Chandigarh-based Coatec India is driving the shift from large sized Cathodic Electro Deposited (CED) epoxy coating plants to more compact, more relevant plants that cost a fraction of what the larger plants cost. Apart from commissioning many world class CED coating plants, ranging in capacity from 750 litres to 50,000 litres, the company is also redefining material handling with fully automated lines. All this, at a much lower than the conventional cost. Besides CED coating systems, Coatec also specialised in the manufacture of Glide Coating Systems, Dip Spin Coating machines; and Water and Heat Transfer Coating systems for Wood, Stone or any other surface design for coating on metals or plastics. Another of the technologies developed by Coatec is the fully automatic metal to rubber bond spray coating machine. Besides, the company also represents in India: Larius s.r.l. Italy, for its range of paint shop equipment, airless painting and positive displacement pumps; Celtech Inc., USA, for its range of tubular anode cells and GE Osmonics UF membranes; Keda, China for its heat transfer consumables; and Kunz GmbH, Germany for its Zinc flake Chrome free coating systems. Gurvin Singh, the driving force behind Coatec India talks to Automotive Products Finder about the company and its activities.

What are the products that you offer?

We manufacture Cathodic Electro Deposited Coating systems. This process has many names - KTL, Elpo, CED, Electrocoat, Cataphoresis, etc. The most popular process is the cathodic in which the product is made a Cathode and the anodes charge the paint particles. In cathodic, the epoxy paint has far greater applications in the automotive and industrial segments due to its high salt spray test performance.

We are also developing automation systems for pick and place, positioning, etc.

What are the applications?

The applications are in the automotive and industrial segments only. Currently only black and grey colours are available. The coating is used either as a primer or as a finished coat only in case of items, which are not exposed to sunlight.

Why should the customer opt for these?

This is more of an OEM customer driven market. Automotive companies specify this coating on metal parts due to the high performance in salt spray test and for its friendliness to the environment.

How strong/effective is the after sales service?

All the major paint companies offer CED coating chemicals. They are different from ordinary paints. The paint companies provide regular service visits to keep the coating baths in good health.

 How does the cost of ownership over the life cycle compare with competition?

Though the cost of putting up the system is quite high, the wastages are very low, as it is not only a dip system but with a closed loop paint recovery design. It does not have any direct comparison with either spray painting or powder coating but in places it does get replaced with powder coating if a lower quality is acceptable.

What is the company's history?

Coatec was started in 1992 providing Teflon coating job work. It was a unique service, which was not provided by anyone in the northern parts of the country. In the year 2000, Coatec diversified into supply of Ecoat systems for small and medium industries. This again was unique to the entire country. There was no organised supplier of small Ecoat plants. Today, Coatec has 15 installations and three are under manufacture.

What are the company's achievements?

Coatec has supplied India's first small commercially viable Ecoat system, India's heaviest Ecoat system for a 2500 kg single component and India's largest Ecoat system in job work segment.

Any breakthrough product launch that made a difference?

It is difficult to imagine what would have been the case had this not happened. But we do have these Ecoat lines supporting Indian industry.

How is the present business environment?

Competition comes with success; probably a form of appreciation. There is a huge surge in the demand for Ecoat and the size just keeps getting bigger. Suppliers who have never supplied Ecoat are willing to supply the same. The challenges, however, are long-term performance as the Ecoat bath and its accessories have to run 24 x 7.

What are the future plans?

With its dedicated pool of Engineers, Coatec is attempting to leverage this strength for industrial automation. There are independent and brilliant suppliers of industrial automation but none as an organised supplier. The organised suppliers are the biggies whose services are not affordable to small and medium industry. This is the gap that Coatec will try and fill, in the future.

(Coatec India, F-79, Industrial Area, Phase 7, Sector 73, Mohali 160 055, Punjab, India. Tel: 0172-5063436/37/38. Fax: 91-172-5063439. E-mail: coatecindia@gmail.com, info@coatecindia.com)