for the company to achieve a breakthrough in the highly competitive European markets.

For supplying to the Railways, the company has bought a huge dynamometer costing around Rs 3 crore for testing purposes.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section
SAIL's research unit working on steel for Coal India mines

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line