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 Having demonstrated the ability to address diverse driveline solutions by supplying the sideshafts with common inner and outer tripod joints to the rear-engined small car Tata Nano and electronic torque manager (electronic limited slip differential) to the new Jaguar XFR sports saloon, GKN Driveline is expanding its Oragadam plant near Chennai to satisfy the growing needs of the Indian auto industry. Newest of the three automotive driveline solution plants that GKN Driveline has in India, and arguably the most modern, the Chennai plant saw the company invest Euro 20 million in it. Spread over 10,000 sq.m, and situated on a plot of 15 acres, the Oragadam plant employs more than 250 people currently and houses an engineering test centre. The plant has the distinction of supplying 1.2 million sideshafts last year, running at almost full capacity, according to Ravindra Ohja, managing director of GKN Driveline India. With the expansion expected to complete in a short span of time, the Oragadam plant will be positioned to satisfy the needs of new programmes that are shaping up in south India, including those by Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Nissan-Renault.
 Speaking to Automotive Products Finder in Delhi during the Auto Expo, Dr Joachim Horst, Engineering Director – Asia Pacific, GKN Driveline, said, “The potential for faster growth in India would ride on the back of the auto developments.” Drawing attention towards GKN's presence in Pune for sintered metals, Horst added that the Chennai plant would drive volumes. With exports amounting to 4 to 5 per cent of GKN Driveline India's total production, the country, according to Dr Horst, is the fastest growing, clocking nearly 15 per cent in the past. Admitting that he would expect a modest growth of 4 to 5 per cent this year, Horst states that technology for GKN means giving what the customer needs. GKN technologies include Countertrack, which enables a weight reduction of up to 29 per cent; electric axles that include precise single-stage reduction gearbox with integrated differential and can be had with electromagnetic clutch; direct torque flow technology, which is used to connect propeller shafts to vehicle transmissions to save weight; and face spline technology, which offers an efficient alternative to the traditional stem design often used to secure constant velocity jointed sideshafts to wheel hubs and driveshafts for low cost vehicles. With such products in its kitty, the application of technology in the Tata Nano and the Jaguar XFR, according to Rob Nickell, global engineering director at GKN Driveline, demonstrates the broad diversity of products and technology. Connecting technology with GKN Driveline's India operations, Dr Joachim Horst remarked that the Indian operations have complete access to all technology, both in terms of products and manufacturing. “GKN Driveline India (GDI) is capable of producing any product produced by GKN Driveline worldwide,” he added.
 Interestingly, the development of IP pattern in China is supported by similar developments in connection with new programs in India, according to Horst. Horst averred that it allows GKN Driveline to invent, and is globally important to use. Explaining that in Europe GKN Driveline is sharing the production with Volkswagen, which produced driveshafts under license, Horst ruled out any such possibility in India. With thrust on manufacturing the driveline solutions on the own, Horst mentioned that such arrangements are a thing of the past, and that his company has developed a supply chain to support its manufacturing set-ups. Announcing that GKN Driveline has acquired in-house production Fiat in Italy, Nissan in Japan and Renault in France, Horst added further that new developments in technology has resulted in the weight reduction of driveshafts by over 50 per cent over the last 15 years. The efficiency of driveshafts has increased by 30 per cent, and another 50 per cent could be had by GKN Driveline's new technology, which is under development. Reliability of driveshafts, according to Dr Joachim Horst, has gone up with improvement in the quality of the boost and the sealing technology by 100 per cent. “Higher heat operating range has been developed to ensure longer life.” Drawing attention towards better heat range enabled by the development of light weight forgings, Horst remarked that GKN Driveline in India is planning a precision forging facility at Chennai by 2011. Explaining that a GDI engineering centre was set up in 2007 as a member of the GKN global engineering network, Dr Joachim Horst explained that his company has set up a product engineering team, and led by GDI would drive new product development. This would involve segments like small cars that are coming up in India. Looking at a good deal of innovation at GDI in collaboration with the customers, Horst said that driveshafts do not have global standards for electric vehicles and hybrids. “Every manufacturer wants to differentiate when it comes to EVs and hybrids. To support them, it requires customised development, and we could see such developments coming up in India.”
Having a modular solution approach for EVs and hybrids globally, Horst expressed that he hopes for a time when EVs and hybrids will sell in good numbers. Dr Joachim Horst concluded on a very optimistic note: “India could be faster or slower. We are however looking at 5 per cent of 80 million EVs and hybrids produced globally by 2020.”
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