Garware Technical Fibres Ltd (formerly Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd) is working on new products for the power transmission industry, the company’s CMD Vayu Garware said at the sidelines of a conference in Mumbai.
The conference was held to unveil the new corporate identity of the company and to formally announce the company’s change in name.
The company is developing a new coating technology so that the rope can withstand abrasion better. This new technology is currently undergoing field tests with large T&D EPC contractors deploying such ropes in their projects.
Shujaul Rehman, CEO, Garware Technical Fibres Ltd, who also interacted with T&D India at the event explained that stringing of conductors on power transmission lines can be a very risky affair, especially when the project site is on difficult terrain. Even stringing of conductors on transmission towers located in agricultural or residential land can pose risks. Garware Technical Fibres currently has an innovative product “Garfil Transline Rope” that is supposed to be at least 15 per cent stronger than conventional ones.
Rehman also explained that GTFL was also working on a technology where rope will have a “rope break indicator.” This technology will forewarn users of an imminent snap (or “parting”) of the rope. The CEO cautioned that parting of ropes while in use can pose a serious threat to people—both workers and the general public. When ropes are used for such critical applications, the raw material used is high-molecular polymer that gives the rope more tensile strength.
Speaking of the products used in the power transmission industry, Rehman noted that the sector still constituted a small part of the overall business of Garware Technical Fibres. The company’s products are largely used in fisheries, aquaculture and agriculture. The company also has a presence in the geosynthetic textiles segment.
However, the proportion of power-related products is likely to rise in view of the growing project expenditure in the power transmission space, Rehman said. Even in the exports business, though the presence of power transmission-related products is currently low, it can potentially grow. At the moment, overseas presence is through the company’s dealers, especially in Africa and Middle East. Products also reach the global markets via Indian power T&D contractors that are executing jobs overseas.
Change in name
Garware-Wall Ropes announced a change in its corporate brand name and identity to Garware Technical Fibres Ltd. The rebranding is part of a focused vision to double its profit over the next 5-7 years and to be amongst the top two players globally in each of its major operating verticals. “Over the past four decades, we have built a strong reputation for quality, value addition and application-focused innovation; we wanted this to reflect in our name and brand, said Vayu Garware, Chairman & Managing Director.
