India, world factory of insulators

To make India the country of choice for the production of electrical equipment is what every Indian manufacturer is trying to achieve. The industry players of insulator industry discuss how imports are no longer affecting India and the manufacturers are implementing the global quality standard in their products.

It is quite obvious that some specific products were always being imported on a regular basis and in the last few years, the trend is setting upwards. Some of the products are cheaper and heavily consumed, which is affecting the growth of those specific set of products manufacturers in the market.

Not all imported insulation materials, as a matter of fact, are cheaper than our native manufactured products. So, it affects the market with lower impact than it seems to be. VD Jhala, Chairman of ASK Group of Companies says, “We have seen tremendous growth in insulation industry over the years. At the same time, end users and industry players are becoming quality conscious and looking forward to technical support after sales. These after sales support and quality assurance are the key factors of native manufacturers, which will help them to sustain in market over upcoming years.”

KB Gupta, Director, Ambica Ceramics Pvt. Ltd says, “After the imposition of anti-dumping duty on import of insulators, I don’t think there is a very serious threat of import affecting the domestic industry.” He further goes on to explain how the two technologies that are currently being used, porcelain insulators and composite insulators, are affecting the Indian insulation market.

According to Gupta, the composite insulator industry is growing at the cost of porcelain insulator. The problem is composite insulator is not a proven one, but is in use for the last 10 years; even without a guarantee whether they will survive the next 20 years. Generally, composite insulators are organic materials which have a definite life, especially when exposed to ultra violet rays. So, these insulators start degrading after a finite period; within 20-25 years.

Porcelain insulator is a time-proven technology which has been in the market for the last 100 years. Like any ceramic, porcelain insulator has an infinite life. The only problem is that they are bulkier and fragile. However, once installed, they have an approved life. Gupta says, “I believe that porcelain insulators is the answer to the insulation problems in transmission lines. Composite insulators have technology that makes it live longer, but as an organic material it has finite life.”

Quality parameters
Every insulator is tested on the basis of workability and durability. Whatever working requirements need to be adhered should be implemented by the insulator; every standard should be met. The most important requirement is to go beyond the said standard in case of an unlikely event such as sudden surge in voltage. This is where the workability of the insulators are tested. Infrastructure of transmission lines is created as a long term asset. No composite of transmission lines have prolonged life, causing disruption in the supply. So, an insulator should meet both the requirement of adhering to the standard requirement and also not deteriorating after a long period.

Race to win over the global market
Indian insulator industry has evolved over last few decades, more than one would have imagined. As a result, we see almost all the insulation materials being used in various industries across the country. Over the years, industry has become aware of various materials and application as per requirement of the projects. Engineering consulting firms and project departments have improved the vision and planning, which has become major reason for advancement of the insulation industry. Jhala says, ”Indian insulation industry is also huge platform for other countries to develop their business, as a result we have latest materials and tools being used in the insulation industry at present.”

Indian insulation industry is globally competitive. We manufacture insulators with the same quality anywhere else in the world. We are on the same page in terms product range and technology as the global products and I strongly believe that Indian insulator industry can be globally competitive. Gupta says, “Every domestic insulators manufactured are acquiring global scale value; even the technological aspect is not behind. India has a huge advantage of cheap labour which combined with world class technology would make it a world factory for insulators.”

“After sales support and quality assurance are the key factors for native manufacturers to sustain in market in the upcoming years.”
VD Jhala (Chairman) of ASK Group of Companie

“Porcelain insulators are the answer to the insulation problems in transmission lines”
K B Gupta, Director, Ambica Ceramics Pvt. Ltd